Emery quickly broke the silence once more, her voice gentle but insistent. “Could you sit down and talk with me for a little while? I promise I won’t keep you long. I actually have plans to meet some friends later, so it won’t be a big time commitment.”

She desperately wanted Isabel to stay, yet she was careful not to sound needy or pushy. To soften her request, she added a reason for her own imminent departure, hoping it would make Isabel more comfortable.

Isabel finally relaxed, nodding softly. With a graceful motion, she pulled out a chair and settled down, her posture poised and calm.

Seeing Isabel take a seat, Emery abandoned any further small talk and cut straight to the heart of the matter.

“Isabel,” she began, her tone serious but kind, “you’ve seen all the things people have been saying online these past couple of days, haven’t you?”

Gold unlock

Unlock to read full on web

Web currently shows a short preview only. Unlock with gold or subscribe Premium to read the full novel content.

Need 1,920 gold to unlock this novel.

Get Premium Gold free