Page 113 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 2
She shook her head. "It was always me and James. Always. Ever since we were children our futures were set in stone. We have the greatest kind of love story. Yes, we've had our issues. And that was on him, not me. He projected his problems on me. He wouldn't touch me. He made me feel awful about myself. So yes, I found solace in other men. But he pushed me there. Because he couldn't face the fact that he was sick. And now he's gotten help. Now he's better. And now he can truly love me in a way I never thought possible. The way that you did. So it's only fair that he comes back to me. It's only fair."
"Life isn't fair, Isabella." I wanted to lunge for the gun. My mind was racing. What was the best way to reach for it?
"You think I don't know that? If life was fair I wouldn't be standing right here with you. I wouldn't be arguing with an immature girl about my husband!" Her hand was shaking.
For the first time I thought she might actually not shoot me. Maybe she was realizing how crazy this whole thing was.
"Isabella, we don't have to be arguing about this." I took a step forward.
"Don't move." She grabbed the gun with her other hand to steady it.
My phone started vibrating in my purse. Isabella glanced over toward the kitchen counter.
"Who's calling you?" she asked.
"I don't know."
She pulled my phone out of my purse and looked at the screen. "Is Porter still at the hospital?"
"No. He was waiting in the car downstairs."
"Shit." She tossed my phone down on the counter. "Enough chatting. Stand next to Rob." She raised her gun again.
"Isabella, you don't have to do this."
"Of course I do. I've already tried to kill James. And I failed both times. Now I'm going to kill you instead."
"Both times?" She tried twice?
"Kneel down next to Rob," she said, ignoring me.
"Isabella."
"Now!"
I heard the click of her gun being cocked.Fuck."Okay." For some reason my fear hadn't switched on until that moment. I was worried about Rob. But now, now I realized what was going to happen. She was going to kill me. She was going to get her way. I was going to die. My baby was going to die. I tried to blink back my tears. I tried to think of anything I could do to prevent this from happening. But there was no hope. I glanced down at Rob's lifeless body. This was it. James and I were never supposed to happen. I was his student and he was my professor. Everything had always been against us. We weren't allowed to be happy. Life was a cruel joke.
I looked back up. I noticed the front door slowly opening.Porter!Oh, thank God."You don't have to do this," I said. I needed to distract her. I couldn't let her hear him coming in. "We can just tell the cops it was an accident. You won't have to go to jail."
"Nothing I do will send me to prison. People like me don't end up in jail."
Criminals?I thought about James' rap sheet. He never ended up serving time. Maybe she was right. People like her didn't end up in prison. I needed to think of something to stall her. "Who's been telling you everything?"
"It's not just one person, Penny."
"Who then?"
"This is really what you want to know on your deathbed? As your whole meaningless life flashes before your eyes? I pity you."
"At least tell me how you got up here."Please let this be working.Isabella seemed happy about the way she had tricked everyone. She seemed to like to brag about her connections and tricks.
"You really are quite dense. Why do you think I'm dressed like this?" She gestured to the yellow gloves. "It's crazy what a little flirting at the front desk will get you. Men have always been easy for me to manipulate."
"Of course they have."
She laughed. "Flattery isn't going to save you, Penny."
I glanced at Porter who was slowly turning the corner into the kitchen. I didn't even realize my mistake until it was too late.
