Chapter 2 Isabel's Secret
835 Words
In Collins State, the locals typically sport shades of deep brown or black hair, with the occasional lighter strands still tinged with hints of auburn.
Golden hair was an anomaly here. Andrei, whose mother hailed from Crescent City, was one of the rare few who carried the trait of light golden locks, a legacy from his mother.
Coincidentally, the very woman he had been tirelessly searching for was also distinguished by her golden hair.
As he softly ran his fingers through Isabel's cascading golden tresses, he remarked, "I've never really noticed you, the foster girl who possesses quite the striking golden hair."
Her hair fell like a waterfall down her back to her waist, gracefully wavy and voluminous yet ethereal.
"Is it natural?"
Before Isabel could muster a reply, Morley's voice echoed from outside.
"Why are you two here?" Morley had followed Isabel and was startled to see the two men who had earlier seized Isabel now standing at Andrei's door.
The last thing she wanted was to disturb the formidable Andrei.
"That woman slipped inside," the man with the crew cut whispered urgently into Morley's ear.
Morley gave a discreet signal with her eyes before stepping forward to knock.
"Childe Andrei, my apologies for the intrusion, but it appears a thief has sneaked into your quarters. May I come in and remove this intruder?"
Upon hearing Morley brand her as a thief, Isabel felt her heart fluttered with panic. She impulsively stepped forward.
"Please! Don't let her know I'm here!" she implored.
In her frantic plea to Andrei, Isabel failed to notice her heel snagging on the carpet. She stumbled, letting out a startled cry as she tumbled into Andrei's arms.
Looking down at the trembling woman he now held, Andrei could almost believe this was a staged act had he not known Morley to be a longstanding servant of the Howard family.
Through the years, numerous women had schemed to endear themselves to him.
But this one was different. The woman in his arms was shivering intensely. As he gazed down, her torn neckline exposed her delicate, snowy bosom, releasing a subtle, entrancing scent that wafted to his nose.
Isabel's face bore the trails of recent tears. Her skirt was a ragged mess, and her slender, alluring legs showed a violent scratch, bleeding and raw.
His eyes trailed from her chest to her injured leg while his hand gently encircled her waist and then cautiously touched the wound.
"Ow!"
Isabel flinched sharply in his arms, the pain sharp.
Andrei's warm breath grazed her ear, sending a tingling heat through her.
"It seems to be a genuine wound, and the blood is quite fresh," he observed.
Andrei's expression darkened slightly as he pondered the implications.
It was well-known that the nobles of the Opes Federation had a habit of entertaining themselves at the expense of the maids.
Yet Isabel was no mere plaything. She was a woman his uncle had chosen to adopt. That anyone would dare to openly harass her was not just an affront to her but a blatant insult to the Howard family itself.
What he didn't notice was that the gnawing headache that had plagued him since dawn began to subtly dissipate with Isabel's presence.
"Childe Andrei?" Morley's voice echoed once more, met with silence.
Could it be that Childe Andrei has departed?
Summoning her courage, Morley moved forward and intended to open the door.
However, as her hand touched the doorknob, Andrei's icy voice halted her actions.
"Ms. Morley, it appears you've forgotten my rules."
Morley's heart lurched.
Oh, God. Childe Andrei is indeed inside!
As the seasoned housekeeper of Howard Estate, she was well aware that his quarters were sacrosanct, forbidden to all.
But Isabel had evidently breached this sanctum...
"Childe Andrei, you are here! A trespasser has entered, and I was on my way to retrieve her," Morley stammered while releasing the door handle.
Through the crack of the door now ajar, Morley's eyes widened in disbelief. Andrei's arms encircled the figure of Isabel.
How could it be?!
Andrei's hands firmly clasped Isabel's delicate waist. His grip was almost possessive.
Trapped in his embrace, Isabel was consumed by humiliation.
However, with her would-be defamers just beyond the threshold, she felt compelled to yield temporarily to the enigmatic captor who restrained her.
Andrei's laughter, a cold, mocking sound, echoed as he led Isabel toward the bed.
Before she could gather her senses, she was pinned down on the bed.
Isabel quivered. "What are you doing?"
Seizing her chin with a forceful grip, Andrei claimed her lips in a fierce, commandeering kiss that silenced her.
"Mmm..."
The suddenness of Andrei's actions left Isabel stunned.
His hands ventured boldly, exploring her body with an intimacy she had never known, tracing her curves down to her pliable butt.
Never having even held hands with a man, Isabel was overwhelmed by the brazen violation and rendered momentarily helpless in her shock.
All the while, three onlookers stood witness to the unfolding drama!
- Writer
