Page 55 of Enigma: The Final Chapter
I lick my dry lips, hoping some moisture will ease out my next set of words. “I witnessed an exchange between them a few weeks ago. It was obvious they knew each other… personally.”
He stares at me, waiting for further explanation. He knows I'm holding back information because he has eyes that can see through to my soul.
“Regan said something about Alex using her for his own benefit. It was when we were discussing the discovery of Theresa having my phone tapped. Now, knowing about the paternity claims, it kind of makes sense why she was removed from your case, and Alex was assigned to her team.”
Isaac’s face reddens with anger. “So Regan broke lawyer/client confidentiality to help her boyfriend secure a more lucrative position. A position that was to investigate the man shesolelyworks for.”
“I don’t believe Regan purposely set out to deceive you, Isaac. The instant she knew Alex was here investigating you, she cut all ties. She hadn’t seen him since that day.”
“That doesn’t make her any less guilty of betraying my trust.”
I cup his cheek. His anger is so paramount, the blood blazing through his veins warms my hand. “She couldn’t help who she fell in love with any more than me falling in love with you. You can’t help who you love. Don’t punish her for opening her heart. Mistakes happen all the time. You’ve made mistakes. I’ve madeplenty of mistakes. Regan made a mistake, and she's living with the repercussions of her error every day.”
He remains quiet, silently contemplating. I try to get him over the fence.
“Regan cares deeply for Alex, but she gave him up because her loyalty to you was stronger. She's already suffering living without him. Don’t punish her more.”
Warmth blooms in my chest when he nods, agreeing with my statement. The energy in the room turns from somber to electrifying when he stares dotingly into my eyes. The spark of attraction has always been dominant between us, but there's something greater that tethers us together. It’s an intimate string that’s becoming sturdier with every moment we spend together. I didn’t think my love for him could grow any stronger, but it astonishes me every day with how much it continues to bloom.
The ringing of the doorbell interrupts our emotion-packed stare-down. I try to hold in my excitement, but my anticipation at meeting Isaac’s family is too great for me to contain.
“Only you would be excited about meeting the in-laws,” Isaac mocks while assisting me down from the counter.
After lacing his fingers through mine, he walks us to the foyer. The thrashing of my heart increases with every step I take. I'm equally excited and nervous about meeting his family.
The first thing my gaze zooms in on is the tiny little baby nestled in the arms of the young lady I’ve only seen in surveillance photos. Jenni has gorgeous strawberry blonde hair, perfect facial features, and light blue eyes. She greets me with a massive smile stretched across her face.
“Isabelle, this is my brother, Nick, my dad, Harrison, my sister-in-law, Jenni. and my nephew, Jasper,” Isaac introduces, his voice lowering when he introduced Jasper.
Now, I understand where Isaac gets his remarkable good looks. His dad isgorgeous. Even though he’s at least twenty years my senior, my cheeks heat when my eyes roam over his handsome face.
After accepting a handshake from Nick and a hug from Harrison, I offer to take their coats. Once they’re stored in the coatroom, we enter the informal dining room at the side of the kitchen. Jenni hands a sleeping Jasper to Isaac before coming to help me in the kitchen. My heart melts when Isaac nuzzles him in close to his chest before placing a kiss on the top of his head.
“You may not get Jasper back now,” I tease Jenni, my tone playful.
She grins a beaming white smile. “He really loves Jasper like he's his own son.”
“Yeah, he does.” And now I understand why. Isaac will never experience having his own children, so he’ll cherish his nephews and nieces even more.
Jenni assists in placing the baked goodies into baskets before gathering the juice from the fridge and the coffee from the percolator. “Did you bake these?”
When she gestures her head to the blueberry muffins and apricot danishes, I grimace.
“It’s okay, I’m stilllearninghow to cook. Let me just say, it’s lucky we have smoke alarms installed, or we may not have had a house to live in.”
I laugh before sharing the story of when I set the toaster on fire. Even though she’s a few years younger than me, she has a great personality and is extremely friendly.
Once all the items are out for brunch, I take a seat across from Isaac. My cheeks inflame when my eyes dart between the three men sitting across from me.
Jenni laughs at my wide eyes before filling the seat next to me. “Don’t stare too long or your eyes will get burned.”
“It’s so odd Nick and Isaac are brothers. It’s like looking at night and day.”
Nick has wavy blond hair, Isaac’s is brown and straight. Nick has pasty white skin, Isaac has gorgeous tan skin. Nick is a little on the small side with an athletic runner’s build, whereas Isaac’s body is well-formed and over six feet tall, but they're brothers without a doubt as Nick was created in a test tube to save Isaac’s life. This just proves you can’t judge paternity by similarities.
When Jenni giggles at my comment, Isaac’s eyes lift to us. His stern glare has my pulse racing. Jenni’s response is on the opposite end of the spectrum. When she catches his gaze, her cheeks turn the color of a beetroot, and she looks like she was informed she has to go to the principal’s office.
I nudge her with my elbow. “Don’t stare too long or your eyes will get burned.”
