Page 286 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
“How so?” My tone lowers as anger grips my body.
“The new DA assigned to the case agrees the evidence is compelling enough to convict Theresa, but he's worried the jury might feel compassion for her, considering everything that happened between you two.”
My back molars grind as my grip on the phone tightens, but before I can speak, Ryan continues. “He thinks your refusal to dispute her claims makes you look guilty.”
“Who told you what happened between Theresa and me?” The files on the court proceedings between Theresa and me are sealed, so Ryan wouldn’t be able to access them.
He coughs, clearing the rattle in his deep voice. “Alex.”
Blood teems furiously through my body. “Those files are sealed. He wouldn’t have access to them.”
“He didn’t. He found out via another source.”
I stiffen. Only one other person knows about the incident between Theresa and me, but she’s worked for me for years, so why would she betray me now?
“I have to go,” I advise Ryan, anger echoing in my voice.
“Isaac!”
I press the phone back against my ear. “Yes.”
“Give her the chance to explain. Not everything is black and white.”
Yeah, because there's always a heap of fucking gray no one pays any attention to.
When I disconnect our call, I grip my phone tightly, fighting the urge to send it hurling across the room. The blood streaming through my veins is overheating my body with anger. I'm so worked up, I don’t notice Isabelle sneaking up on me until her arms wrap around my torso, startling me enough, I yank away from her.
When I capture her tempting smell filtering through my nose, I curse under my breath, then spin around to face her. Pain grips my heart from the frightened haze in her alarmed eyes, but before I can soothe it, she rushes for me, stealing any apologies about to seep from my lips by enclosing her mouth over mine.
Her kiss is lush, mind-stealing, and devoted. By the time she pulls away, my earlier anger is a distant memory.
“That’s better.”
A grin tugs on my lips. This is another prime example of how she knows me better than anyone. I didn’t even need to speak, yet she offered me comfort.
After running her finger along my arched brow, she locked her eyes with mine. “Merry Christmas, Isaac.”
“Merry Christmas, Isabelle.”
When I grind my now stiff cock against the seam of her panties, her groan matches the grumbling of her hungry tummy. “Time for breakfast?”
She nods. “I'm starving… for you.”
I hit her with a flirty wink. “What did you think I’m going to feed you for breakfast?”
When she shudders in excitement, I increase my pace, eager to once again have her underneath me.
Isabelle’s head pops out of the fridge when a doorbell shrills through the kitchen. “I’ll get it.”
She places a quick kiss to the edge of my mouth before marching toward the foyer. I invited my brother, Nick, his fiancée, Jenni, my nephew, Jasper, and my dad here for Christmas brunch. With Nick’s crazy schedule and all the mammoth tasks I’ve been undertaking the past several months, Isabelle has not yet met my family, so she’s beyond excited that they’re coming today.
Her excitement was even more paramount than when I gifted her a five-carat diamond-drop necklace for Christmas. My motive for her gift was a little cunning on my part as I fully plan on seeing her in nothing but her necklace and a pair of black stilettos later tonight.
I lower the temperature on the oven to ensure Isabelle doesn’t burn the pastries and muffins Harlow made for her yesterday before I join Isabelle in the foyer. I stop frozen partway there when I discover who’s standing in the entryway.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Isaac,” Isabelle interrupts, looking mortified.
