Chapter 2 - The Woman Everyone Expected Him to Marry
At dinner that evening, Isabella sat beside Adrien as though the last ten years had already decided the arrangement.
“I hear you have a new friend.”
Adrien cut into his steak.
“I have several.”
“One is three.”
Carlo stopped drinking.
Victoria Moretti glanced between them.
Adrien continued eating.
“Then you already know everything necessary.”
Isabella smiled.
“The household is talking.”
“The household always talks.”
“About a housekeeper.”
Adrien set down his knife.
“Elena Rossi is not responsible for gossip.”
“No. You are.”
Victoria sighed.
“Isabella.”
But Isabella continued.
“You let her child into your study.”
“Yes.”
“No one enters your study.”
“Mia does.”
“You put her drawing on the wall.”
Adrien looked at her.
“Have you inspected my walls?”
“I notice changes.”
“Then notice this one quietly.”
Victoria closed her eyes.
Isabella leaned closer.
“You know what people will assume.”
“I stopped organizing my life around assumptions years ago.”
“Our families are negotiating something important.”
“Our families have been ‘negotiating’ our marriage since I was thirty-one.”
“And you never refused.”
“I never agreed.”
That landed harder.
Isabella’s smile disappeared.
Victoria spoke quickly.
“Adrien, alliances matter.”
“So does accurate language.”
“What language?”
“Isabella is not my fiancée.”
Isabella stared at him.
“After everything my father has done for this family—”
“Your father did business with mine.”
“He protected you after the Palermo dispute.”
“He protected his own investments.”
“Adrien.”
He leaned back.
“What exactly did you come here for?”
Isabella’s jaw tightened.
“To make sure you aren’t throwing away ten years because a pretty widow’s daughter made you eat porridge.”
Adrien’s expression turned cold.
“Do not speak about Mia as though she is a strategy.”
Downstairs, Elena knew none of this.
She was helping Mia button her coat.
“Can we see Mr. Adrien?”
“Not tonight.”
“Why?”
“He has guests.”
“Does he like guests?”
Elena almost laughed.
“No.”
“Then why does he have them?”
“That is a very good question.”
A voice behind them answered.
“Because apparently I make poor decisions.”
Elena turned.
Adrien stood at the end of the hall.
Mia ran toward him.
“You finished!”
“I told your mother.”
“You didn’t smile.”
“I’m working on it.”
Mia climbed onto a nearby bench.
“Try.”
Adrien glanced at Elena.
“She gives difficult assignments.”
“She’s demanding.”
Mia pointed at his face.
“Do it.”
Adrien attempted a smile.
It was terrible.
Mia gasped.
“That looks scary.”
Elena burst out laughing.
Adrien stared at her.
She covered her mouth.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
“No.”
For the first time, a genuine smile appeared on Adrien’s face.
Small.
Brief.
Real.
Mia clapped.
“There!”
Elena stopped laughing.
Adrien’s smile faded slowly.
Neither adult looked away.
Then Isabella appeared at the top of the stairs.
“How touching.”
Elena immediately stepped back.
Adrien’s expression hardened.
Isabella descended.
“Mia, isn’t it?”
Mia nodded.
“I’m Isabella.”
“Okay.”
Adrien looked down to hide something dangerously close to amusement.
Isabella crouched.
“I’ve known Adrien a very long time.”
Mia considered that.
“Then why couldn’t you make him smile?”
Silence.
Elena shut her eyes.
“Mia.”
“What?”
Isabella stood.
Adrien turned his face toward the window.
Carlo, several feet away, suddenly became fascinated by the wallpaper.
Isabella looked at Elena.
“Children repeat what they hear.”
“She has never heard me discuss you.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Then she’s remarkably perceptive.”
Adrien spoke.
“That is enough.”
Isabella turned to him.
“You’re defending her?”
“I am ending an unnecessary conversation.”
Isabella’s eyes flashed.
Then she smiled.
“Of course.”
She walked away.
Elena immediately took Mia’s hand.
“We should leave.”
Adrien stopped her.
“You did nothing wrong.”
“I know.”
That answer surprised him.
Elena met his gaze.
“But I’m also not interested in being the reason your family starts a war at breakfast.”
“My family doesn’t determine whom you speak to.”
“No. They determine whether working here becomes impossible.”
Adrien went quiet.
Elena continued.
“I need this job.”
“You have it.”
“That isn’t what I mean.”
He understood.
She needed stability more than protection.
And his attention might threaten both.
That night Adrien found Victoria in the library.
“You invited Isabella.”
“She is practically family.”
“No.”
Victoria’s eyebrows rose.
“No?”
“You heard me.”
“You cannot ignore reality forever.”
“What reality?”
“That you need an heir. Stability. A wife who understands this world.”
Adrien laughed without humor.
“You mean a wife whose father owns shipping terminals.”
“I mean someone suitable.”
Adrien’s eyes hardened.
“And Elena is unsuitable?”
Victoria froze.
“I never said Elena.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“Adrien, she works for you.”
“So?”
“She has nothing.”
“She has more integrity than half the people at your dinner table.”
Victoria lowered her voice.
“You are allowing sentiment to interfere with judgment.”
“Perhaps judgment without sentiment is how this family became what it is.”
Victoria stared at him.
He walked toward the door.
“Do not interfere with Elena’s employment.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
Adrien stopped.
“Good.”
After he left, Isabella stepped from behind the adjoining doorway.
Victoria turned.
“You heard that?”
“Enough.”
“Do nothing foolish.”
Isabella slipped on her gloves.
“I won’t.”
Victoria studied her.
“That answer worries me.”
The next morning, Elena was summoned to the estate manager’s office.
Mr. Collins would not meet her eyes.
“There’s been a complaint.”
“About what?”
“Missing silver.”
Elena stared.
“What?”
“A serving set disappeared yesterday.”
“I wasn’t assigned to the dining room yesterday.”
“I know.”
“Then why am I here?”
He opened a drawer.
Inside lay two silver spoons.
Engraved with the Moretti crest.
Elena’s stomach dropped.
“Those were found in your locker.”
“That is impossible.”
The door opened.
Isabella stepped inside.
“Oh.”
She looked at the spoons.
“How unfortunate.”
Elena understood immediately.
“You put those there.”
Mr. Collins looked horrified.
“Mrs. Rossi.”
Isabella smiled.
“Be careful.”
Elena stepped toward her.
“I have never stolen a thing in my life.”
“Then perhaps your daughter took them.”
Elena’s expression changed.
“Leave Mia out of this.”
The door opened again.
Adrien entered.
Everyone fell silent.
His gaze went first to Elena.
Then the spoons.
Then Isabella.
“What happened?”
Mr. Collins cleared his throat.
“Two pieces of family silver were discovered in Mrs. Rossi’s locker.”
Adrien looked at Elena.
“Did you take them?”
“No.”
No hesitation.
Adrien nodded once.
“Then she didn’t take them.”
Isabella laughed softly.
“That’s your investigation?”
Adrien turned toward her.
“No.”
His voice dropped.
“That is my conclusion.”
Then he looked at Carlo.
“Now begin the investigation.”
Carlo stepped forward.
Adrien’s eyes remained on Isabella.
“And check every camera.”
May you like
For the first time since arriving at the estate, Isabella Romano stopped smiling.
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