rapped her arms around her knees, a su
thing so important and offending the Evans family, wit
had already slept with Nathalie the night before, and she was terrified that i
ooked frightened and helpless, while the red marks scattered across her body
stepped back into the bedroom. This whole absu
found Isabella sitting there in a daze, t
he night before resurfaced. At that though
ht? Anywhere h
ply. She gave a quick, instinctive shake of her head, yet he
need to deal with what happened properly. I'll speak to my parents about it first and then we'll decide what to do next. Your sister still has
e had been the one meant to marry into the family to comfort his ailing
unintended shadow in this marriage arrangement. Had he realized the mix-u
, Isabella's reaction came sharp and imm
back meant-being forced into marriage
. I don't want to go back. I'll listen to everything you say. I'll do whatever you
ling over her face in messy strands, her thin fingers gripping the blanke
Alexander lingered
s own lapse-how he had lost control the prev
ase, the thought only sharpened his concern; she was f
vigate the complexities of his family, not someone who wo
l need the kind of social grace that protects a famil
mid nature made her voice drop to a barely a
hood memories of harsh punishments for the slightest misstep had carved fe
Isabella pushed herself to lift her gaze as she spoke. "Mr. Eva
think I would take t
ssion paling as if she had been startled in the glare of sudden headl
ng cruel; he was merely st
r might have overlooked her shortcomings without much fuss
n't easy to navigate. Patience wasn't something Alexander was
already arranged for proper clothes to be sent over. If you present yourself l
all, the night before had crossed a line neither of them had pla
e turned and
oughts drifting in a haze as she tried to grasp whether
he pushed herself uprigh
-aged woman stepped in. Startled, Isabella instinctively shrank back, heat flooding
earlier words ech
er around her body, shielding what she could. "Put..." A broken rasp slipped from
t, Isabella scrambled for the clothes, only for her sh
ced herself up, and dressed as fast as she could. To
still wan and fragile, yet the neatly tailored white dress softened her into a picture of quiet i
but it came out tight and awkward, like
door, followed by Alexander's flat, unrea
herself in the mirror, Isabella steadied her breathin
dy dressed in a crisp, dark suit, his pres
g fear in her gaze hadn't disappeared, he noted that she at least looke
weak, yet she gathered her strength to
.
Alexander. The moment she stepped inside,
who looked so much like Alexand
Natalie met her gaze at once,
ely to the faint love marks peeki
ning, cutting through the stillness in t
bring her back fo
sabella a slow, appraising look bef
lt there was something mean and rotten in him
younger one, then why not ha
iel for a brief moment. Then the younger brother let out a careless scoff. "F
el, with piercing eyes, and then struck his cane against the f
xander and Nathaniel's mother-finally spoke in a meas
e moved over Natalie and
one warning look from Pamela stopped her cold
r throat as she tried to keep her voice from shaking. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Eva
ll from her mouth, the
ng eyes lingered on Isa
least told the truth without trying
ght behind it pressed down on the entire room. "Something this imp
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