Business magnate's daughter, Isla Templeton (Feather), is the youngest of André Templeton's three children. And the top topic in the upper-class gossip in New York City.
Isla has always been a fighter; after losing her mother at a young age by sui...
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The late afternoon sun was low in the sky as I pulled up outside Isla's school, my mind racing with everything I needed to say but had no idea how to explain. I shouldn't have come here, not after what happened with Noah.
But I couldn't just leave without talking to her first. I needed her to know something, even if I couldn't tell her everything.
She spotted me from across the parking lot, her steps slowing as she walked toward me, her face a mix of concern and confusion. It was a look I had seen on her before, usually when things didn't add up when I wasn't telling her the whole story. She wasn't wrong.
"Get on"
When we pulled up to Salt, the little diner just outside town, the neon sign flickered above us.
Inside, we slipped into a booth in the corner. Isla sat across from me, her arms crossed in front of her, waiting for me to explain. Her eyes were locked on mine, full of questions I didn't have good answers for.
"What's going on, Claude?" she asked, her voice quieter now, more concerned. "Why did you show up like this?"
I ran my hand over my face, feeling the sting of the split lip from my earlier fight with Noah. I hadn't cleaned myself up. The blood had dried by now, but it still ached.
"I had a fight with Noah," I said, keeping my voice calm, though the memory of his punch was still fresh. "It wasn't his fault. Don't blame him."
Her brow furrowed, her confusion deepening.
"You fought with Noah? Why?"
I sighed, leaning back in my seat, unsure how much I could tell her without revealing too much.
"It's complicated, Feather," I muttered, rubbing my temples. "But... things are tense at the mansion. I had to leave."
"Leave?" Her voice wavered, worry creeping into her words. "Why? What happened, Claude?"
I hesitated, knowing I couldn't tell her the truth—not about Andre, not about the papers I had signed to reject her. She had no idea that I was supposed to marry her, that all of this was part of some twisted plan orchestrated by her father.
She didn't need to know that. Not now.
"A lot is going on, and I can't stay at the mansion for a while. But I need you to know that I'm not disappearing. I'll still be close by. I'll always be nearby if you need me."
Isla's face softened, but the confusion and hurt didn't leave her eyes. I closed my eyes for a moment, the guilt sitting heavy in my chest.
I wanted to tell her. I wanted to explain everything, but the truth would only drag her deeper into this mess. And I couldn't do that to her. Not when Andre still had control over me.
Isla's eyes filled with tears, and she looked down at the table, biting her lip. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to be kept in the dark, but it was the only way I could protect her. The only way I could make sure Andre didn't win.
