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I laugh. “Oh, little sister, you still don’t know anything, do you? Your entire life revolves around our family, which means sometimes you’ll have to roll up your pretty little sleeves and do something you don’t want to do. My word is law around here, and if I need to marry you off to secure your future, then that’s what I’ll do. I don’t care about your happiness, Isabella. I care about your safety.”
She doesn’t say anything, just stares at me, her face passive, but I can see all of the thoughts running through her mind.
“Is there anything else, Isabella?” I ask, eager to get back to work. I have an empire to run.
She hesitates, her fingers nervously twisting in the fabric of her dress. It’s clear she wants to say something more, but the fear of provoking another outburst keeps her silent. As much as I want to reassure her, I know that some barriers must remain in place, even between siblings.
“Actually,” she begins, her voice wavering slightly, “I came here to invite you out to lunch. Just the two of us.”
“Isabella,” I reply, struggling to keep my voice steady, “I appreciate the offer, but I have important work to do.” The words feel hollow, even to my own ears, but it’s the truth. As much as I long for the simpler times when we were children, I can’t afford to indulge in such fantasies now.
Everything that happens to this family relies solely on me.
“Maybe you could ask Cassius instead,” I suggest.
Isabella’s eyes flicker with disappointment, but she quickly hides it behind a mask of indifference. “Fine,” she says, her tone curt. “I’ll ask him.”
I watch her leave my office. As the door clicks shut behind her, I turn my attention back to the work that awaits me.
8
ANNALISE
My heart thuds erratically in my chest as I hastily type out a message to Sienna, my fingers trembling with anxiety.
This was such a stupid idea. I should have left the second I saw Cassius.
I blow out a breath.
Maybe I should just quit and get away from here. I can’t let them hurt Franny and Gina. I can’t lose them.
I see the bubbles pop up on my phone to indicate that Sienna is texting me back, but I don’t get the chance to see what she says because I hear my name being called.
“Annalise!” My head jerks up, and I find myself looking into the bright blue eyes of the same girl I just saw in Damian’s office. Her rosy cheeks are flushed with excitement. Cassius stands beside her, his striking blue gaze trained on me with an unreadable expression.
Briefly, I wonder who she is and how she’s involved with Cassius and Damian, but I don’t dare ask.
“I don’t believe we’ve met,” I tell her, standing up from my desk and pressing my phone into my pocket. I attempt to hide my fear behind a mask of normalcy.
“I know more about you than you think.” She smiles, but her words don’t comfort me. In fact, they might do the exact opposite. She has to be involved with the brothers…in whatever messed up organization they’re in. “I’m Isabella, by the way. You don’t look very busy.”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
“You’re right.” Her smile grows. “I like you already.”
I swallow, unsure how I’m supposed to respond to that. “Thank you?”
“Would you care to join me and Cassius for lunch?” The question is innocent enough, but I shake my head. I don’t need to get any more entangled than I already am. I’d risk them finding out the truth.
“Thank you for the offer.” I smile, although I’m sure it doesn’t reach my eyes. “But, I actually have a lot of work to do…”
“Stewart will clear that up for you,” she says quickly, eliminating my excuse.
That makes me even more uneasy. What could she possibly want to sit down and have lunch with me for?
“That wouldn’t be fair to the other people that?—”
This time it’s Cassius who interrupts me. “Isabella was attempting to be kind to you, but it wasn’t a question.”
