Chapter 207
Graham stood frozen, his heart suddenly gripped by a deep,
suffocating ache. He looked at her with an expression that was a
mixture of wonder, concern, and a painful realization–like the final
piece of a puzzle had clicked into place, but the picture it revealed
was one he wasn’t ready to face. He understood now, with a clarity
that left him breathless. Isla didn’t feel like she belonged at
Thornfield Manor anymore. She didn’t feel like she belonged with
him. And the sorrow in her eyes, the way her voice cracked as she
spoke of being an orphan, it cut him to the bone. She longed for
something she hadn’t had in so long: a family. A place to call her
own. Perhaps dreams of a husband, children–a life she could create,
outside the walls of Thornfield Manor.
The thought struck him harder than he expected. It hurt him, a sharp
pang in his chest, as though he had lost something vital. He had
always associated her presence with Thornfield Manor, with the
memories of growing up alongside her. He remembered her as a little
girl, with pigtails bouncing as she followed him around. Then she’d
been a shy teenager, blushing like cherry blossoms whenever their
eyes met, her face dotted with the imperfections of youth. And now,
she was a young woman, standing before him with the weight of the
world in her eyes, the uncertainty of her place in it so painfully
evident. She was slipping away, and he could feel it, like another part
of his childhood, another part of his life, was disappearing.
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Chapter 207
His chest tightened as the thought settled in: what if he never saw
her again? What if this was the last time he would be close to her, the
last time he would be able to reach out and comfort her? It felt like
losing his father all over again, a piece of him, a piece of his past,
fading into nothing.
Outside, Edwin appeared, his presence like a storm on the horizon. He had come back, his arms full of Isla’s bags, his face twisted în disgust as he shoved them into the trunk of the car. Once the bags were in place, Edwin climbed into the driver’s seat without another word, starting the engine with a rough jerk. The car roared to life, and
the sound seemed to echo in the silence between Isla and Graham.
That night, in the sterile quiet of a hotel room, Graham found himself wide awake. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, unable to quiet the tumult of thoughts racing through his mind. Despite Isla being only a few doors away, sleeping peacefully on her own, he couldn’t find peace. His thoughts consumed him, spiraling deeper into worry and
frustration.
He couldn’t stop thinking about the raw, bruised state of Isla’s hands when they’d sat together at dinner. He had noticed how she winced, her knuckles tender with every movement, as though every action
sent a jolt of pain through her. She had been working herself to the bone, and he wondered what kind of life she had been living before
he’d found her. He shuddered at the thought of what her condition might be now, as Edwin had informed him after Isla had left the room
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Chapter 207
that she had been sleeping on a damp mattress in a cold, dark
basement. It was a far cry from the comfort she deserved.
Then, there was the issue with that sleazy guest house owner. The
man had robbed her blind. If Isla hadn’t managed to escape when she
did, God only knew what might have happened to her. The very idea
made his chest tighten with dread.
But it wasn’t just the immediate danger Isla had been in that haunted
him. It was the deeper reality of her life. She was just a child–no
matter how old she was. A vulnerable girl with no one to turn to. He
recalled Maggie’s frantic words, her insistence that a young man
named Emanuel Margeese was somehow involved in Isla’s
disappearance. Maggie had been convinced that the boy, the nephew
of one of their tenants, had been circling Isla like a vulture, waiting
for an opportunity to pounce. “Emanuel’s been watching her,
Graham,” Maggie had said, her voice trembling. “He knows she’s Mr.
Lancaster’s daughter. He thinks if he can get his filthy hands on her,
he can get a taste of the Lancaster fortune too. I’ve seen the way he
looks at her, like she’s nothing more than a prize to be claimed.”
Graham had dismissed her at first, but the more he thought about it,
the more he realized Maggie was right. Emanuel Margeese was trouble–trouble he couldn’t afford to ignore. And he could already
see the rumors spreading across town, rumors that he was somehow involved with Isla, rumors that painted her in a vulnerable light, easy
prey for anyone with ill intentions.
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Chapter 207
He shook his head, frustration creeping in. Isla was a young woman
who didn’t know her own mind, someone who could be impulsive,
stubborn, and naïve. She was at risk, surrounded by treasure hunters
and opportunists. His father had asked him, in his final days, to take
care of Isla. And Graham would be damned if he let her fall victim to
people like Emanuel, or worse, be left alone in the world with no one
to care for her, no one to protect her.
That night, Graham could barely find a moment’s peace. The weight
of Isla’s situation, the helplessness he felt, pressed down on him like
a vice. He eventually dozed off in the wicker chair, the fatigue from
the day catching up with him. But his sleep was fitful, a restless
tangle of thoughts that refused to leave him.
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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.
