Page 119 of The Widower
Lauren ran to her place and came back with the laptop.
“Don’t break my baby or we’ll have a serious problem.”
“Got it,” I said with a smile.
I went to my room, took a breath, and plugged the flash drive in.
I wasn’t sure why, but I was scared of whatever Jefrey had found. The way he’d talked about it was unsettling, which told me his discoveries might be more serious than I’d imagined.
I opened the folder labeled “Colin Adams,” and for the next few hours I read everything…
COLIN ADAMS
I searched the mansion for Isabelle.
I hate admitting this, but I’m a prisoner to her. It’s become impossible for me to keep my distance from that woman, and to this day I still wonder what kind of spell she’s cast on my body—and my heart.
At first, I couldn’t stand her. Anyone could see that. Her scattered mind, her tendency to butt in at the worst possible moments—it all confirmed my first impression the day we met: She’s not going to last a week working with me.
I thought about firing her more times than I can count. And yet, somehow, I kept giving her chances—chances I’d never given anyone before her. Why? I still don’t know.
Or maybe I do, and just don’t want to say it out loud.
I fell for her. Accidentally.Completely against my will. And it wasn’t just her.Hanna came along with that innocent little smile of hers and won me over before I even realized it. I don’t even know when we became such close friends.
The first person who ever saw something good in me was Hanna.And because of her, the doors to my heart started to open again. She helped me reconnect with Joshua, and for the first time in a long while, life began to make sense again.
Then came Isabelle. The more time we spent together, the more I started to see her differently. She cared about me—even when I did everything I could to push her away, to treat her badly, even when I threatened her job. She was always there, saying the things no one else dared to say, forcing me to face truths I didn’t want to hear.
I hated that. Still do.
Looking someone in the eye and realizing they can see right through you—it’s not a good feeling. You can’t even argue back, because they already know who you are and why you’ve built these walls around yourself.
My biggest mistake—the only one I can’t deny—was kissing her that first time.It woke up something inside me that I thought had died. For the first time since Jeniffer’s death, I actually felt alive again. And somehow, little by little, I started to change.
The anger wasn’t as constant anymore. The moments with Joshua, Hanna, and Isabelle became the highlights of my days. Of course, nothing could erase the pain of losing my daughter, but at least I didn’t have to live inside that grief every single day.
Isabelle became my escape valve—the woman who made me see that the world isn’t made solely of anger and pain.
After turning down one of the hallways, I spotted her. The moment she saw me, she changed directions, putting distance between us. She was probably buried in work, though the last few times we’d been alone, things had ended... in bed.
For several minutes, I “chased” her, but she always found a way to slip out of sight. I couldn’t figure out what was going on. When I noticed she was heading toward the kitchen, I took a different route—and a few minutes later, we nearly collided.
“What’s going on?”
“I’ve got a lot of work.” She tried to brush past me, but something felt off.
“Isabelle…” I took her hands, and she immediately pulled away.
“You’re not gonna tell me what’s wrong? Is it... because of today?” I asked, hesitating.
She knows this is the day I leave the house and come back... different. I’m sure she’s memorized the dates—most of the staff have.
Isabelle’s eyes locked on mine, and that look alone answered my question.
“I want to hear the truth from you,” she said quietly. “Where do you go when you leave those gates? And what really happened to your wife? You never talk about her.”
“That question again?” I dropped my hands.“It’s none of your business. How many times do I have to say that?”
