CHAPTER 5
“Time is the best remedy for a wounded heart.”
COLIN ADAMS
I was about to fire Isabelle the moment I realized she’d broken one of the rules I value most.
She’s clumsy, gets under my skin more than any woman I’ve ever hired, talks back whenever she can, and even brings people into my house without permission.
All perfectly good reasons not to like someone like her.
And yet… there’s something about her that pulls my attention.
It’s not just her beauty—I keep trying to ignore that—but the way she holds herself together even when I’m sharp with her.
She refuses to crumble, and that’s a rare trait, especially for someone living under the same roof as me. My property. My rules. My control.
I’ll admit it—what she said about Hanna’s father leaving them got to me. She sounded genuine, and that was probably the only reason I didn’t do what I should’ve done and fire her on the spot.
Despite everything, I’m not as cruel as I may seem.
I was already at Vero Italian Restaurant, waiting for James, who was late—as usual. He’d set up this meeting over a week ago, but some habits never die.
After more than thirty minutes, he finally showed up, opening with exactly what I expected.
“I don’t have much time, Colin.”
“And what else is new?” I shot back with my usual sarcasm.
“I’m hosting a small dinner at my main estate. Your presence is mandatory. This Saturday, to be clear.”
“Mandatory?”
“That’s right,” he said firmly. “And you’ll need to bring a date.”
“Excuse me? You’ve got to be kidding me.” I rolled my eyes, already furious that he was dragging someone else into this.
James had the same grumpy expression I’d grown used to seeing—an expression I’ll probably end up wearing myself if my life keeps going the way it is.
“I’m not joking, Colin. Everyone attending will either be married or bring a partner. You’re no exception.”
“Yes, I am. I don’t fit into either category.”
“Stop being a grouch.”
“Says the man who invented grumpiness.” I shrugged, knowing it was pointless to argue with him.
“You’re hopeless,” he muttered, clearing his throat. “Just do this for me, all right? You know these meetings matter, and you’re the one designing my new mansion.”
“Another mistake. You know ever since…” I stopped, my throat tightening. It still hurt to think about it—especially about my daughter. “I—”
“I get it, son. Everyone handles pain differently. I’m just asking you to bring someone. I’m sure there’s someone on your mind. You’re a good-looking man—half the women in this city would kill for a night with you.”
“If they would, I haven’t noticed. And I don’t care to.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you haven’t slept with anyone since Jennifer passed.”
I stared at him for several long seconds. Even he looked uneasy after that.
“No.”
“You miss her?”
“I don’t,” I said flatly, my tone as cold as ever.
“I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to.” I stood. “I’ll do what you want, but this is the first and last time you’ll ever force me into something I don’t want.”
In the end, I already had a small idea of who I could invite.
But to her, it would sound strange.
And to me… even stranger.
I was supposed to meet someone else, but this time it would be at my mansion. I have a rather peculiar friend…
His name’s Henry—one of the biggest players in the state’s food industry. He’s… problematic, let’s put it that way. The man’s too cheerful. I’m not used to that much happiness, and he honestly feels like a walking rainbow—bright, colorful, and impossible to ignore.
Does it irritate me? Absolutely. No question about it.
Still, he’s been there for me more times than I can count, so I can’t deny he’s a good friend. An annoying one, but a good friend nonetheless.
Most of the time, anyway.
He’s always teasing me, cracking jokes, trying to make me laugh for no reason—and, somehow, he usually succeeds. That’s Henry for you: brutally honest, relentlessly upbeat, and way too happy for his own good.
He’d just parked his Ferrari GTC4 outside my mansion. The second he saw me, he broke into that stupid grin of his, the kind that’s so infectious it makes you hate yourself for not smiling back.
“Big man Colin! How’s life?”
“What was so urgent that it couldn’t wait?” I asked, cutting straight to the point. I have to keep Henry on a tight leash—if I let him ramble, he’ll start talking about the most useless things imaginable.
“I forgot.”
I let out a heavy sigh. This guy…
“Oh, right! I just wanted to see you, but I figured if I said it wasn’t important, you wouldn’t let me in.”
I closed my eyes and cursed him silently. I know I’m not the best friend in the world, but Henry has a gift for testing my patience.
“I honestly don’t know why I still talk to you.”
“Hey, watch your tone with your best friend! You’d better—”
Henry froze mid-sentence. His gaze shifted toward Isabelle, who was moving around the kitchen, helping Helen with something. He even took off his imported sunglasses to get a better look, which immediately annoyed me.
“Colin… who’s the little cutie you’ve got working in your house?”
“Don’t start, Henry,” I warned. Isabelle glanced in our direction, then quickly pretended she hadn’t.
“See the way she looked at you?” he said with a smug grin.
“No. How exactly did she look at me?” I asked, intrigued despite myself.
“Like she hates you. Like she despises every breath you take. If she ever had to sleep under the same roof, she’d probably murder you in your sleep. Or dismember you first.”
I shook my head. Henry had a habit of taking things too far—but, to be fair, I probably deserved a few jabs.
“I’m not as bad as I seem,” I muttered.
“Agreed. Your reputation says you’re worse. Now tell me—what kind of atrocities did you commit to make that woman hate you so much?”
“She doesn’t hate me!” I snapped, louder than I intended.
“If you say so…”
I looked at Isabelle again. She irritated me to no end, yet somehow she fascinated me too. As defiant as she was, I couldn’t help but admire her courage. Standing up to me wasn’t easy—and she did it without flinching.
“I’d like to introduce myself,” Henry announced suddenly. “Name’s Henry.”
Son of a—
Before I could react, he was already standing next to Isabelle, introducing himself… all smiles, of course.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Isabelle.” She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, clearly uneasy.
“Oh, don’t worry about him. Colin won’t bite just because I’m talking to you. He’s a tyrant, sure—but with me, he’s harmless. No reason to be scared.”
“Henry!” I barked, though I already knew it was pointless.
“Ah, right, Colin hates honesty too,” he said with a grin.
Henry gets on my nerves ninety percent of the time—and that’s me being generous. His knack for breaking the ice with people infuriates me, mostly because it always happens when I least want it to.
“I should get back to a few things around the house. Nice meeting you, Henry.”
“The pleasure’s all mine.”
The bastard leaned in close and kissed her on the cheek… or maybe it was her cheek and part of her lips?
I’m still not sure if I saw too much, but it damn well looked like he tried to take advantage of the moment.
As soon as she left the room, I locked my gaze on him without blinking once.
“What?”
“What do you think?” I shot back.
“I like her. A lot, actually.” He winked, and my blood pressure spiked.
“Don’t you dare go near Isabelle! Do you hear me?!”
Henry looked at me, eyebrows raised, genuinely surprised. And only then did I realize what I’d just said. Isabelle means nothing to me—at least not enough to justify that tone. I had no idea why those words came out so fast.
“Guess someone else already plans to,” he teased.
I was ready to fire back when I noticed Helen calling me from across the room.
“Well, I just wanted to check in on you. You might not think so, but I actually worry about you—ever since… you know.”
“It’s fine. Thanks for stopping by, even though I’m terrible company.”
“Oh, I know you are,” he said, smirking. “I just feel sorry for people in general.” He started walking off. “See you soon, oh mighty tyrant Colin Adams.”
What a lunatic.
I spent at least thirty minutes circling Isabelle around my own mansion. I had to do it…
I’ll kill James…
“Do you need anything?” she asked in a soft voice when I stepped closer.
I noticed a flicker of apprehension on her face when we stood near each other. It’s obvious she’s afraid of me—nervous, reluctant, whatever. Doesn’t matter.
“What are you doing Saturday?” I asked.
“Excuse me?”
I sighed.
“You heard me. Want me to say it again?”
“Usually I’m with Hanna on Saturdays.”
“I need you,” I said gently. “I mean, I need a favor. Could you help me?”
“Of course. What do you want?”
“I need a date for a small meeting about a project of mine.”
“You’re actually working on a project? I never said this, but I’m a fan, and—”
“Isabelle, for God’s sake! Let’s focus on what matters!” I snapped, irritated.
No, I didn’t like being a bitter, emotionless, stupid man, but it’s part of who I am—stronger than I am.
“All right,” she whispered.
“And…?”
“I’ll talk to my mother so she can stay with Hanna for a while, and… I’ll go with you, if you still want me to,” she said, clearly upset. She sounded like she was agreeing under duress.
I had to fix this.
“You’ll get a cash bonus at the end of the month—think of it like overtime, or something.”
“I don’t want anything like that.”
“Isabelle…”
“Is that all, or do you want anything else, Colin?”
The way she stretched my name out let me hear how furious she was, and because of that I studied her face more closely.
She’s a pretty, attractive young woman, and years ago I would’ve done anything to have her. But I’m not the man I was back then, and I don’t want to be.
“No. You’re dismissed. I’ll stop by your house around eight. I have all your details.”
She nodded and then went out to the mansion’s exterior.