Shane Sterling didn’t return all night. Isla Prescott waited until the early morning, only drifting off to sleep when she could no longer fight her exhaustion.
Thankfully, the next day was the weekend, so she didn’t have to go to her studio.
She slept until noon. When she pulled open the curtains, she discovered that while the forecast had predicted rain, the sun was shining exceptionally brightly. The more brilliant the light, however, the more it seed to emphasize the shadows in her heart, leaving them with nowhere to hide.
She decided she couldn’t wait any longer and took the initiative to call Shane Sterling.
The mont Isla Prescott’s call went through, she heard Shane Sterling’s phone ringing from outside her door.
He was back.
Isla Prescott hurried to the door and opened it to see Shane Sterling stepping out of the elevator, just about to answer her call.
He was still wearing yesterday’s clothes. She had no idea where he had spent the night.
"We need to talk," said Isla Prescott.
"Okay. Let take a quick shower. Wait for ."
Isla Prescott nodded.
Shane Sterling unlocked his door, and Isla Prescott followed him inside.
She sat on the living room sofa and waited while he showered.
Shane Sterling’s phone, which he had left on the coffee table, rang. Isla Prescott glanced over and saw the na "Genevieve Quincy" light up the screen.
The phone rang for over ten seconds before stopping. Genevieve Quincy must have sent a text right after, probably because Shane Sterling hadn’t picked up.
"Sean, you left your cufflink here. I have it. I’ll give it to you next ti we et."
The screen flashed and quickly went dark, but the suggestive line of text had already burned itself into Isla Prescott’s mory.
It was as if a dull knife had suddenly been plunged into her chest—a violent, unbearable pain.
She knew she shouldn’t have read his ssage, but a part of her was glad she did.
Shane Sterling erged from his shower wearing only his pajamas.
He sat beside her and reached out to embrace her, but Isla Prescott pushed his hands away, stood up, and sat down across from him.
Shane Sterling sighed. "Isabelle, I know you’re angry. I’m sorry. It was wrong of not to introduce you as my girlfriend in front of my father yesterday, but there was a reason for it."
"What reason was that?" she asked.
Shane Sterling was speechless. ’How could he tell her he suspected his father was a monster who treated human life as disposable? That the reason he hadn’t told him about them was his fear that his father’s cruelty would be directed at her?’
’It all sounded so absurd, and he had no real proof.’
In the few seconds that Shane Sterling hesitated, Isla Prescott’s heart filled with despair.
"Let’s end this," Isla Prescott said, looking at Shane Sterling and forcing herself to remain calm. "I am grateful that Young Mr. Shaw helped when my mother was critically ill. Our six-month contract has seventeen days left. Since you’re already preparing to get engaged, there’s no reason for us to continue."
She had been thinking nonstop since yesterday.
’Even though she’d already started falling for Shane Sterling, she had been reluctant to date him precisely because she knew they ca from different worlds.’
’In love, differences in social class were often more destructive than common disagreents. You weren’t just fighting each other, but the invisible gravity of your entire family.’
’Silas Lockwood had once said that Shane Sterling’s father cared even more about a "proper match" than Yvette Shaw did. If that was true, her and Shane’s breakup was only a matter of ti.’
’Shane Sterling would never defy his father for her sake. In the end, he’d just beco another Silas Lockwood.’
’She didn’t want to get dragged into a ssy fight. She didn’t want to lose what little self-respect and dignity she had left.’
"Seventeen days. You even rember that? What, have you been counting down the days?" Seeing her so calmly initiate a breakup, able to state the exact number of days left on their contract, Shane Sterling gritted his teeth.
They had been getting along so happily lately. To be honest, if Isla Prescott hadn’t brought it up, he would have completely forgotten about their six-month agreent.
"Yes, I’ve been counting down every day," said Isla Prescott.
’The only reason she’d been counting down was so she could tell him she’d fallen in love with him on the day the contract ended. But now, she would never get the chance to say it.’
"So you’ve been this eager for it to be over between us." His sleepless night had dulled his thoughts, and in that mont, it was the only aning he could take from Isla Prescott’s words.
Isla Prescott said nothing, which he took as a silent admission.
Shane Sterling’s temples began to throb, his every breath seething with anger.
"There are still seventeen days left, aren’t there? What’s the rush?" He rose to his feet and stalked toward her. "The six months aren’t up. You don’t have the right to call it off."
With that, Shane Sterling grabbed her by the chin, forced her back into the sofa, and crushed his lips against hers in a harsh kiss.
Isla Prescott struggled, but against Shane Sterling’s iron-like grip, her feeble resistance was useless.
"Shane Sterling, let go!" Tears stread down Isla Prescott’s face. "You’re going on blind dates with Miss Quincy while being intimate with . What do you take for?"
"Our parents arranged that blind date. I didn’t know about it beforehand."
"Really? Silas Lockwood told the exact sa thing."
Shane Sterling froze. He suddenly realized how similar this situation was to her last relationship.
’And what was the difference between him hiding her from his father and Silas Lockwood keeping her a secret?’
He pulled her into a tight embrace, frantic and full of regret. "Isabelle, I’m sorry."
"I don’t need your apology. I just want you to let go." ’Being hurt in the exact sa way twice... maybe she deserved this. All she wanted now was to be free.’
"Why are you so insistent on breaking up?" Shane Sterling wiped away her tears with his thumb, gazing into her drenched eyes. "This whole ti... have you really not loved at all?"
"That’s right. Not even a little."
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