Page 38 of Isabelle and the Beast

After a few minutes, my phone powers on. Sure enough, the notifications start pouring in. I don’t even bother reading them, knowing I just need to call my dad.

He picks up after the first ring. “Isabelle! Thank God! Are you all right? Where are you?”

“I’m fine, I promise. I’m still here at the castle. We got snowed in and lost all cell service and Internet.”

There’s silence on the other end.

“Dad?”

“You’re kidding, right? Snow?”

I laugh. “Nope. This place is crazy.”

He heaves a sigh. “I’ve been so worried about you. I even called the police.”

“What?!”

“It’s not like there’s a national search going on or anything. I just needed to dosomething.” He pauses, then continues in ahushed voice. “Are you safe? Is Adam… Do you need me to tell the police to come up there?”

“No, no, I’m fine. There’s like fifteen other people here.”

“You’re sure? I know Adam can get hot-tempered at times.”

“No, Dad. Adam has been…” I hesitate. WhathasAdam been? Rude, especially in the beginning. Angry when he caught me in the office.

But then he braved a heavy snowstorm to rescue me. He gave me the theater. And now we’ve developed a very tentative, cordial relationship.

A relationship sparked with attraction, at least on my end. But a cordial relationship, nonetheless.

“We’re good,” I finally say, unsure of how to describe the relationship I have with him.

“All right. I’m glad to hear that. So, are you coming home today?”

“Hang on.” I hop out of the seat, leaving my phone plugged in at the vanity, and pull back the curtain at the window.

Snow. Piled high all around my car.

I walk back to the vanity and pick up my phone. “No way. It’s not snowing anymore, but the snow hasn’t melted enough for me to drive Philippe back down the mountain. And Lionel said something about the snow blowers being broken, and no plows come all the way up here.”

“Hmm,” he muses. “Well, I have some good news, but we’ll have to work out some kinks now.”

“Good news? What is it?”

“I got an interview for you with Inside Scoop.”

I suck in a breath, holding back a squeal. Yes, my dad is…my dad, but he’s also my manager, and I want to impress him. It’s my first time getting my own interview for a celebrity news website, though, which is a HUGE deal. It means I’m finally getting some recognition on my own as an actress. “Really?”

“Yes. And it’s supposed to be an online video conference tomorrow morning, but do you have Internet up there?”

“Adam said we did, but I’ll double check. Can I do it here?”

“Yes, that should work. I told them about the movie, and it would be great if you could share that Adam is doing it with you.” He pauses. “Have you talked to him about it? Did he agree to do it with you?”

“I…uh…” Well, crap. How do I tell my dadI’mthe one who said I wouldn’t do the movie now? “We kind of mentioned it but…”

“Get on it, Isabelle,” my dad says sternly. He’s not being rude, he’s turning into a businessman. This is the struggle I see him constantly face, balancing the two sides of our relationship. And I understand. This is his job, and he wants to make sure thatbothof his clients are getting roles. “If you can make this happen, it’ll be great. For both of you.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. “Isn’t this a step down for Adam?”

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