Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Isla
Mia gives me a long hug, then pulls away to take in the garden.
Her radiant smile says it all. Not only is she impressed with Knox’s home, she’s
in love.
I can’t blame her. This place is the most elaborate house either of us has ever set foot in.
Mia lets out a dramatic whistle and spins around, reminding me of that opening scene from The Sound of Music. Any second now, I half expect her to burst into song.
“I’m in heaven.” She laughs.
I smile, glancing around, too. “It is beautiful.”
“Beautiful?” She gapes at me. “That word doesn’t even come close. I feel like I’m walking through a dream.” She waves a hand at the house. “I don’t care what you say. This is moving up in the world. There’s no way you can tell me Madam Corvina’s curse is still riding your back.”
When Mia said she was coming over, I immediately thought of hanging out in the garden. I knew she’d love it out here. The flowers are everywhere, and the view of the beach stretches out like something from a postcard.
I also wanted to be away from everyone, because I know I’m being watched.
This is my second day here, and that’s the one constant. As nice as Sheila has been, she reports everything back to Knox.
Who could feel comfortable knowing that?
“Calm down, Mia.” I laugh softly. “You know none of this is mine. It’s Knox’s home. I’m just here for the ride. To make everything look legit.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “Come on, Isla, stop being such a wet blanket. At least enjoy the perks. Or let me. When am I ever gonna be in a house like this again?”
“That’s not the point. The situation is still bad.”
“Oh, please.” She frowns. “Never mind the part about getting the mega-rich husband, the manor home in the Hamptons, and marrying into the Vale family.”
“Mia.” I chide her, planting my hands on my hips.
“At least I get to benefit from the dream by being here. I’ll visit as often as I can.” She laughs again.
There’s no way I’m telling her about the credit card. She’d go crazy, and she’d think I was insane for not heading to the nearest designer store to shop until my brain exploded. She’d definitely think I’d lost it if I told her I don’t plan to spend a cent of it.
Mia wouldn’t understand that I don’t want Knox owning any more of me than he already does. Plus, spending his money doesn’t feel right when I owe him so much. Or rather Dad.
“How about we go sit while you dream?” I point toward the wicker table and chairs.
“I’m good with that.” She grins and gives me a sassy shrug.
We make our way over and sit. Sheila’s prepared a feast of sandwiches and pastries for us. Mia’s eyes go wide when she sees it, and she immediately dives for the double chocolate cookies.
Again, I can’t blame her. They look scrumptious. And I know firsthand they are.
“Yum, yum, yum.” Mia’s eyes flutter shut as she savors the bite, her shoulders relaxing. “Please let me finish this cookie, then we can talk seriously.”
I chuckle. “Go ahead.”
I grab a cookie, too, and melt the instant the sweet blend of flavors hits my tongue. I don’t know what Sheila puts in these things, but they taste like magic.
Mia sighs, dragging in a long breath. “Okay. My brain has returned to earth now, but I’m having more of those. Diet be damned.”
“You’re always on a diet, and you don’t need to be. You look amazing.”
“Because I’m always on a diet.” She holds up a finger like she’s imparting some great wisdom, then her gaze softens. “Back to you. How are you doing?”
I finish my cookie, lean back against the chair, and shake my head. “I’m not okay, Mia. I’m not okay.”
Concern dims her earlier excitement. “Has anything else happened with Knox?”
“No. Not yet.”
I’ve already filled her in on everything from the last two days. I couldn’t wait to call her and Mom yesterday after Knox left.
The most important thing I had to share was the wedding date.
Mom came by yesterday afternoon, but Mia and I talked at length last night.
“It’s not just what’s happened.” I bring my hands together and rest them on my lap. “It’s what’s still happening. And what’s yet to happen. The wedding’s in two weeks. How am I supposed to be okay with that?”
“You’re not. If you were, I’d be worried.”
“And I don’t know him.”
Knox and I may have shared a bed for one night, but I can’t even say I barely know him. I only know what I’ve read in articles online and the few moments I’ve spent around him.
Other than that, he’s a closed book. I’m certain that’s by design. People like him don’t like others knowing too much about them.
The closest he’s ever let me get to him was handing over his phone. I ended up deleting his entire contact list and the messages that went with it. Each one was scandalous enough to fill an erotica novel.
Meanwhile, I know he’s dug deeper on me. From the things he’s said, I’m sure he had a private investigator look into my life.
I don’t have that kind of luxury, and even if I did, I doubt anyone I could hire would find anything useful to me.
“I know the whole thing’s bizarre.” Mia reaches across the table and taps my knuckles. “Things are moving so fast I can hardly process it myself. But it’s gonna happen, sweetie. I hate saying it, but this is what you agreed to.”
All I can do is nod, because she’s right. “I know. I kind of made this bed myself. Now I have to lie in it.”
Mia’s brows knit together. “Please don’t say it like that. This isn’t some mistake you made from being reckless or frivolous. You agreed to this because you’re a good daughter. You love your mom. And this agreement lets you keep the restaurant for a little longer.”
The mention of the restaurant cuts deep. Tears prick the backs of my eyes, and I look away, trying to hold them back.
But when I glance back at Mia, it’s too late. The tears escape.
“Oh, Isla, please don’t cry.”
Mia reaches for a napkin and hands it to me. I take it and dab at my cheeks, then pull in a deep breath and exhale slowly.
I can’t break down now.
I just can’t.
“I know I’ll be getting all that money in the end, and we really, really need it. But I don’t want to lose the restaurant.”
“I totally get it.” Mia nods, her curls bouncing across tense shoulders. “At least you talked to Knox about it. That took guts.”
“But I’m still in the dark. He made it sound like he’d probably buy me out. But then what? I can’t see him running the restaurant the way we have.”
“Maybe you should wait until closer to the time. Things are probably still too raw to talk about.”
A haggard sigh leaves my lips. “You’re right. Things are too raw. But I don’t know if I can survive the next six months in this kind of uncertainty, especially when I don’t want him to have the restaurant. When he buys me out, it’ll be his. He’ll be free to do whatever he wants with it.”
An uneasy expression shadows her face and she catches her lower lip between her teeth. After years of reading Mia’s tells, I know that look.
It means her mind’s wandered into treacherous territory. And she’s brewing something reckless.
“I wasn’t going to say anything. Lord knows the last thing you need is one of my wild ideas,” she says, confirming my suspicion.
Usually, I’d be wary. But she’s piqued my interest. “What wild idea did you have, Mia?” I can’t restrain the desperation in my voice.
At first, she looks hesitant, then her expression loosens. “Okay. This is just something to think about.” She rubs her palms together. “Maybe a plan for the worst-case scenario.”
“I am living the worst-case scenario.”
“I mean worse than now. Like if you marry Knox and hate him with every fiber of your being, and he treats you badly. I couldn’t live with myself if that ever happened.”
“What is it, Mia? Tell me already, before my mind implodes.”
“I was going over the contract, and I noted the main forfeiture clause.”
I groan. “You know I can’t forfeit. If I do, I lose everything. There will be no plan, and I won’t even get the payout at the end.”
Mia smiles, mischief dancing in her eyes. “I’m not talking about you. I mean him. Knox.”
I give her a thin stare. “Knox?”
“Yes. The main forfeiture clause states that if either party pulls out of the agreement, they forfeit all rights and the contract becomes void. The clause applies to both of you. So, he can pull out, too.”
My mouth goes dry. I stare at her, disbelief washing over me. I remember that clause. I’ve read the contract so many times, I could recite it as fluently as Knox. But I never thought of him forfeiting; my focus was only on myself.
“He won’t forfeit, Mia. Why would he? He’s gone to a lot of trouble to get to this point.”
“But he might…if you give him a reason.” The mischief in her eyes shifts into excitement.
“Think about it. From what you’ve told me, he’s obsessed with protecting his image and the family name.
He’s going to be the next CEO of Vale Global.
He has a reputation to guard. Now imagine if something happened that threatened that image. ”
God in heaven. Could I be so bold? “Like, what would I do?”
“That’s where you play it by ear. Only you can come up with that idea. As you get closer to him and move into his circle, you’ll see what matters to him.” Her shoulders relax. “And you’d have to be subtle. I don’t think you could pull something obvious without repercussions.”
“What if it gets me in trouble?”
“It could, but think of it this way…wouldn’t you rather try? If it works, you keep the restaurant. Sure, there’d be no big payout at the end, but you keep the restaurant.”
My chest warms at the thought. “I’d keep the restaurant.”
“Yes. And didn’t you say you were going to try for a job on Broadway?”
I nod. “That’s the only thing keeping me going at the moment.”
“Well, if you got that job, I’m sure you’d get paid enough to take care of your mom and other things. Your finances are only bad because of your father’s debts. But you won’t carry that forever.”
“No. And I’d do everything I could to increase the restaurant’s income.”
“Exactly. But this is just an idea. I’m not saying you should definitely do it.” She raises her hands. “But if the opportunity presented itself, I think it would be worth a try.”
Those words burrow into my mind and stay there. I can hardly pay attention after that, even when she moves on and starts telling me about her upcoming plans for the daycare. I try to focus so I don’t seem selfish, but my thoughts keep looping back to the forfeiture clause.
Mia leaves after dinner. Being alone makes my head spin with ideas that would drive Knox crazy. It would have to be something subtle but enough to truly rattle him. The problem is what.
My future husband has a hard exterior; cracking it will be a mission. He also seems like a man who can worm his way out of anything. Whatever I come up with would need to be clever enough to trap him. Outsmart him even.
And Mia was right; I’d have to be careful. Very careful.
God, I’m so glad he’s not here. It was a relief having the room to myself last night. It’s even better tonight. I’m thinking so much, I fear he’d see straight through me.
I hardly sleep. When morning comes, I head to the theatre for my usual shift, then rush to the restaurant. While I’m in the storage room cleaning up, I take the chance to brainstorm again.
The smell of coffee and bleach anchors me for a second, but the rest of me is somewhere else, turning over possibilities. Ideas skitter through my head like mice, mostly half-formed schemes and little rebellions. Nothing big.
I’m so deep in thought, I don’t even hear my mother come in. It’s not until she taps my shoulder that I realize she’s right next to me.
She looks tired, understandably so. She’s been here all day, and it’s just gone eight.
“Hey, sweetie. Just came to check on you,” she says, setting a tray on the counter.
“Please tell me you’re going home now.”
“In fifteen minutes.” She smiles. “Just need to place a meat order, then I’m good to go.”
“I can do the order for you, Mom.”
She taps the side of her head. “It’s all up here. I ran the numbers earlier, so it’s fresh in my mind.”
“Okay. But please don’t do anything else.”
“I won’t. You need to get home, too, Isla. I don’t want you here too late.”
“I’ll leave at ten,” I assure her.
“That’s a long time.”
“I’ll be fine. There are a couple of things that still need to be done in here.” I glance around. “The new delivery needs to be set out, and I need to check the stock. Better to get it done tonight. Who knows if Gill’s going to make it in tomorrow.”
Gill’s one of the best waitresses we’ve had, but she’s always calling in sick or rushing off for some family emergency. We’ve kept her on because she’s good at her job and has been here so long she’s practically family. But her unreliability makes planning difficult.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Mom wraps an arm around me and presses a kiss to my cheek.
“Same here, Mom.”
She chuckles. “I beg to differ. I just wish I were healthier. I could do more, and we wouldn’t have to worry so much.”
“It’s okay. We’ll manage. We’re managing.”
“Thanks to you.”
A knock on the door cuts into my next words. We both look at each other. It’s the staff-only door, and we’re used to staff coming in and out, but never anyone knocking.
“I’ll get it,” I offer, padding over to open the door.
I thought it might be a customer with a question, but when the door swings open and I find myself face-to-face with Chad—my ex—my heart stops dead in my chest.