Page 55

My heart hammered in my chest as he stalked toward me, each step more menacing than the last. I knew what happened when I disobeyed him. It wouldn’t end well for me. But he didn’t do it because he was upset with me. It was because he was looking out for me, and if I didn’t pay attention to what he said, someone would get hurt.
“I swear, it wasn’t meant to be?—”
“You’ll tell him to leave.”
“But his daughter?—”
“He will not enter this house. Is that clear?”
I swallowed hard, then nodded slightly. “Of course.”
His eyes narrowed on me. “Is that clear?”
“Yes, Ebarardo. It’s clear.”
“Good. You will get rid of him right away. If I find out that you disobeyed me, there will be consequences.”
My heart thundered at his words. Consequences were never good. I nodded quickly and stood, spinning around.
The room was empty.
Closing my eyes, I took a moment to get my feet under me. No amount of deep breathing could erase the panic building inside me. There was only one thing I could do. I had to get them out of the house now. If he found out I ignored his orders, I would be in so much trouble.
“Pull yourself together,” I whispered.
When I was calm enough, I opened the door and headed downstairs. I could already hear Carli’s laughter from somewhere in the house. Jason stood in the living room, looking at a picture on the wall. It was nothing special, just something Vira found and hung. But when he heard my footsteps, he turned to face me. My hands instantly turned clammy.
I ducked my head, refusing to look at him. This was terrible. I couldn’t do this.
“Isabelle—”
“You should go,” I said, not allowing him to say anything else.
“What?”
“It’s not a good time,” I continued, twisting my fingers together. I glanced at the stairs, hoping Ebarardo didn’t hear him.
He followed my gaze, his face instantly concerned. “Is someone up there?”
My face jerked up and panic filtered into my brain. “What?”
“Why are you so nervous?”
Sweat beaded on the back of my neck with every second that passed. Why was he still standing here? Why couldn’t he just leave? This was my house. He shouldn’t be here.
“You need to leave,” I said more forcefully. “You need to go.”
My chest squeezed painfully as panic took over. Spots danced in front of my eyes and breathing was becoming increasingly difficult. I reached out and grasped the back of the chair, clinging to it for dear life.
“Isabelle, what’s going on? Who’s here?”
If he found out about Ebarardo, I would be in so much trouble. Not from him, but from my husband. “Please,” I whispered, pressing my hand to my stomach. “You need to?—”
The room swayed around me and I dug my fingers into the chair, hoping I could stay upright. His voice became nothing more than a distant echo. I slowly blinked, trying to focus on anything to keep a clear head.
“Isabelle,” I heard as he moved right in front of me.
Then he was moving past me, rushing up the stairs. I shifted just in time to slump into the chair. Bending over, I stuck my head between my knees, desperately sucking in one breath after another. Oh God, this was never going to end. If I didn’t get him out of here, Ebarardo would go after him, and then his little girl would lose another parent. It would all be my fault.