Chapter 28 – Broken Trust
Isabel’s POV
As I sifted through the files on Emerson’s laptop, my hands. trembled. Among the documents about my father’s company, I had found something that made my blood run cold. There were photos *of Lilith, drunk and tearful, leaning her head on my father’s shoulder.
I was shocked.
What? Lilith and my father? When had they even met? He had never told me about her… My mind raced, trying to piece together a timeline that made sense. But the more I thought about it, the less sense it made.
In the same folder, I discovered detailed reports about my father’s personal information, his business dealings, and the company’s financial crisis that led to its eventual bankruptcy. Emerson had been investigating him, probably for years. He knew everything from the very beginning.
My stomach churned with nausea. Had our marriage been built on a foundation of lies? Was it all just a way to get back at my father? Had I been nothing more than a pawn in a twisted game? Did Emerson… never love me at all?
Before I could process everything, I heard Emerson’s angry voice behind me. “Isabel, don’t tell me you’re just simply using the network.” I turned, startled, to find him standing in the doorway.
I never expected him to be awake. He was pale. His skin was slick with sweat. But his eyes were blazing with fury.
“Who allowed you to do that?” His voice was sharp, cutting through my thoughts like a knife.
I couldn’t respond. My mind was reeling. This was the man I had. once loved and trusted with my life. And here he was, exposed as
the potential architect of my family downfall. I felt a mix of
disbelief and fear. But most of all, I felt betrayed. How could he have done this to me?
His patience thinned quickly. “Answer me, Isabell” His voice, weak from his fever, still held a dangerous edge. But I was past being
scared. I had always been submissive and kind to him in the face of his anger. But this time, I was angry
I turned the laptop screen to face him, pointing at the evidence I’d found. “What is this, Emerson? Did you have anything to do with my father’s bankruptcy? With all of this?”
His face twisted with rage. “How dare you question me?” he spat, his voice rising. “Why don’t you ask what your father did to Lilith?”
His words hit me like a slap. What was he talking about? What could my father possibly have done to Lilith? Those photos must have something to do with it. What happened? The confusion and hurt in my eyes must have been evident, but Emerson’s anger only seemed
to grow.
“My father? Lilith? What are you talking about? I never even knew. those two had met! You’re just trying to twist this around, make it about something else to hide your own quilt!” I could feel my voice. trembling, but I stood my ground.
Emerson let out a bitter laugh. “You really have no idea, do you? Your father–your perfect, honorable father–wasn’t as clean as you think. He was involved with Lilith long before we were even married. I found out when she broke down one night. She was crying about. how he took advantage of her in a moment of weakness.”
I felt the room spinning around me. My father? Taking advantage of Lilith? It couldn’t be true. But Emerson’s eyes, filled with a pain that mirrored my own, made me wonder.
“You’re lying,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure of my words.
“I wish I were.” Emerson’s voice cracked, his anger faltering for just a moment. “Do you think I enjoyed finding out? Knowing that the man I had to respect, the father of my wife, was the one who caused so much pain to someone I-” He stopped himself, biting his lip as if the words themselves would betray him.
My breath caught in my throat. “You what, Emerson? Loved her? Is “that what this is? Is this why you destroyed my family, because of your obsession with Lilith?”
The silence that followed was deafening. Emerson’s face contorted as if he was battling an internal war. Then, as if the weight of everything was too much to bear, he held his head and swayed on his feet. The fever was taking its toll on him.
He stumbled. Without thinking, I reached out to steady him. But the moment I touched his arm, he acted as if my touch burnt him.
“Don’t,” he hissed, pushing me away with a force that sent me staggering back.
“Ah!”