Page 60 of The Widower
I looked down at my little girl and couldn’t help but smile. For someone so young, she really did have a gift.
Even so, I owed him yet another apology. But at least now I felt a little lighter, knowing that somehow, the two of them seemed to bring out the best in each other.
I finally gathered the courage to talk to Colin when I saw him out in one of the gardens. It was still hard to look him in the eye—especially after our last kiss. He always managed to get too much out of me, while I knew almost nothing about him.
“I’m sorry about Hanna,” I began. “She keeps breaking—”
“There are no more rules,” he cut in sharply. “Not for her.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think you understood me,” he said, his gaze locking on mine. “She can go wherever she wants in the house. Hanna’s become my best company—even though I didn’t want that.She’s the closest thing I have to a friend, and she cares about me. I won’t let her down.”
His words left me speechless.
“If she ever calls for me,” he continued, “and I find out that you—or anyone else—told her I was busy or made upan excuse, I swear I’ll fire whoever’s responsible. Make sure everyone hears that. Was I clear?”
“Y-yes,” I stammered.
“Good. You can go back to work.”
He looked up again as I walked away, and I couldn’t help replaying his expression in my mind.
For the first time, I realized something—Colin wasn’t the same man I’d met when I first started working in that mansion.
CHAPTER 14
“When a woman sets her mind on driving a man crazy, not even the most indifferent one can resist…”
ISABELLE CAMPBELL
This morning I got my first paycheck, and honestly, I don’t even know how to describe how happy I am. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much money in my account before.
Yeah, I might be exaggerating a little—so just bear with me.
I worked through the morning in a great mood, happier than usual. Not even the mistakes from some of Colin’s employees got to me; I just corrected them politely and asked that it not happen again.
Speaking of Colin, a delivery came in for him today, and I’ve been trying to find him ever since.
This place is huge, and I still get lost in some of the endless hallways—even more so because there’s one area I’ve never been allowed to see, the infamous “forbidden section” he’s made such a point of keeping me out of.
“Any idea which room he might be in?” I asked Helen. I’d already told her I’d looked practically everywhere, and she said he wasn’t in his bedroom since she’s the only one allowed to clean it.
“I don’t know, Isabelle. Try the gym.That’s probably the only place left.”
“Okay.”
Though honestly, I doubted it. I’d never seen him work out during the day. From what I’d heard, Colin preferred exercising at night.
I went there without expecting to find him—but when I slowly opened the door...
That view could’ve been straight out of paradise.
There he was—shirtless, in a pair of gym shorts, muscles flexing as he worked out, thighs defined, body glistening under the light.
I stood there, completely mesmerized, watching every detail of his body for a good five minutes. I actually forgot why I was there. My focus had... shifted.
“How long are you planning to stand there staring?”
