Page 218 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
“Then that makes you an idiot.” His words crack out of his mouth like a whip. “You don’t know these people like I know them. They’re ruthless.”
“Go ahead, add more taunts to the list of names I’ve been called the past two weeks, but don’t you dare pretend I don’t know who these people are.” My voice loudens as my anger is unleashed. “The fact my father sold me to the highest bidder makes me acutely aware of how ruthless they are!”
When I brush away a stupid tear sitting high on my cheek, hesitation sparks in Isaac’s furious gaze. When he attempts to cup my face, I step back, denying him the opportunity.
“Call me an idiot, stupid, naïve, or even a whore if you want, but my gut was telling me he wasn’t going to hurt me. I trust my intuition, Isaac, because it’s what I use to guide my relationship with you, and it’s the only thing keeping my head above water right now.” I inhale a shaky breath that rattles my chest cavity. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but I truly don’t believe he was going hurt me, just like I know you didn’t sleep with Clara.”
When guilt darkens Isaac’s eyes, the air is forcefully removed from my lungs. I slap my hand over my mouth when my stomach violently recoils. Even though no words seep from his lips, the liability in his eyes stabs my heart, physically wounding me.
Dizziness impedes me when I collect my clothing discarded haphazardly around the room. When Isaac attempts to still my swaying movements, I yank away from him. “Don’t touch me!”
He takes a step backward with his hands held out in front of himself. “Jesus Christ, Isabelle, give me a chance to explain.”
I snarl at him while yanking my jeans up my thighs. “There’s nothing to explain. You either slept with Clara, or you didn’t.”
“It isn’t that simple. Not everything is black and white—”
“Yes, it is! There’s no gray for stuff like this.”
Anger courses through me when he is unable to maintain eye contact. Shaking my head in disgust, I throw on my cami, not bothering with my sweater since fury is heating me from the inside out. My anger is so fierce, it dried every tear threatening to spill down my face.
While sucking in a deep breath, my eyes scan the room, searching for the purse I dumped on the way in. “Where do you think you’re going?” Isaac questions when I snatch it off the side table.
“As far away from you as possible.”
“Isabelle...”
His dangerous tone clatters through my chest, but it does little to slow me down. “No. Not this time. You said nothing would come between us. Not Regan. Not Col. Not Theresa, but you failed to mention the one thing that could. This hasn’t just come between us, Isaac, it broke us. I thought I knew you, therealIsaac Holt, not the enigma, but I don’t know you at all. I’m just as clueless as the rest of them.”
When I spin on my heels to race to the door, he seizes my wrist. Using my free hand, I slap him hard across the face. My palm sets on fire causing more tears to spring from my eyes.
Isaac inhales a sharp, quick breath as his dark, tormented eyes stare straight into mine. They’re emotionless and unreadable and utterly annihilate my heart.
“Goodbye, Isaac.”
I yank out of his grasp before making a beeline for the door. This time, he doesn’t stop me. Through a blur of unshed tears, I throw it open, only making it part way out before I crash into a wall of flesh.
Lifting my eyes, I’m met with the concerned face of Hugo. “Izzy, what’s wrong?”
Unable to speak for fear of sobbing, I burrow my face into Hugo’s chest. Without speaking another word, he guides me to the elevator car idling at my floor. Just before the doors snap shut, the last thing I see is remorse flashing through a pair of alluring gray eyes.
CHAPTER27
ISAAC
“Boss,” Hugo greets me, his tone brusque.
When I hear Isabelle’s soft breaths meddled with car honks, my anger gets the better of me. “Take me off speakerphone.”
Hugo instructs for Isabelle to stay in the car before a door creaking open sounds down the line. “I’m alone,” he informs me a short time later, but it’s the words he doesn’t speak that are the loudest of all.
“Enough with the attitude, Hugo. You need to remember who you work for.”
He sighs but doesn’t repudiate my statement.
“Where are you taking her?”
I hear him scrub at the stubble on his chin. “We’re heading to the airport. She wants to go home.”
