Page 49 of The Morally Grey Billionaires Boxset

Liam

What the hell am I doing here?

I slam the door to my McLaren, then walk up the steps of Isla’s mother’s house.

For once, I’m thankful that my mother—and hers, by the looks of it—took it upon themselves to intervene.

I haven’t taken it too kindly, in the past, when my ma has tried to steer me into alliances.

I’d politely, but firmly tell her that I’d find my own bride, and I did.

But this time, I’m more than willing to accede to her plans.

If this is the only way I’m going to see Isla again, then so be it. I didn’t specifically ask my ma if she’d be here, but I have no doubt she will be. It’s why my mother invited me, after all. Isla may not be sure about our future together, but I’ve decided otherwise, and so have our mothers.

This has the signs of an intervention written all over it, and maybe I should have warned her.

But if I had, she wouldn’t have come. And I’m not so sure I owe her a warning, anyway.

After all, she’s the one who sprang a massive surprise on me last time.

I don’t mean the fact that she has alopecia, but the fact she shared it with the world at the same time as me, thus denying me the chance to protect her.

Then she made me promise not to intervene on her behalf, either.

She tied my hands, so I wouldn’t be able to protect her.

Of course, the response to what she did was overwhelmingly positive—so that last part didn’t matter.

But it could have gone the other way. She could have been subjected to cyber-bullying, and I wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it… Okay, maybe that’s not true.

If things had gone pear-shaped, I’d have insisted Karina help me defuse the situation and protect her. And if she’d refused, I’d have gone to someone else who was willing to help me. But it hadn’t come to that, and I’m thankful. I’ve been monitoring her feed though, just to be sure.

And yes, I’ve also been tracking her phone, just so I know she’s safe. So maybe that’s not strictly ethical, but it’s not like she doesn’t know. Plus, I’ve always played by my own rules, especially when it comes to her protection.

She did the most courageous thing possible in revealing her true self to the world.

I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for her to do so.

If I could, I’d share her pain. And if she’d let me, I’d be by her side as she goes through such a tumultuous phase of her life.

But she told me she wants to do this on her own.

And I respect that. Doesn’t mean I can’t do my bit to show solidarity for her.

I reach the door, but before I can ring the bell, it’s flung open.

Nadine stands in the doorway. "How wonderful to see you, I…" She looks at me and her voice trails off. "Liam—" She swallows, then a tear runs down her cheek. "You’re a wonderful husband."

"You mean, I have a wonderful wife, don’t you?"

"That, too." She grabs my arm and pulls me in. "Come on in."

She hooks her arm through mine and walks me toward the living room. "I wish Isla had confided in me. I wish she’d told us what she was going through all these years."

"It couldn’t have been easy for her to come to terms with it.” I pat Nadine’s arm. “She didn’t want anyone to pity her, you know."

"But we’re her family. We’d have stood by her. We’d have supported her."

"Maybe that’s what she was afraid of. She wanted to deal with it in her own way, you know?"

She looks up at me. "You really understand her, don’t you?"

"I try."

"She’s always been so independent. Always wanted her own space growing up.

Even when she was very little, she wanted to do things by herself.

She wanted to eat on her own, go to school on her own…

I had to explain to her when she was still very little that she could walk to school on her own when she was a little older.

And after her father died, she became even more remote.

" She swallows. "Maybe it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let her drop out of college and travel.

I should have insisted that she stay closer.

Of course, she was already eighteen by then, so she could do what she wanted.

But maybe if I had been more determined, she’d have listened, you know? "

I pat her arm. "You shouldn’t blame yourself. From what I can see, you’ve been a wonderful mother, and Isla loves you and respects you."

She blinks away her tears. "It’s very kind of you to say that, Liam."

"Also, once Isla makes up her mind, I don’t think anyone can change it."

"Except you, maybe?"

"Maybe." I smirk. I do have my own ways of persuading her. None of which are fit for the ears of her mother.

"Thank you for being there for her," she murmurs.

"Oh, whether she likes it or not, she’s stuck with me."

As we near the living room voices, reach me. The sound of laughter, of people speaking... "It sounds like there’s a party going on," I mutter.

"Oh, it’s our monthly Sunday lunch with all the members of the Lymington Knitting Club in attendance."

The blood drains from my face. "But don’t you meet on Fridays to knit?"

"Oh, sure, but we also meet one Sunday a month for lunch."

"I thought this was going to be a family dinner?"

"Oh, it is," she smiles brightly. "They are my extended family."

Of course, they are.

She tugs on my sleeve. "Come on, everyone is so excited that you’re here. It’s the first time they get to meet you and Isla as husband and wife."

We step inside the room. My gaze instantly goes to Isla.

She’s standing with her profile to me and is deep in conversation with my mother.

Isla’s wearing jeans and a blouse. On her feet are ballet pumps.

I can see her gorgeous face in profile. The column of her neck, her tiny upturned nose, the angle of her eyebrows, the smooth curve of her head.

She reminds me of a bust of Nefertiti I picked up on a trip to Egypt.

Regal, alluring, and utterly captivating, she stands out in the room like a spotlight is focused on her.

I’m aware that the members of the Knitting Club seated on the couch ahead of Isla notice me and fall silent. The chatter in the room fades away.

I don’t realize I’ve come to a standstill until Nadine touches my shoulder. "Good luck. If any two people deserve each other, it’s the two of you." Then she steps away.

Isla glances around and notices everyone’s attention is focused beyond her. She turns, her gaze connects with mine, and everything else fades away.

It’s only me, and her, and the sound of my blood pounding in my ears.

My throat is dry. In fact, my mouth feels like I haven’t had a drink of water in years.

My heart rams into my ribcage like a lion pounding against the steel bars of a cage, fighting to get out.

My knees knock together. I’ve never been this nervous in my life.

Not even when I faced down my kidnapper.

Not when I’ve sat in meetings where I’ve signed multibillion-dollar deals.

Not even when I turned to find her walking up the aisle toward me.

Somehow this… What’s happening between us now seems so much more real, more personal.

More genuine than any other event in my life.

Riskier than anything I’ve ever done before.

She rakes my features and her gaze widens. Her chin trembles. She shakes her head, then raises her palms over her mouth.

A teardrop sneaks down her cheek.

I blink, then force my legs to move until I pause in front of her.

She’s still staring at me, her gaze wide, her blue eyes anguished, her pupils so dark it’s like a full solar eclipse when the moon covers the sun.

With trembling fingers, I slide the ring out of my pocket, then I go down on one knee, right there in front of everyone assembled.

"Isla,” —I swallow— "will you marry me, this time for real?"

She shakes her head from side to side, her gaze still fixed on mine. "No," she chokes out the word. "No."