Chapter 4
Chapter
Four
ISABELLE
T wo hours after Brigette left, Adam and I finally sit down for dinner.
At a gigantic dinner table that fits eighteen people.
Thankfully, we’re sitting at one end together, not on opposite ends. But still—weird.
The room is dimly lit, just like the study, and my eyes are struggling to adjust. High-back wooden chairs with floral upholstery are placed around the table, and sconces with candles light the walls. A chandelier glimmers above us, but it must be on a dimmer because it’s barely providing enough light to see our food.
Now that we’re sitting here, I’m especially glad I didn’t change into a fancy dress or do anything to my hair because Adam still looks like a mountain man wearing his sweatshirt and sweatpants. How ridiculous would I have looked in an evening gown when he’s wearing sweats?
He hasn’t said a word to me. He came in, sat down while eyeing me carefully, and is now eating his salad without acknowledging my presence.
I feel like screaming ‘What do you want from me?’, because SERIOUSLY, why am I here? Why couldn’t this meeting have been done over the phone, or even on Zoom? Couldn’t he have gotten the information he needs from me in a normal manner? But no. I had to drive all the way up to this creepy castle and sit here with him…in silence.
I’ve got to figure this out. Guess it’s up to me to strike up the conversation, even though HE’S the one with this grand idea of having me come up here to meet him.
I clear my throat. “The Lily room is beautiful. Your sister must love it here.”
The instant scowl on his face tells me that was the wrong thing to say.
“How do you know about my sister?” he growls.
“I…I don’t know anything about her,” I stammer. I’m about to say that Brigette told me about her, but I worry that will get her in trouble, and she’s too sweet to face Adam’s wrath. So I stay quiet.
Adam grunts and stabs another forkful of salad.
“I loved Second Chance Invasion ,” I say.
He snorts a laugh. “Sure you did.”
“Why do you doubt it?”
He finally looks over at me. “You saw Second Chance Invasion .”
I nod. “Yes.”
He sets down his fork and leans an elbow on the table. “What was my character’s name?”
“Reginald. I thought it was a terrible choice, but you pulled it off.”
His brows rise slightly in surprise, chewing thoughtfully. Yes. One point in my favor.
We finish our salads in silence while I rack my brain, trying to come up with topics of conversation that won’t get me yelled at or ignored. Two young men—are they twins?—come out a minute later to take our salad plates and bring out the main course: chicken and pasta with a sundried tomato cream sauce.
“Thank you,” I say to the man who leaves my plate. He smiles at me. Adam, on the other hand, completely ignores the man who served his dish.
“So, how did you get your first acting job?” I ask. “I know you didn’t grow up acting. Did you study it in college? Or?—”
“That’s none of your concern.” He doesn’t even spare a glance in my direction.
“Oh.” I pause. “I just thought it was cool you started acting later, you know, like me. I mean, I’ve always wanted to act, especially since my dad works in the industry, but I never got started until I was an adult.”
He still says nothing, and I feel the urge to keep talking. At least, that’s the only excuse I have for my word vomit. “My dad actually never wanted me to be part of it. My sisters were always so busy with their modeling jobs, beginning their careers as babies while my mom was alive. Instead of going that route with me, Dad tried to protect me as much as possible throughout my childhood. I guess I have to appreciate that about him. But I couldn’t ignore the urge to act that was rolling under my skin, and once I finished college, I decided to go for it.”
Adam sets down his fork and looks right at me. “Do you always talk this much?”
“I…” The truth is, sometimes. But I don’t want to say that. He’s making me so nervous, and I want to show him how friendly I am, that I’m trying desperately to fill the silence with proof that I’m a normal human being.
Unlike him.
So I try to be quiet for a few minutes. He’s being exceptionally rude, but I want this role. And if he’d prefer I don’t sit and chit-chat, I can try that for a little while.
“What else have you done?” he asks, breaking the silence.
I swallow the food in my mouth. “I’m sorry?”
“Acting. What other roles have you performed?”
I press my lips together. He’s basically asking for my IMDb information, and I know my list doesn’t sound great because I’ve hardly gotten any roles worth noting. Being an extra in an episode of This is Us is hardly worth mentioning. “I’ve been in a few shows and commercials.”
“But no actual roles.”
“Not yet, but?—”
“You never got an actual role because you weren’t good enough.”
My mouth drops open at his bluntness. I’m at a loss for words. Did he really just say that to me?
And even worse, he continues speaking. “In fact, you probably never would have gotten this role if it weren’t for your father pulling strings. Or did your sisters vouch for you this time? Either way, it’s just a role for a made-for-tv rom-com on a ridiculous network, so it’s not like it would have taken much effort in the first place.”
My face flames with embarrassment and tears sting my eyes. How dare he speak to me like this! This is the final straw.
I slam my fork down on the table and stand, my chair loudly scratching the wood floor. Adam turns to face me, his eyes wide in surprise.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” I say sternly. “How dare you say those things! Who do you think you are that you can speak to people like that?”
Maybe that wasn’t the smartest thing to say. He’s Adam Stone, world-famous action star. Of course he can say whatever he wants. But I’m fired up now, and I’m not about to let anyone walk all over me.
If breaking into Hollywood means dealing with this jerk every day, then I’m not doing it. My self-worth is too high to allow him to speak to me like this and walk all over me.
Adam’s mouth drops. Has no one ever called him out? Probably not. Well, he needs a reality check, so he’d better buckle up, because I’m not done.
“You think you’re better than everyone else, up here in your fancy family castle. But that doesn’t make you a good person. And I refuse to spend another minute here, being disrespected like this.” I throw my cloth napkin down on the table and turn to leave.
“Wait!” Adam calls, his voice slightly weakened. “So…the movie?”
I turn to face him, and for a moment, he actually seems worried. Good. Let this be a lesson for him. “There is no way I would ever be in a movie with you.” I turn back to the dining room door and rush to the front entrance, which is thankfully just down the hallway and not through the twisting maze like the other parts of the castle. I make it to the front door, fling it open, and am nearly blown backward by freezing air.
I can’t believe my eyes.
It’s a full-on blizzard. White snow falls from the sky and has already covered at least three inches of the ground.
I’m still in shock. I step outside, feeling the cold seep into my high heels, but I don’t care. Crunching through the snow, I spy Philippe. My beloved Honda Civic is covered in snow.
I can’t move. I can’t breathe. There’s no way I can drive down the mountain now. Not with my street tires and snow covering the already perilous and winding road.
I have no other choice.
I’m trapped here.