Chapter Colin Adams
COLIN ADAMS
Isabelle’s already getting on my nerves and it’s not even noon.
Even though she works at my mansion, I couldn’t find her, so I called her cell. It just rang and rang…
I heard another phone buzzing the other way and quickly moved toward the sound. The closer I got, the louder it got, and when I reached the source I saw Isabelle’s phone sitting on the coffee table.
There was no way a phone like that would go unnoticed—especially with all the decorations on it.
It was all pink, loaded with dangling charms, an eye-catching case—woman-stuff, in a word.
I knew it was hers, but I stepped closer to be sure. When I saw the lock screen…
Isabelle, Isabelle…
Her contact was saved as “arrogant jerk boss.” She’s got a sense of humor—and she tells it like it is.
“Sorry.” A voice came from right behind me; she grabbed the phone off the table, clearly startled.
“Are you apologizing for not answering me or for saving my number under that name?” I teased.
She stared at me for a few seconds, then opened her mouth like she was going to say something—then shut it again. I figured she might insult me or something along those lines.
“For not being there when you needed me,” she said at last. “What do you need?” she added, changing the subject.
“You’re free to take Joshua to school. Don’t screw it up and do your job properly.”
“Okay. Anything else?” She held my gaze.
She seemed different—I couldn’t tell why—but beyond the safe distance we kept from each other, Isabelle barely looked me in the eye.
“No, that’s it.”
I know this has to do with our last conversation, when I threatened to fire her if we crossed that line again, sexually speaking. I know I’m a bastard for saying it and I’m wrong to threaten her like that, but keeping her in check like this will make her hold back—and force me to do the same.
I really need that. Our closeness is dangerous—for both of us.
ISABELLE CAMPBELL
I need to stay away from Colin at all costs. His presence isn’t good for me. There’s just one small problem—I work for him.
I don’t know what my heart’s trying to tell me. I’m a woman who gets tangled up in her own emotions, and half the time I can’t even make sense of what’s going on in my head. I’ll probably change my mind eventually anyway.
I’ve been in love once. Just once.
That sounds sad, doesn’t it? It probably is—to fall in love only once in your life and have the man you cared for just walk away. But I can’t keep reliving it. I don’t need to, and I don’t want to.
“Colin gave me permission to take Joshua to school. That’s a good sign, right, Helen?” I asked while we were having afternoon coffee.
Lately, I’d grown really close to her—we talked about just about everything every day. The only topic I avoided was Colin. I didn’t want any more tension with him, and I wasn’t sure if he’d be mad at Helen for talking about him behind his back.
“Yes,” she said with a soft smile.
For a moment, I just stared at the kitchen, my gaze unfocused. I get lost in my head sometimes, thinking about random things. That’s normal for me.
My normal.
“You don’t seem happy. Did something happen?” she asked, and I hesitated, not sure how to explain what had been eating at me these past few days.
“I’m scared,” I finally admitted, meeting her eyes but forcing a faint smile. “The stories about the women who used to work here—they make me uneasy. And the thought of losing such a good job... it keeps me on edge about everything. Absolutely everything.”
“I understand, dear,” she said kindly. “Colin’s complicated, everyone knows that.
But I don’t think his temper’s going to change anytime soon.
My advice? Stay out of his way as much as you can and do everything he asks, right when he asks.
I know how arrogant he can be, but…” She stopped mid-sentence, and I knew instantly she’d remembered something painful.
“You can tell me,” I encouraged.
“I don’t like saying this, but Colin’s a walking tragedy. People like that... they live life on the edge—whether for better or for worse. Unfortunately,” she said softly, her expression full of sorrow. Her words lingered, heavy, leaving me deep in thought.
“What’s Colin’s real story? Why do people seem so afraid of him?”
“Sweetheart... there are things best left unsaid. Some stories are better buried—for everyone’s sake.”
“When I got this job, the woman who hired me said she was a close friend of Colin’s. But after the tragedy with his wife and daughter, he cut everyone off.”
“We’re not allowed to talk about that here. I’m sorry.” She looked away.
“I understand. I don’t want to cause trouble—it’s just my stupid curiosity.” I forced a smile.
“Isabelle…” She took my hand gently. “I hope you stay here long enough to understand what really happened to Colin. All I can tell you is that... a lot has.”
I changed the subject after that. Helen clearly wasn’t comfortable talking about Colin, and I didn’t want to push her—though persistence is usually second nature to me.
Five minutes left on my shift. I was heading toward the main hall to talk to Tito, one of the drivers, when I spotted Colin coming out of one of the sitting rooms.
“Do you need anything?” I offered automatically.
“Did I call for you?”
Right. I really don’t know why I keep trying with a man this bitter.
“Force of habit.” I tried to hide the irritation in my voice.
I’d never been treated like this before, and Colin had a special talent for pissing me off with just a few words. It was almost impressive. Still, I had to focus on the paycheck.
“Then maybe you should work on your habits,” he said, turning his back to me and walking toward the forbidden room.
That’s what I called it. Ever since those “rules” made it explicitly clear no one was allowed to go in there, I’d started giving certain things nicknames.
Sure, it sounds childish—but I honestly didn’t care.
“What are you so afraid of, Colin?”
He stopped mid-step, turned around, and locked eyes with me.
Yep. Wrong question. Wrong time. And definitely the wrong man.
“Repeat that,” he said quietly. “I don’t think I heard you right.”
No way. I wasn’t that suicidal.
“I think I phrased that wrong,” I mumbled, trying to play it off. “It was just… conversation, you know?”
“No. I really don’t know.” His eyes were burning holes through me, and I had no idea what to do. Not now.
“I just meant—if there’s anything you’re afraid of…” I said softly.
Colin took two slow steps toward me, and my whole body tensed. Was he going to kiss me?
God, my brain needed to stop doing this. Why would Colin ever do that? He’d been very clear last time, and I needed to keep my focus on work—no matter how many stupid questions I asked.
“You know,” he said, his tone low and cutting, “I still haven’t figured out what your real problem is.
I can’t tell if you’re desperate for attention or just naturally annoying.
If I’ve told you I don’t like talking to people, what makes you think you’re special enough to believe we’re friends who should discuss each other’s lives? ”
I froze. The anger in his eyes only confirmed what I already knew—this man was beyond saving.
When I lowered my head, I noticed his left hand. He was holding a photograph. I couldn’t make out all the details, but from what little I saw, there was a child in it—and Colin was smiling. Smiling.
I squinted, trying to see it better, when his tone suddenly changed. “Lose something, Isabelle?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
I didn’t know what came over me, but I turned and walked straight toward the kitchen.
I stopped for a moment, but that image stayed in my mind. Unfortunately—or maybe fortunately—I’m a curious woman. And once that picture got stuck in my head, I knew I needed to understand why that man carried so much bitterness inside him.
Why I wanted to figure him out, I couldn’t say.
But I knew one thing for sure—I had to. At least a little.
I spent two hours in front of my computer and didn’t get very far.
I dug through everything I could find about Colin Adams, but most of it led nowhere. It’s hard to explain—every time I thought I’d found something useful, it ended up being nothing. Just surface-level summaries that made me click for more, only to find the same recycled information.
What I did learn, though, was something I hadn’t known before: Colin never met his father, and his mother died before he turned thirteen. His rise in architecture was described as “meteoric,” and by the time he was twenty-three, he was already well-known throughout the state.
But beyond that… nothing. There’s almost no information about him past age thirty-four—just a year ago, when his wife and daughter died.
The article barely mentioned the cause, and even though Helena told me a little about it when I was hired, I hadn’t managed to learn much more.
“What a sad story,” I whispered to myself.
Losing your family like that—it had to be devastating. I can’t even imagine living through something like it. The thought of losing my own daughter... that kind of pain would destroy me.
After a shower, those pieces of information kept circling in my head. I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted to understand more. But if the internet couldn’t tell me much, where else could I possibly find answers?
“I could just ask him, right?” I muttered—and then laughed quietly.
Yeah, unless I wanted to get fired on the spot, that wasn’t exactly a smart plan. Besides, I seriously doubt Colin would tell me anything. He seems to hate me, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
As I stepped out of the bathroom, I remembered something my friend Jeffrey told me a long time ago. He’s what people like to call a computer geek, and months back he said something that was now echoing in my mind: “I can find pretty much anything online, even the stuff people try to keep buried.”
I have this little problem—I can’t let something go until I figure it out.
And understanding Colin had officially become an obsession.
What I didn’t know yet was how I was going to figure him out… or if doing so would make any difference at all.
Today I had to take Hanna to her grandfather’s house.
I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it, but he didn’t seem to mind—at least, not about that. I think I’m the real problem. My presence seems to bother him somehow. Honestly, I have no idea why.
“Sweetheart, for the love of God, don’t make a mess and behave, okay? Don’t touch anything and... oh, and don’t ask Colin any questions.”
“Colin’s the man who kept smiling at me, right?”
Just that day—and only at you.
I still don’t understand why, but whatever...
“That’s right. But he’s not really like that. I never see him smile, so... you know, fewer questions, got it, honey?”
“Okay, Mommy.”
When we got there, there was no sign of Colin.
That was unusual, considering how lately he’d been keeping an eye on when I arrived—as if he were desperate to find a reason to fire me. Or at least, that’s how it felt.
I took Hanna to the backyard, where there were a few things to keep little kids entertained. Once she was settled, I got back to my routine, knowing everything was in order—for now, at least.