ALISTAIR’S
She had fallen asleep against my shoulder during the ride back.
Her head rested lightly, her breathing even, and for some reason, the sight stirred something inside me.
I wasn’t used to this—feeling my chest tighten while my pulse quickened without warning, like some teenager who had just learned about love.
I’ve had questions ever since the day I woke and met her.
Questions about myself.
About why I felt…
different.
It’s not like I haven’t been this close to a woman before.
But every time I saw her flustered reactions, I found an odd amusement in it.
The way she flushed, the tiny stutters in her voice, the way she couldn’t hide her embarrassment—it should have annoyed me.
But it didn’t.
It drew me in.
Her innocence was disarming, almost painfully so.
Without realizing it, I shifted her carefully so she could lie on my lap instead, letting her rest more comfortably.
She must have been truly exhausted to fall asleep in the car like this.
Did she always work this hard?
As I studied her simple yet beautiful face, I couldn’t resist tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
She looked so peaceful.
Serene, even.
But the warmth radiating from her made the space between us feel smaller, intimate in a way I hadn’t anticipated.
I found myself thinking about Liana—the relationship I had built with her over five years.
Sweet—yes, in its own way.
I had given my all, and she had chosen herself in the end.
I didn’t expect her to be that selfish.
I still remembered the sting—faint, yet vivid.
Until I realized maybe I hadn’t truly loved her from the beginning.
That I was just living from an old memory, convincing myself I loved her.
And what had hurt me the most wasn’t my heart, but my pride.
Love was…
foolish.
A weakness I swore I’d never indulge in.
And yet, now, looking at Isla, it felt entirely different—something I didn’t have words to explain.
In the few days I’d been with her, I realized she was nothing like her twin sister—not just in appearance, but in personality too.
Her aura was gentle, warm, and compassionate.
Where Liana had fire, Isla had calm; where Liana demanded attention, Isla simply drew it.
She was like grace incarnate, and I felt…
protective.
I exhaled sharply.
This was the first time I had ever studied a woman so closely. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
It was too bizarre.
When we arrived at the mansion, I lifted her carefully from the car.
She stirred but didn’t wake, letting me carry her up the stairs to our room on the fourth floor.
I laid her down gently on the bed, careful to preserve her peace.
I didn’t know why it mattered so much—but it did.
The quiet of the room was broken by the buzz of my phone.
A message from my PI.
Urgent.
I glanced at the clock—quarter to nine.
Early, but necessary.
I freshened up quickly, changed into a sharp suit, then paused at the doorway.
Isla slept soundly, her chest rising and falling in a soft rhythm.
Instinctively, I tucked the quilt around her before leaving.
The bar I chose was discreet and dim, perfect for private meetings.
My PI was already seated in a booth, waiting.
He stood the moment he saw me.
“Good evening, Mr.
Montgomery.
My apologies for calling you this late,” he greeted.
I motioned for him to sit as I slid into my seat.
“I hope you brought good news,” I said in a low voice.
He’s Jacob Adams, one of the best private investigators in Manhattan.
He’d been working for me for nearly seven years, ever since I reopened my mother’s case.
“For the past five months, I’ve tracked the woman’s possible hideouts,” he began.
“But she’s too quick.
Always gone before I arrive, without leaving a trace.
Two weeks ago, one of my assets tipped me off—said she was seen in a remote village in Wuhan, treating sick people.
By the time I got there, she was already gone.” His eyes narrowed.
“She’s well-informed.”
My jaw tightened.
Five years of chasing the woman who had poisoned my mother had been like finding a needle in a haystack.
That woman was too skilled at hiding.
“After studying the pattern, I began to wonder—what if she’s actually under Vitale’s protection?
We may have been looking in the wrong direction,” Jacob suggested.
I felt the familiar tightness in my chest, rage bubbling inside slowly.
Back in the day, my mother was a renowned toxicologist.
Actually, there were two of them who had excelled in this field—the woman was named Dr.
Allison Reed.
They were best friends, building their dreams together.
Until the day my mother was poisoned by the very person she trusted most. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
I was five years old when I lost her.
She had been my whole world.
That loss became the sharpest wound of my life.
One I would never allow to remain unpunished.
“Track Vitale’s movements.
I want that woman found.
Alive,” I ordered, my tone like ice.
Jacob nodded.
“I’m on it.
Lately, I found out Vitale just bought an estate in Manhattan and is currently residing here for business purposes.
But a few of his men have been hovering around Hudson Valley suspiciously.
Maybe we can get some leads soon.”
Antonio Vitale was a very mysterious man.
No matter how deep we dug, his connection to the woman remained hidden.
But I knew there was one.
And I would uncover it, sooner or later.
After a few discussions, Jacob left, and I stayed—slowly savoring my expensive whiskey.
The night was far from over.
But unexpectedly, my mind wandered back to Isla—to her innocence, her warmth, her presence in the bed I had just left.
And I grew irritated with myself.
What the hell was going on with me?
I pulled out my phone and sent a message to an old friend.
Moments later, a knock pulled me from my thoughts.
The devil had arrived.
“What’s this about?
Calling me out for a drink unceremoniously?” He smirked as he dropped into the seat across from me.
“The last time we did this, you were heartbroken.”
I couldn’t care less about his antics and poured a drink into his glass.
“Drink,” I gestured.
He hesitated at first before taking it.
I’d known him since boarding school.
We were almost like brothers, always having each other’s backs.
But what Evan brought me earlier, after a series of investigations into Isla’s life since she started working at Northgate Hospital, made me straighten up from my seat.
I slowly leaned back and fixed my eyes on him.
“I just found out…
a doctor named Isla Bennett was working in your department, under your supervision?” I said coolly as I slowly swirled my drink.
I caught the sudden shift in his expression.
But he quickly hid it as he sipped his drink.
“I have.
Actually, she’s one of the best surgeons we have at Northgate,” he answered casually, before his brows knitted.
“Why do you ask?”
A faint curve tugged at the corner of my lips.
“She’s my wife.”