Chapter 13: The Woman Who Wasn't Dead
"Her name is Isabella Mercer."
Silence swallowed the hallway whole. Adrian rose slowly, but something about the movement felt unfamiliar, almost hesitant. I'd seen him angry. Calm. Ruthless. Controlled.
I had never seen him look lost.
"Daniel had a wife," Victor continued quietly. "Everyone believed she died alongside him. She didn't. She disappeared."
We moved into the study, and once the door closed behind us, I asked as gently as I could. "Who was she?"
Adrian sat heavily, his hands folding together on the desk. "She wasn't just Daniel's wife," he said slowly. "She was like family." He paused, something distant crossing his face. "Daniel negotiated the contracts. Isabella read every single one before he signed them." He paused again. "She vani
