He had planned to take her on a tour of colleges. He had wanted her
to have choices, to find a place where she could thrive and be happy.
The thought unraveled something deep within her. Graham wasn’t indifferent. He wasn’t cold. He cared–in his own reserved, deliberate way, he cared more than she had ever allowed herself to believe.
Her tears came harder, shaking her shoulders as she sobbed quietly in the helicopter. Her heart felt like it was breaking and healing all at once, a chaotic whirlwind of emotions that left her breathless.
He cared.
She sat rigidly in the plush leather seat of the helicopter, the steady whir of the rotors filling the cabin as the cityscape blurred into a patchwork of green and gray below. Isla’s hands gripped the armrests, her knuckles white with tension. The urge to speak, to ask the pilot to turn the helicopter around, pressed against her chest like a weight. Her lips parted several times, but no words came. She wasn’t sure how far they’d flown or if it was even feasible to turn back now. All she knew was that she wanted to go back–needed to go back.
The thought of leaving things unresolved gnawed at her. She had to see Graham. She had to face him, to tell him everything: her fears,
1/6
Chapter 252
her doubts, the questions that kept her awake at night. What did he
truly feel for her? Did she mean anything more to him than a
responsibility, a charge he had inherited from the past? The
uncertainty was eating her alive. She knew there was only one way to
find peace: to talk to him face–to–face.
Her thoughts churned, swirling in a storm of longing and fear. The
truth was, she did want him. She had wanted him for as long as she
could remember. Since she was thirteen, an awkward, starry–eyed girl,
she had looked up to Graham with a mix of admiration and awe. Over
time, that admiration had deepened into something more profound,
something she hadn’t dared to name. And now, for the first time,
when he had looked at her with a glimmer of something–desire, hope, promise–her heart had soared so high it felt like it might never
come down.
For a single, fleeting moment, she had allowed herself to believe it was real. That everything she had ever dreamed of, everything she had ever wanted, was within reach. But with that realization came another truth, sharper and more painful. She didn’t just want a future
with Graham; she wanted love.
She wanted to be loved–not out of obligation, not because it was the right thing to do, but because someone truly wanted her for who she was. She wanted to fill the gaping void in her heart left by the loss of her family, the aching loneliness that had haunted her for so long. She wanted a home, not just a roof over her head, but a place where
2/6
Chapter 252
she belonged, where she was cherished.
And Graham? Graham had never once spoken of love. He hadn’t
uttered a word that hinted at deeper feelings. His proposal had been
couched in terms of responsibility, of duty. He had offered her a life
of security, of stability, but not of love. And yet…
Her gaze drifted to the green file resting on her lap. The memory of
its contents sent a fresh wave of emotion crashing over her. The
brochures for colleges, the handwritten note in his confident script:
Take Isla on a tour on Sunday, to see if she likes any of the schools. The care and thought behind those words spoke louder than anything
he could have said.
He hadn’t needed to do that. He hadn’t needed to research schools, to plan a tour for her, to ensure that she had a chance to chase her dreams. And then there were the smaller details, like informing the pilot about her hearing loss and ensuring there was a way for her to communicate comfortably during the flight. These weren’t the actions of a man who felt nothing. These were the actions of someone who cared deeply, even if he didn’t say it outright.
Her chest tightened with the weight of her emotions. Graham had always been a man of few words, a man who kept his feelings hidden behind a wall of stoicism. She couldn’t expect him to pour his heart out to her, not when she had rejected him so many times, so decisively. But his actions–they were impossible to ignore.
3/6
Chapter 252
She looked into the mirror mounted at the front of the helicopter. The pilot’s face was etched with concern as his lips moved rapidly, his words forming questions she couldn’t quite catch. She focused, her eyes locking on the reflection. “Are you okay, miss? Are you in pain?”
he was mouthing.
Isla shook her head, the motion stiff and awkward. She hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks with trembling fingers. Her voice felt fragile as she answered, “I’m okay. Sorry for breaking down like that.”
The pilot nodded, his expression softening but still tinged with worry. “Another fifteen minutes and we’ll be there,” he said slowly, making sure she could read his lips clearly.
Fifteen minutes. They were so close to her destination now, the end of this chapter, the beginning of another. Isla sighed deeply, her chest rising and falling as the weight of the moment pressed down on her. Relief and regret warred within her, tangled into an indecipherable
knot.
A part of her–timid, hesitant, terrified–felt an almost absurd sense of reprieve. She didn’t need to face Graham just yet. The opportunity to turn around and confront him was slipping through her fingers, but instead of panic, there was an odd sense of solace. It’s too late now, she told herself. I’ll call him later. I’ll explain everything over
the phone.
4/6
Chapter 252
But deep down, she knew these were excuses. Cowardice had wrapped
itself tightly around her heart, silencing the words she desperately wanted to say. Turn around. The phrase repeated itself in her mind like a plea, but every time she opened her mouth to speak, the words caught in her throat. The thought of asking the pilot to turn back, to
take her to Graham, was almost paralyzing.
Her fear bubbled up like molten lava, hot and unrelenting, threatening to consume her. What if she went back only to be met with rejection? What if she misread everything–the brochures, the accommodations he had made for her–and he truly saw her as nothing more than an obligation? The prospect of exposing her vulnerabilities and having them dismissed was a risk she wasn’t sure
she could take.
The helicopter blades churned the air into a frenzied chaos, bending the blades of grass into wild submission as the machine began its descent onto the open field. Isla sat rigidly, her heart pounding against her ribs as the ground neared. The distant silhouette of Thornfield Manor stood across the horizon, steady and imposing, a stark contrast to the turmoil inside her.
The moment the pilot gave her a thumbs–up, she unbuckled her seatbelt and bolted out of the helicopter, her feet sinking slightly into the soft earth as she landed. Her breath was short, her legs moving on instinct as she sprinted across the field, the house looming closer with every step. She wasn’t entirely sure where she was running–to
5/6
Chapter 252
the safety of her room, to the comfort of familiarity, or simply away
from the whirlwind of her emotions. Perhaps she was running from
herself.
Comments
Write Comments
✔ SHARE
6/6
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.
