Chapter 9 - ISABELLA DOESN'T WANT RESCUE
Victor offered Isabella money that night.
She refused.
“Please.”
“No.”
“For the dress.”
“Uniform.”
“Then the uniform.”
“No.”
He stopped.
Isabella said:
“I don’t know you.”
Fair.
He introduced himself properly.
Then explained Claire.
Not everything.
Enough.
Isabella listened.
When he finished, she said:
“So my mother was one of your family’s workers.”
“Yes.”
“And your sister helped her.”
“Yes.”
“And you didn’t.”
Victor swallowed.
“Not enough.”
Isabella looked at the pendant.
Then:
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I owe you the truth.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You owed my mother the truth. She’s dead.”
Victor had no defense.
Isabella stood carefully.
“You don’t get to make me the person who forgives you for her.”
May you like
That sentence hurt.
It also freed both of them from the wrong story.
