Chapter 75
After helping Isabella hide how messed up she looked, Logan quickly led her back to the car. Once she was inside, he hurriedly covered her with his jacket and switched on the AC.
Once everything was taken care of, Logan looked at Isabella, his tone serious. “What happened? Why are you here, and how did you end up like this?”
As soon as Logan asked, tears welled up in Isabella’s eyes and spilled over. Her hand trembling, she reached out to Logan. slowly uncurling her fingers.
Logan finally saw the necklace clenched tightly in her fist. His frown grew even deeper. “What’s with this necklace?”
“This is the necklace Hannah had her eye on. Queen Elizabeth once wore it,” Isabella said.
“I could tell Hannah really wanted it, especially to impress those society ladies. So I reached out to a friend abroad to help me find out where it was.
“When she tracked it down, I was even ready to fly over myself and try to convince them to sell it to me.
“But my friend said I didn’t need to make the trip. She had some connections with the seller and could make it happen more easily, so I trusted her.
“We’ve been close for years, stuck together through thick and thin back when we were both overseas. I really never thought she’d lie to me like this.
“Hannah spent 5 million on this necklace, but it turned out to be a fake. I know this is all my fault. Hannah is furious, and she has every right to ask me to pay her back the 5 million.
“But I never thought my friend would not only deny the necklace was fake, but actually cut me off completely.
“I trusted her so much that I didn’t get any proof. We just talked on the phone, I never got anything in writing, and now she’s pretending none of it happened. I’m totally stuck.
“I can’t just let Hannah take a 5 million loss because of me, and I definitely don’t want her thinking I was part of some scam against her.
“So I made up my mind to earn the money back as fast as I could and pay her back. Someone I work with told me about this place, said I could make money fast here.
“I had no idea what kind of place it was, I just showed up. Only when I got here did I realize what kind of place it really was…
As Isabella spoke, she was a complete mess, sobbing so hard she could barely get the words out.
She hung her head, voice trembling. “They tried to hurt me. I smashed a bottle and held the jagged edge to my own throat. When they backed off, I ran and found somewhere to hide.
“I heard them chasing after me. I knew it was only a matter of time before they caught me. I was totally desperate, so I called
you.
“I’m so glad you showed up. If you hadn’t, I honestly have no idea what I would’ve done.”
As she spoke, Isabella reached up and gently brushed her fingers over the wound on her neck.
Logan followed her movement and instantly spotted the bloody scratch on her neck.
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Chapter 75
The cut wasn’t deep, but seeing it there made Logan really worried. He leaned in, his voice tight with concern. “How could you do something so risky? What if you’d actually hurt yourself?
‘Don’t touch the wound. I’m taking you to the hospital right now.”
Just as Logan was about to start the car and leave, Isabella suddenly threw her arms around him, her breath was burning hot.
Isabella still had a shred of clarity left, and she knew exactly what was happening, the pill she’d just taken was starting to kick in.
She’d called Logan over today with one goal in mind: to sleep with him and then force him to marry her.
She knew Logan was a man of principle, and she’d been trying to drive a wedge between him and Eliana for a while now.
But things were moving way too slow, and she wasn’t even sure Logan would ever actually divorce Eliana. This was the only shortcut left for her now.
If she could pull this off today, everything else would just fall into place.
With that thought burning in her mind, Isabella wrapped her arms around Logan, pulling him closer. “Logan, please. I feel so awful. Can you help me?” she begged, desperation thick in her tone.
As she spoke, her hands fumbled with her clothes, growing more frantic by the second. Her mind slipped further into a fog, until all that was left was the drug’s grip, pushing her to act on pure instinct.
One look at Isabella, and Logan could tell right away something was off.
When Isabella collapsed into his arms like that, his heart skipped a beat.
But he quickly pulled himself together, grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the side. He asked seriously, “Isabella, did someone make you take something?”
Isabella didn’t answer him. She just struggled desperately, trying to break free from his grip.
While she fought, she whimpered under her breath, “Logan, I feel so awful. Please, don’t be so heartless. Just help me, please?”
But seeing her like this, Logan suddenly pictured Eliana in his mind for a split second.
That thought made him instantly snap back to his senses. He spoke seriously, “Isabella, you’re not thinking clearly right now. I’m taking you to the hospital, you’ll feel better soon.”
With that, Logan quickly pulled off his tie and bound her hands, then strapped her in with the seatbelt to keep her from moving.
Once he made sure she was secure, he hurried to the front seat, started the car, and drove quickly toward the hospital.
Isabella hadn’t expected the drug to hit her this hard. With Logan tying her down, her whole body was itching all over, a maddening sensation that was driving her insane.
She felt like she was about to lose her mind. She scratched at herself, unable to stop, her voice breaking as she pleaded, “I can’t take it anymore, Logan. Can’t you just help me?
“Logan, you still love me, right? I know you do. Can’t we just get back together? Can’t we try again?
“I already told you why I left before, didn’t I? Why won’t you take me back? Is it that you just can’t forgive me, or have you really fallen for Eliana?”
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Chapter 23
When Isabella said that, Logan’s grip on the steering wheel instinctively tightened. He almost snapped back at her without even thinking.
But the retort stuck in his throat. Instead, he just frowned, his brows drawing together.
He wasn’t even sure when it happened, but denying that he had feelings for Eliana had become an automatic reflex for him.
Was it because Grandpa forced that marriage on me? Or because Eliana was always so quiet, so focused on the home, nothing like the wife I’d imagined for myself?
Or is Isabella right? Have I actually never let her go? But do I really not care about Eliana? If I don’t, then why does being apart for less than a month feel this agonizing?
So what is this? Just force of habit, or have 1, without even noticing, started to fall for her?‘ he thought.
AD
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
