Ashes of Our Affection

"Fine!" Cole snapped. "Since this is how you're behaving, there's no need for us to get engaged, even after Rach is better. We can revisit that only when you realize how terribly wrong you are!"

Rachel quickly spoke up. "Cole, don't be mad. Izzy's just immature. You know how badly she wants to marry you."

"Well, it's time she grew up," he said sharply. "This time, she even forced you to take off your clothes when we were high up a snowy mountain! If I hadn't found you in time, you would've frozen to death."

He glared at me. "If you continue throwing these unreasonable tantrums, then… we'll just keep postponing the engagement."

Cole carefully helped Rachel out of the hospital room. Before leaving, he gave me one last long, deep look. In that brief moment, I caught the flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

What was he disappointed about? That I hadn't changed at all? That I was still an unreasonable, spoiled brat?

But he was the one who had once held my hand and repeatedly told me, "Izzy, you should be a little more willful. With me, you'll always have the right to throw a tantrum."

I'd believed him and done exactly that. But now that Rachel was back, Cole's stance had changed. "Stop being so unreasonable, Isabel. You don't have the right to behave like this."

Or maybe he was disappointed because he thought I'd tried to kill Rachel just because I was jealous of her.

But Rachel was the one who'd said to me, "So what if you and Cole are about to get engaged? You're still an orphan with no real parents. You were born to end up alone, and Cole will always be mine."

Then, she'd suddenly stripped and thrown herself into the show. Her eyes had instantly reddened, and she'd desperately begged me not to make her take anything else off.

She was the one who'd set me up and made it look like I'd bullied her. She'd made it easy and natural for everyone to believe I was at fault.

I was abandoned once again, just like that winter 18 years ago, when I was left at the orphanage door.

The Hartnesses had taken me in because my birth date and time supposedly canceled out the destined calamity in Cole's life. And for the next 18 years, he'd treated me like a pampered princess.

But no matter how pampered I was, any talk about me being an orphan and not having parents still pierced my heart.

Rachel wanted to fight me for Cole, but I was already exhausted. So, I would stop. If she wanted him that badly, she could have him.

…

Cole believed what Rachel's attending physician had said and brought me back to the Hartness residence.

Fine by me. It would give me enough time to pack my things and leave the place for good.

I climbed the stairs slowly. After running for my life on the mountain, my legs hadn't healed right. I could only walk at a snail's pace.

Behind me, Rachel's delicate, whiny voice drifted over. "Cole, my foot hurts a little."

Then came a sharp little yelp, followed by the rapid thudding of footsteps rushing past me.

I looked up to see Cole carrying Rachel in a princess carry, his tall frame completely shielding her. Only her slender calves peeked out from his arms.

I met Rachel's gaze over his shoulder. The corners of her lips curled into a smug smile. She looked at me with open provocation and gave her foot the slightly playful wiggle.

I immediately got it—she was faking it.

By the time I made it to my bedroom door, I saw through the narrow crack a slim figure standing inside, holding up a necklace with a locket.

My eyes widened. I rushed into the room and snatched the locket away.

"Rachel, did no one ever teach you not to touch other people's things without permission?" I snapped. "And what are you even doing in my room?"

She didn't get angry. Instead, she casually flipped her hair back and let out a soft, mocking laugh. "It's just a dumb locket. It's hardly worth making a scene over.

"Besides, this is the Hartness residence. Everything here belongs to Cole. How can you call this your room? Once he gets sick of you and marries me, this entire mansion will be mine."

I almost laughed in disbelief. I'd never met someone so shameless.

I countered, "Let's not even talk about whether you'll ever marry Cole. Right now, what you're going to do is get the hell out of my room! Now!"