IMOGEN'S POV
I excused myself from the dining table, feeling the overwhelming sensation of too many voices and too many emotions chirping in my head. Any more time at that table, I would have exploded like a mad woman.
As I stepped into the bathroom, a wave of relief washed over me. The room was a sanctuary of sorts. It was dead silent, and there was just this calm,l that settled over me. It was a stark contrast to the chaos I had just left behind.
I turned on the faucet, letting the cool water flow over my hands. It grounded me in the present moment.
The almost musical noise of the running water helped to soothe my racing thoughts. It was another bad habit I had developed when I was overstimulated.
I focused on the simple act of washing away the tension that had built up within me.
Glancing up at my reflection in the mirror, I met my own weary gaze. It was only morning, and I already looked like life had been drained out of me.
I took a deep breath. "You can do this, Imogen. You can handle this. It is just a chaotic Lucy with my new family. You have handled worse with the old one." I reminded myself.
I then plastered on a smile, a facade of confidence that I hoped would carry me through the rest of the lunch.
After drying my hands, I turned to leave the bathroom, ready to face the world once again.
But as I stepped forward, I collided with someone standing just outside the door, jolting me out of my thoughts.
I looked up. What would you know? My heart skipped a beat as I realized the person I had collided with just outside the door wasn't Elijah like I had initially assumed. It was Isaac, dressed in a sharp, tailored suit. His jacket boasted wide lapels, and his trousers were flared. He exuded an air of confidence, his tie perfectly knotted and his hair impeccably styled.
I hadn't noticed the dress change before. But I did now.
"Sorry," I muttered, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment as I quickly sidestepped past him, eager to escape the awkward encounter and return to the table.
While I hurried away, I couldn't shake the feeling of his presence lingering behind me, his gaze burning into my back.
But Isaac's voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Why are you protecting my brother?" he demanded, his tone cutting through the air like a knife. "We both know he abandoned you on your wedding night. He even dallied with a mistress while you suffered alone in that hotel room. What reason do you have for defending him?"
I scoffed, refusing to be drawn into whatever game Isaac was playing. "I will not be used as a pawn in your family's drama," I retorted, meeting his gaze with defiance. "whatever grudges you hold against one another, find a way to settle it without dragging me into your mess."
Isaac chuckled. "I do despise Elijah, and releasing that article had solely been to spite and disgrace him. But unlike my brother, I am not a heartless monster."
I could swear his expression softened. Even if his eyes still held a steely resolve.
"Elijah doesn't love you, Imogen," he insisted. "You must know that by now. I believe you deserve better than to be trapped in a loveless marriage."
"And what is so wrong about a loveless marriage? It is nothing new under that sun. A marriage to a Rossi gives me everything I need as a woman. Financial stability, security, and actual rights." I was lying through my teeth. But I had been doing that all day for some reason. It was becoming easier to spill them out. "This union has something to offer me. Suppose love is what I have to sacrifice for it. Then so be it. I would rather cry in a Ford Cortina than laugh with a home that cannot provide."
Isaac chuckled again. "You are not materialistic. That is one of the big reasons she chose you."
I needed to end this fast. He was getting to me. Because his response made me question things again. What did he mean by that?
"And if I cannot handle a loveless marriage, divorce is always an option. I do not need to be on the front page of your paper for that to happen."
Isaac hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features before he spoke again. "Do you actually believe that my brother will divorce you? While my father still lives and breathes?"
He had me. "Why wouldn't he?"
"Because Elijah was almost denied his inheritance for trying to break things off with you," he revealed, his tone softer now, almost apologetic. "If you had stood by me when I released my scoop before you ensured it was tagged as misinformation and slander, you might have gotten that divorce."
The world seemed to still as I heard that. Somehow, it made sense. The only way Elijah would still be in this relationship when he had been so vocal to me about what he thought of the concept of us could only be because he had something to lose. Something as big as an inheritance.
Isaac cleared his throat to gain my attention. I forced myself to focus on the present moment. Whatever Isaac's intentions were in coming here, it seemed his business was already concluded.
"See you around—Sister-in-law."
With that, Isaac turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the hallway with a whirlwind of thoughts and theories exploding in my head.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself as I processed everything that had just transpired. It was clear that my marriage was far more complicated than I had ever imagined, and I couldn't help but wonder what other secrets lay hidden beneath the surface.