Page 57 of Isabelle and the Beast

“Oh, good. It will be easier to talk to you both at the same time. Have you seen the interview yet?”

“No.” I suck in a breath. “How is it?”

“It’s creating quite a buzz. Adam, you should’ve let me know that you were going to make an appearance.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Adam says. “But when Allegra was only focusing on your other daughters, I needed to steer the conversation back to Isabelle.”

“What do you mean?” Dad asks.

“Didn’t they tell you what the interview was for?” I ask.

Dad pauses, just long enough for me to question his next words. “No. They just said they wanted to interview you.”

“Jim, come on,” Adam says, his voice hard. “You’re an experienced manager. You must have known that they weren’t interviewing Isabelle for herself. They wanted an inside story on her sisters.”

I glance over at Adam, filled with gratitude. I’m not used to being defended like this. When it comes to my family, my sisters always had the limelight, and I was pushed aside. Now, having my dad as my manager creates friction that wasn’t even there before. But having Adam stick up for me is a new sensation, and probably means more than he’ll understand.

“Fine,” Dad says, his voice sharp. “I knew. But I wanted Isabelle to get a chance to practice interviewing before it was her turn. I didn’t expect you two to turn it into a viral marketing scheme.”

“That wasn’t my intention,” Adam says, rubbing his forehead with his hand.

“Well, that’s what happened. You haven’t been seen since you were on the red carpet of the Goldies, and now you show up with Isabelle and your scar on full display for the world to see.” Dad lets out a loud breath. “But it’s not bad. There’s a lot of speculation about the two of you. And while I have my reservations, as Isabelle’s father, a fake relationship between the two of you wouldn’t be bad for publicity.”

“What?” I squeak out.

“Absolutely not,” Adam says firmly at the same time.

I narrow my eyes at him. “What’s wrong with being in a fake relationship with me?”

His mouth drops open, then he shuts it. “It’s not… That’s not what I…”

“You two can discuss it,” Dad says. “But my phone is ringing off the hook. Everyone wants a statement about what the two of you are doing together. And pulling off a fake relationship wouldn’t be hard, given the way you two were making googly-eyes at each other.”

Oh, my lord. I do not need my father commenting on my “googly-eyes” at Adam. Especially not after we barely kissed, and that was for real. Now he wants us to be in a fake relationship?

My head is starting to spin.

“We’ll discuss it,” Adam says, filling my silence. “But we’ll look at the article first.”

“Sounds good,” Dad says. “I’ll text Isabelle the link now.” He pauses for a moment. “Isabelle, take me off speakerphone. I want to speak to you privately.”

I hit the button and hold the phone up to my ear. “Is everything okay?” I ask.

“I wanted to ask you the same thing,” he says. “Are you all right? Are you being treated well?”

I smile. Once a dad, always a dad. Even though being my manager has complicated our relationship, I’m grateful that his heart is in the right place. “Yes. I’m doing great, actually. Adam even coached me last night for the interview.”

“He’s not being too rude?”

I look over at him, his eyes full of curiosity and concern, words I never would have used to describe him when we first met. “Not at all.”

“Good. Hopefully the roads clear in the next couple of days and you can leave that place.”

A few days ago, I would have agreed. But now, being here with Adam feels safe. The beautiful prison has turned into a refuge, a haven from the prying eyes of Hollywood. And I realize…

I don’t want to leave.

And it’s all because of Adam.

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