ivate office, her fingers absently tracing the edge of Diana Sterling's text message on her phone screen

si

the office with a tablet in hand. "Cause of death: prescrip

ebrow. "Sleeping pill

ind his desk. "Someone wanted u

where her mother-in-law had held court, always watching, always calculati

as been orchestrating events for longer than you realize." He paused

yes snapped

erling approached one of our subsidiary banks for a substantial loan. Sterling Indus

he company was thrivi

o Wong Enterprises." Lawrence's expression was grim. "Diana knew exactly who she was borrowing from.

t beneath her. "She enginee

nnections. Marcus needed a wife who could help f

, accomplished, and so desperate to prove I could succeed w

abe

ce cracked slightly. "Was

s phone lit up with a new message. Her

father's real role in all this, dear daughte

mind racing. "You knew, didn't you? That Diana was manipulating

silence was a

ng sudden nausea that had nothing to do with her stoma

ngineer a marriage between you and Marcus, giving Wong Enterprises direct control over St

frowned. "But he died of a

d h

sabella stumbled to the nearest chair, her legs

o access his private accounts and alter his medication," Lawrence a

truth," Isabella realized. "That

th evidence of Richard's murder." Lawrence's lip curled. "She

rehead in confusion. "Is that

y. "Everything I did was to protect you, t

r?" Isabella stood, fury replacing her shock. "I loved Marcus.

ick tock, dear and I have so many interesting document

Isabella said quietly. "Just like she

ched for her

ed back. "I need..

, her mind whirling. In the hallway, she nea

. "Mr. Sterling is here again. He's demandi

hollowly. "Of cou

tion room. He's

is face haggard. Emma Sterling, his younger sister, s

d coldly. "I thought I

lurted out. "And now she

ence in our father's old files. Medical

n was a series of text messages b

ming a problem. She is to

ppening? Their love is mo

ings work out for me. A convenient t

I have to talk to him about your plan

ays... but I must warn you to stay away from my

hese mistakes can be corre

s she read the exchange.

before Dad

in his eyes. "I didn't know," he said hoarsely. "About any of it. The arra

softly. Her phone buzzed agai

cision about

he first time in months. Not as the husband who betray

eet me for lunch tomorr

ent white. "You

thout humor. "Like she killed your

d. "You don't know w

to place. Diana had orchestrated everything – the marriage, the fraud

do know what she's capable of." She turned to Marcus.

ow

oth sides of her – the perfect wife and the Wong heir

t she wants," Isabella sai

up with her re

nds perfec

nse was i

rl. I was hoping

essage – to a very much alive Lucky, being cared for in secret by Josh Chen,

t over. It was

lla would be the one