hapter 4
“Isn’t it inappropriate for two people, especially when they’re exes, to be in the same room?” Xavier’s tone was icy, laced with sarcasm.
Isabella glanced into the empty hallway before sighing in relief. “Don’t say things like that at home. What if someone hears you?”
Xavier’s expression hardened as he smirked. “Right, because I’ve always been your dirty little secret–five years ago and now.”
Isabella wanted to argue with his choice of words but decided against getting pulled into the conversation. “If we had been worth going public about, we wouldn’t have broken up–we
both know that.”
She set the milk on the nearest table and turned to leave, but Xavier’s harsh voice stopped her. “Take it with you.”
Without turning around, Isabella said, “Mom sent it-”
However, her words were cut short by a sudden crash behind her. She froze, looking down at the spilled milk and shattered glass. Xavier’s phone lay nearby–he had thrown it to knock over the glass she had brought.
Isabella caught the message. Xavier did not want anything from her, not even a glass of milk that was how much he despised her. As a response, she hurried out without another word.
That night, she dreamed of their last encounter five years ago. It had been pitch dark outside her dorm building as they had their worst fight ever. By the end, they stood there, eyes red, exhausted, and bitter.
Xavier had glared at her coldly, his tone harsh as he growled, “If you’re going to go. I’m fucking done–I never want to see you again.”
Those words had kept Isabella away for five years. She had not dared return, unable to face. Xavier or figure out how to return to being siblings. Sometimes, she wished she had never fallen for him in the first place.
That was also why she believed keeping their relationship secret had been the right choice. At least they could hide behind masks.
Nonetheless, the dream felt so real that Isabella’s heart was still racing when she woke up. She lay there for a while, trying to calm down, her eyes burning and palms cold with sweat.
Suddenly, her phone rang. She put it on speaker before answering, “Hello?”
“Hello, is this Ms. Clarke?” an unfamiliar male voice asked.
“Yes, speaking.”
“This is about the damaged Bugatti you brought in–there’s some denting in the front and some scratches around it. Our initial estimate is around 340 thousand dollars. Would you like to proceed?”
“Fine. Just fix it,” Isabella replied, rubbing her throbbing temples. If she had not known Xavier, she might have thought he was trying to scam her.
“Also, Mr. Valdez mentioned the car’s been driven a while and suggested we replace some aging parts. Our technicians checked, and the car’s actually quite new. If we did replace things, it would just be minor parts…”
“Then, replace-“Isabella started to say, but the man continued, “That would be another half a million dollars.”
“Hell no!” Isabella blurted out. After a moment of awkward silence, she composed herself and said, “I’m sorry about that. Let’s not replace them. Could you please pass a message to Mr. Valdez?
“Of course,” the man replied.
“Tell him I may have hit his car, but I’m not giving him my life savings. He can go to hell.” Isabella was now sure Xavier was trying to extort money from her.
“Your car will be ready for pickup at 4:00 pm,” the man informed her.
“Can’t you contact Mr. Valdez to pick it up himself?” Isabella asked as she sat up in bed, wanting to avoid any direct interaction with Xavier.
The man explained, “The car had been brought in under your information that morning, so we’re only authorized to release it to you.‘
Isabella closed her eyes, feeling the frustration surge. When she finally went downstairs after getting ready, she found only the women at home–the house felt oddly empty without the
men.
Sophia had prepared breakfast for her, though it was already past 9:00 am.
“Isabella, Douglas mentioned that you and Xavier were in an accident yesterday?” Olivia asked upon seeing her.
“Mm–hmm,” Isabella mumbled as she took a bite of her breakfast.
“Is everything alright?”
“It’s all taken care of,” Isabella replied.
Sensing her reluctance to discuss it further, Olivia changed the subject to Xavier’s strange behavior.
“This morning, Douglas sent his assistant to have both cars repaired together, but Xavier
Chip 4
refused, saying someone else would take care of his car and wouldn’t let Douglas help,” Olivia explained.
Isabella’s face darkened as she was reminded of the 340,000–dollar repair bill.
“Why is he so serious about that sports car? It’s ridiculous, don’t you think?” Olivia asked.
“Exactly!” Isabella responded, her expression so cranky that it made Olivia laugh, thinking the siblings still held onto a long–standing tension.
“By the way, Isabella, are you free tomorrow?” Olivia asked.
“Yes. What’s up, Mom?” Isabella looked over at her. She had nothing but time since she could not start working on her studio until Theodore Farrell returned.
Olivia continued, “A friend of mine just opened a new spa resort. She has a daughter, too, so I thought you might like to join us?”
Isabella readily agreed to the spa day–it seemed like a perfect distraction.
At 4:00 pm, the sun was scorching as Isabella was about to pick up Xavier’s car, and her resentment was growing with every moment. After parking, she glared at the gleaming luxury vehicle and could not resist giving it a light kick, though she was careful not to damage it. Even though 340,000 dollars was not a significant amount for her, the idea of paying Xavier anything made her blood boil. As she turned to leave, she found Xavier himself standing behind her, watching.
He wore a deep red T–shirt and black shorts with slides, holding a sun umbrella with one hand in his pocket. He looked every bit the pampered heir at leisure.
Isabelle was clearly startled by her sudden appearance.
Xavier raised his eyebrow with an amused smirk, clearly having caught her childish display Even so, Isabella was unfazed, simply rolling her eyes and throwing the car keys at him.
He caught them with one hand, glancing down as he casually spun them in his fingers. He mocked, “What’s wrong? Is money a little tight these days that you can’t even spare half a million dollars?”
He was obviously referring to the parts replacement he had tried to force on her. Isabella ignored Xavier and walked straight into the house.
