Chapter 14

The entire office watched as Alexander Kingsley escorted Isabella Sinclair into his private domain.

The moment the door clicked shut, Isabella flung herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face. "Alexander, I was so scared—thank God you came for me!" His dark, fathomless gaze remained unreadable as he gripped her shoulders and firmly pushed her away.

"Isabella." His voice was ice.

She blinked up at him, confusion flickering in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Care to explain yourself?" His tone was razor-sharp.

"Explain what?"

"Why did you leak our engagement to The Daily Chronicle?"

She exhaled in relief and tried to step closer again. "Because I can't wait to be your wife. Don't you want that too?"

"I do. But not like this." The warmth he usually reserved for her was absent. His expression was rigid. "Why the rush? You know the situation."

"Because Evelyn is out of the picture! The divorce is happening!"

"Not yet." His jaw tightened. "We made a promise to my grandfather. The official divorce won't be finalized until his birthday. Until then, legally, she's still my wife."

He took a deliberate step back. "Announcing our engagement now only complicates things. Grandfather won’t tolerate this."

Logic always came first for him. Emotions were secondary. The only exception had ever been Isabella—yet even now, his words were cutting.

He expected her to understand. They'd known each other long enough.

But her eyes welled with fresh tears. "So I'm the problem now? Are you defending her? Do you actually care what people are saying about Evelyn online?"

"I'm not defending anyone. But Evelyn wasn’t the other woman. This shouldn’t have escalated." He massaged his temples, the throbbing in his skull unbearable.

"Of course she was! She stole three years of my life with you!" Isabella's voice rose to a shrill pitch, grating against his nerves.

"Those three years were necessary. Without her, Grandfather would never have allowed us to be together."

The words left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Because it was true. If Evelyn hadn’t walked away when the time was up, his grandfather would never have relented.

That woman—always smiling, always tending to him without complaint. Drawing his baths, laying out his clothes, never demanding a thing.

She hadn’t fought the divorce. Hadn’t even hesitated before signing the papers and vanishing from his life.

Even if she’d chosen another man in the end, she’d fulfilled her role impeccably. And how had he repaid her? By treating her like hired help, counting down the days until he could be with the woman he actually loved.

If anyone owed anyone, the debt was his.

"Alexander," Isabella whispered, horrified. "You're protecting her?"

"I'm stating facts."

His phone buzzed. A glance at the screen—Grandfather. His stomach dropped.

He yanked the door open. Daniel Carter stood guard outside.

"Daniel, arrange extra security to escort Ms. Sinclair home."

"Yes, sir." Daniel motioned for Isabella to follow.

"Alexander! I don’t want to go—I'm scared!" She clutched his sleeve, her nails digging in.

"Don’t be. Avoid the media. I’ll handle the fallout."

He pried her fingers loose and shut the door. The call connected.

"Grandfather."

"Alexander Kingsley!" The old man’s roar rattled the phone. "You dare break our agreement? Is that Stirling girl so desperate to marry you that she’d pull this stunt?"

A pause. Then the lethal blow: "If you marry her, I’ll disown you."

Alexander exhaled slowly. "The leak wasn’t from me."

"Then it was her! She got impatient waiting for a proposal!"

"Isabella wouldn’t do that."

"Liar!" Grandfather’s voice cracked. "I won’t allow this. You’re fixing things with Evelyn!"

"That wasn’t our deal. After three years, you promised to respect my choice." Cold sweat slicked his palms. "Evelyn and I are over. Isabella is who I want."

"Fine! But mark my words—the day you regret losing Evelyn, don’t come crying to me!"

The line went dead. Alexander swallowed two painkillers dry, his hands shaking.

Daniel returned just as he slumped into his chair. "Sir, your headache again?"

"I’m fine."

"Those pills won’t fix it. Remember how Evelyn’s massages used to help? Maybe—"

"Drop it."

Daniel hesitated. "About the investigation you requested... I have news."

"Go on."

"The accounts spreading rumors about Evelyn... they were fed information by Ms. Sinclair."

Alexander’s head snapped up. "You’re certain?"

"Triple-confirmed." Daniel lowered his voice. "Think about it—the timing’s too perfect. Negative press about Evelyn floods in right after your engagement leaks? This was planned."

Alexander went very still. Then his shoulders sagged. "Why would she...?"

He knew Isabella loved him. Knew she resented Evelyn. But this?

"Scrub it. Every last trace. By sunset."

Isabella arrived home to a hero’s welcome. Her parents and Adrian Stirling beamed at her.

"Brilliant move!" Adrian crowed. "The second your engagement hit the news, our canceled orders came flooding back! Hotels are lining up to sign contracts!"

Her father clapped her shoulder. "You saved the family business."

After The Regal Palace chain abruptly returned their Vintage Elegance bedding line and severed ties, the industry had turned on them. Orders vanished overnight. Their solution? Tie the Stirling name to the Kingsley empire.

And it worked. Money was already rolling in.

But Isabella’s smile was brittle. "The business is saved, but Alexander is furious. And Grandfather Kingsley will never accept me now."

Adrian smirked. "Who cares? The old man’s on borrowed time. Once he’s gone, your aunt controls Frederic, you’ll be Mrs. Kingsley, and the Abernathy fortune is ours."

Her mother stroked her hair. "As long as Alexander loves you, nothing else matters. Your aunt proved that."

Isabella lifted her chin. This time, she would become Mrs. Kingsley.

No matter the cost.