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