Page 68 of Sweet Ruin

Noah nodded. “My grandfather only ever cared about profits, and my father hated it. He wanted to use our research and medicines to help people. When I went to Matthew and told him everything, he explained that he felt the same way. He told me that before they died, he’d been working with Georgina and my father to end their rivalry and build a bridge between our two businesses so that both could be better. We want to continue that good work. To honor their legacy.”

It was a lot to take in. I was starting to understand the reasons behind what they’d done, but it didn’t stop me from feeling hurt and betrayed. They’d achieved their goal, but my heart got broken in the process.

“Well, congratulations,” I muttered. “It seems like you got what you wanted.”

“Isobel.” Noah moved closer to me, sensing my distress. “You don’t know how much I regret the way you’ve been caught up in this. I wanted to tell you everything, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to convince my grandfather I was still loyal to him in case he somehow blocked access to my trust before I turned eighteen. And, I needed to keep you safe. My grandfather is a dangerous man, and I couldn’t let anything happen to you.”

He was sitting next to me now on the long leather bench seat, and he reached out a hand to touch mine. “I’ve spent years hiding my true feelings,” he continued. “Pretending that the most important thing in my life was my grandfather and his company. I’ve done plenty of things I didn’t want to at his command, but hiding my feelings from you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”

Noah’s words made my heart leap and my stomach drop at the same time. He was hiding feelings for me? How was I supposed to react to that? He’d treated me like he hated me for so long, like he wanted nothing to do with me. But now he was saying it was all to protect me? I thought back over all the conversations we’d had, the arguments, the stolen looks, the kisses. What was real and what wasn’t? I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to find out more, but I also didn’t want to have this part of the conversation in front of my parents.

A moment later, the limo rolled to a stop as we pulled up outside Matthew’s building. I still had so many questions, but I felt an overwhelming urge to escape. I needed space to come to terms with everything I’d been told, space to breathe, and space from Noah.

“I need to get out,” I said, pulling my hand from underneath Noah’s gentle grasp as I scrambled for the door.

I didn’t wait for anyone to respond, and I jumped from the car before they could stop me. I didn’t look back as I entered the building and ran past the concierge and onto the elevator. I only breathed again when the doors closed behind me and I was alone.

When I reached the penthouse, I headed straight to my room and tore the wet evening gown from my body. I scrubbed the makeup from my face, erasing all evidence of the night we’d endured, and changed into a pair of pajamas.

My body felt better, but my mind was still racing. I was still struggling to comprehend everything my father and Noah had just dumped on me. As I sat on my bed, wondering how I was ever going to get to sleep tonight, there was a knock at the door. It was probably my mom coming to check on me.

“Come in,” I called out without looking up.

“How are you feeling?” My father’s voice surprised me.

“Uh, fine,” I stammered. “Well, as fine as I can be after finding out how my aunt was killed and my father and my ex-boyfriend have been secretly working together for months.”

“I’m sorry we kept this all from you,” Matthew said, coming to sit at the end of my bed. “But I promise, now this is over, I won’t keep secrets from you again.”

His eyes were open and honest, and I could see he meant it. That didn’t mean I wasn’t still mad at him. “I just wished you could have trusted me with it.”

“I do trust you, Isobel. We just couldn’t risk William getting any idea about what was to come. And we wanted to keep you separated from this as much as possible.”

“But I haven’t been separated from it,” I said. “I’ve been hurt and lied to. I had to watch you get punched. Noah broke up with me because of all this.”

I paused, not wanting to dwell on Noah’s actions or think about what they now meant.

“I know,” Matthew said. “I’m sorry it played out this way. But I’ve already lost a sister because of this man; I couldn’t risk my daughter. The bitterness between our families is in the past now, and I’m hoping we can move on.”

His words took the edge off my anger. I could understand his concern, especially after what happened to Georgina. This rivalry had cost both Matthew and Noah so much. Could I really be mad at them for doing what they had to in order to bring it to an end?

“Okay.” I nodded. “But you could have at least told me we were going to Noah’s birthday party tonight. That was not cool.”

A little bit of the tension that had been gripping my chest and filling the room eased, and Matthew’s lips hitched up in a half smile. “Yes, you’re right. That must have been a shock. Very uncool of me.”

I rolled my eyes. The way Matthew said the word uncool only made it more uncool. He seemed to realize it too because he released a soft chuckle.

“I still can’t believe you two worked together on this,” I said. “Only a month ago, Noah was punching you in the face.”

“He only did that so William wouldn’t suspect we were working together,” Matthew replied with a shake of his head. “He probably could have gone a little softer on me though.”

“You were working together even then?”

Matthew nodded. “Noah came to see me in New York,” he said. “He was devastated by what happened the night of the White Ball. He explained what he was hoping to achieve and how I could help.”

I struggled to swallow as memories of that night flooded my mind. The cool night air in the courtyard outside the ballroom at Weybridge Academy. The look on Noah’s face when he’d learned who my father was. The pain and resignation in his eyes when William forced him to break up with me. He’d cast me aside and broken my heart with so much ease, just because his grandfather wished it. It had felt so real, and I struggled to comprehend that there might have been more to Noah’s actions that night than met the eye.

“I have to admit I was surprised when Noah came to me,” Matthew continued. “But when I heard what he had to say and learned the truth about what happened to my sister, I knew something had to be done.”

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