Rise of The Abandoned Husband (Liam Knight) novel Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Chapter 5 – A Kindred Spirit’s Shelter and a Subtle Retaliation
The air inside Isabelle’s luxury car felt charged with possibility as we pulled away from the Sterling estate. I slumped against the soft leather seat, the gravity of what had just happened finally hitting me. I was homeless, nearly broke, and had just burned my last bridge in spectacular fashion.
Yet somehow, I felt freer than I had in years.
“Are you alright?” Isabelle’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. She was watching me with curious eyes, her expression a mixture of concern and something else I couldn’t quite identify.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “I should be terrified right now. I have nowhere to go, barely any money…” I trailed off, shaking my head. “But all I feel is relief.”
A small smile graced her lips. “Sometimes burning bridges illuminates the path forward.”
I glanced at her, surprised by the insight. “Is that why you stepped in back there? To help me find a new path?”
“I stepped in because I wanted to,” she replied simply. “The Sterling family has a reputation for devouring people they consider beneath them. It was… satisfying to disrupt their little ceremony.”
The memory of their shocked faces when Isabelle walked in beside me made me chuckle. “Their expressions were priceless.”
“Particularly your wife’s,” Isabelle added with a hint of mischief. “Ex-wife,” I corrected. “Soon enough, anyway.”
We fell into a comfortable silence as the car navigated through Havenwood City’s upscale neighborhoods. I realized I had no idea where we were headed.
“Where are you taking me?” I finally asked.
Isabelle turned to face me fully. “I own several properties throughout the city. One of them is a guest villa in the Cypress Heights district. It’s fully furnished, private, and currently vacant.” She paused, gauging my reaction. “You’re welcome to stay there while you sort things out.”
My pride flared instantly. “I can’t accept that. It’s too much.”
“Consider it payment for healing me,” she countered smoothly. “Since you refused my money earlier.”
I shook my head firmly. “I told you, I don’t want payment for that.”
“Then consider it a loan,” she pressed. “An investment, if you prefer. Something tells me you’re about to become someone worth knowing, Mr. Knight.”
There was such certainty in her voice that I found myself wondering what she saw in me that others—that I myself—had missed all these years.
“Why are you helping me?” I asked bluntly. “We only met today. You don’t know anything about me.”
She considered this for a moment, her elegant fingers absently adjusting a diamond bracelet on her wrist. “I know enough. I know you possess knowledge and abilities that most people would exploit for profit, yet you refused payment. I know you maintained your dignity in a situation designed to strip you of it.” Her eyes met mine directly. “And I know what it’s like to be underestimated and dismissed.”
That last statement surprised me. How could someone like Isabelle Ashworth, heir to one of the country’s largest fortunes, know anything about being dismissed?
As if reading my thoughts, she added, “Being a woman in my position comes with its own challenges. Men twice my age constantly try to explain my own business to me, assuming I’m just a pretty figurehead for my family’s empire.”
“But you’re not,” I observed.
“No,” she agreed with a slight smile. “I’m not.”
The car turned into a private road lined with towering cypress trees. At the end stood a modern villa, all clean lines and glass, nestled against a hillside overlooking the city.
“Here we are,” Isabelle announced as the car came to a stop. “It’s not the main Ashworth estate, but I think you’ll find it comfortable.”
‘Comfortable’ was an understatement. As we stepped inside, I was greeted by soaring ceilings, minimalist furnishings that probably cost more than I’d earned in my lifetime, and floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing a breathtaking view of Havenwood City.
“This is…” I struggled for words. “This is incredible.”
“The refrigerator is stocked, there’s a full bar if you need it, and the master bedroom is upstairs,” Isabelle explained, moving through the space with practiced ease. “The security system is top of the line, and the property is gated. You’ll have complete privacy here.”
I followed her in a daze, trying to reconcile this sudden turn of events. Yesterday, I was being ordered around the Sterling estate like a servant. Today, I was being offered a luxury villa by one of the most powerful women in the country.
“I don’t understand,” I said finally, stopping in the middle of the vast living room. “Why go to all this trouble for a stranger?”
Isabelle turned to face me, her expression serious. “Because I believe in repaying debts, Mr. Knight. And in cultivating valuable alliances.”
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