Chapter 251
Chapter 33
The thought was terrifying. If she had miscalculated, if she had
walked away from the one chance she had at having a family, she
didn’t know if she could forgive herself. And yet, another part of her
clung stubbornly to her resolve. Graham’s care didn’t mean he loved
her–not in the way she longed for. She wanted more than gestures
and duty; she wanted to be seen, valued, cherished.
Her stomach twisted as the helicopter continued its ascent, carrying
her farther away from Graham and the life she could have chosen.
prickled at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away,
g to let herself break.
lew outside grew blurrier as the tears she refused to shed
ed her vision. The world below looked distant and surreal, and
moment, so did her life.
As Isla leaned back against the plush leather seat of the helicopter,
she felt something pressing into her back–a sharp, almost
imperceptible nudge that disrupted her spiraling thoughts. Frowning,
she shifted and patted the seat behind her, her fingers brushing
against a smooth, firm object. Pulling it out, she discovered a green
file, slightly worn at the edges but still neat.
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Curiosity piqued, she turned it over in her hands, noting the faintly embossed company logo on the cover, Flipping it open, she found
pages filled with meticulous details about shipments–routes, quantities, dates–all written in Graham’s precise, almost mechanical
handwriting.
ot, catching her confusion through the mirror, smiled. bably belongs to Mr. Lancaster he said. “I saw him with it just
ew nights ago when I flew him
he gets it when I return.”
Just set it aside. I’ll make sure
Isla sighed, a soft huff o
file onto the seat next
But the universe see
landed askew, spi
Loose sheets f
scaping her lips. She tossed the
ding to forget about it entirely.
ned to test her patience–the file
nts in a messy cascade of papers.
the seat, some slipping onto the floor.
“Of cou
finge
gritting her teeth. She bent down, her
ther the scattered documents. Her
and agitated, her mind consumed by the
that had happened.
he had nearly finished that something unusual caught
d at the very back of the file, partially hidden behind
forms, were a series of colorful brochures. Isla’s hand
reach as she carefully pulled them out.
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Chapter 251
They were college brochures–bright, glossy, and neatly arranged. Marymount Manhattan College, the University of Rochester, Colgate University, Hamilton College. Her brows furrowed as she leafed
through them, her confusion giving way to a strange, tentative
curiosity.
But it wasn’t the brochures themselves that stole her breath–it was
the scrawled note on the back of one. Graham’s unmistakable
handwriting, confident and bold, marked the page in dark ink.
Take Isla on a tour on Sunday to see if she likes any of the schools.
Isla stared at the words, her vision blurring as tears welled up in her eyes. A shuddering breath escaped her lips, and before she could stop it, a sob broke free, raw and aching. She clutched the brochures to her
chest, her body trembling as she wept, tears streaming down her
cheeks like an unstoppable flood.
The weight of Graham’s gesture hit her like a tidal wave. In a world
where she had so often felt overlooked and dismissed, this simple,
thoughtful act felt monumental. No one had ever done something like this for her. No one had cared enough to think about her future in
such a tangible, meaningful way.
Her mind flashed back to her childhood–years of longing for a family, for someone who would look at her and see not just her struggles, but her dreams. She thought of the countless times she had felt invisible,
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like her hopes and desires didn’t matter to anyone. And now, here
was this man, this infuriating, enigmatic man who she had convinced
herself didn’t care. And yet he had done this.
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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.
