My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 664

She nudged Dennis. “Dennis, go inside and keep Mr. White company.”

Dennis Lane nodded. “Okay.”

Once she watched them step inside and close the door behind them, Isabella Austin finally pulled out her phone and opened her messaging app.

She’d already felt the vibration in her pocket moments ago—someone had texted her.

As she expected, it was a message from Benjamin Gomez.

Benjamin Gomez: *Isabella, have you forgotten our agreement?*

Benjamin Gomez: *I’ve been patient with you—yesterday I didn’t even insist you spend time with Ashley. But today? Why did you go help Alex White with his medication?*

Benjamin Gomez: *My patience is running thin, Isabella.*

Benjamin Gomez: *And don’t forget, your piano competition has only just finished the first round. There’s the semi-finals and finals coming up—I remember you have another round the day after tomorrow, right? If you want everything to go smoothly, you know what you need to do.*

Isabella’s hands shook as she finished reading the barrage of texts. Her face had gone completely pale, but she forced herself to type out a response.

Isabella Austin: *Benjamin, I know you’re angry, but can’t you try to understand me?*

Isabella Austin: *Please, I’m begging you—I can’t let anyone find out about me and Ashley. I just can’t.*

Isabella Austin: *The Lane family means everything to me. If anyone finds out, it would ruin me.*

Isabella Austin: *Look, I’ll make up for the time I missed. I haven’t been with Ashley these past two days. I’ll make it up to her, okay?*

Benjamin Gomez replied almost instantly: *You’ll make it up double. That’s non-negotiable.*

Isabella bit her lip. *Fine. Four days. I’ll make up four days.*

Benjamin didn’t reply again, but Isabella knew that meant he’d agreed—still, she couldn’t shake the anxiety gnawing at her.

Just a few days ago, she’d discreetly taken a strand of Ashley Gomez’s hair, wanting to settle the question once and for all.

Benjamin Gomez had always insisted that Ashley was her biological child, but Isabella could never see any resemblance between them. Deep down, she clung to the hope that Benjamin was lying, making up stories just to keep her around.

She didn’t want to believe, not really, that Ashley was her daughter.

Slowly, Isabella opened her eyes and fixed them on the final line of the report.

*…Based on genetic analysis, the results support a biological relationship between Isabella Austin and Victoria Gomez (also known as Ashley Gomez).*

As the words registered, Isabella’s mind went completely blank. She barely breathed—it felt as if even her heartbeat had stopped.

She and Ashley Gomez—mother and daughter.

Ashley Gomez really was her child.