All of them turned toward the living room entrance at the sound of Darius’s voice. A steadily darkening frown creased his brow as he scanned Isobel’s features before moving to Helena and Gabriella.
Relief coursed through her, but she locked her knees, refusing to betray any sign of weakness in front of the two women.
“Helena? Gabriella?” he pressed. “What are you doing here?”
Isobel desperately needed to retreat and regroup. Shore up her battered shields.
“They came by to see you. I’m just going to check on Aiden. I’ll be right back.” Forcing a smile that felt fake and brittle on her lips, she left without a backward glance at Helena and Gabriella.
“Isobel,” Darius murmured, catching her arm in a gentle grasp as she passed him. “Sweetheart...”
“No, Darius,” she said, slipping free of his hold. “Just give me a minute.”
She left the room and prayed that when she returned, the two women he considered a surrogate mother and sister were gone. If not, she might not be responsible for her actions.
Fourteen
“What happened?” Darius demanded as soon as Isobel disappeared from sight. “And can one of you explain to me why I received a phone call from my nanny to return home as soon as possible because two women were attacking Isobel?”
Fury simmered beneath his skin. They both stared at him, their faces set in identical mutinous lines. Helena rose from the couch, turning fully to face him.
“Helena? Gabriella?” He strode farther into the room, halting across from them. “What. Happened? And don’t tell me ‘nothing’ or ‘everything is fine,’ because both would be lies.”
He’d glimpsed Isobel’s face when he’d first entered the room. That cold, shuttered mask had relayed all he needed to know. She only wore that blank expression when hurt or angry. And from the shadows that had swirled in her eyes before she’d pulled away from him, both emotions had applied.
“I love you, Darius,” Helena said, approaching him with her hands outstretched toward him. “You know I do. But how much longer is this supposed to go on? How much longer are we supposed to pretend that that...womanis welcome in our family?”
“Helena,” he warned, his muscles tensing when she clutched his forearms.
He’d never pulled away from her touch before, but with those vicious words ringing in the room—no matter the pain they originated from—he couldn’t take it. He stepped back, her arms dropping away. Hurt flashed across her face, her lips parting in surprise.
“Darius,” Gabriella murmured, glancing at her mother, then back at him. A plea filled her gaze. “That’s why we came here today. To tell you that we know you went through this farce of a relationship so we could have Aiden in our lives. You’ve sacrificed for us, but you don’t have to anymore. Mother told me about the DNA test. And now that we have the results back—”
He slashed his hand through the air, dread spiking in his chest. “Did you tell Isobel about the DNA test?” he growled. Driving his fingers through his hair, he glanced away from the women. His motives—bringing closure to the family—had been pure, but Isobel would see it as a betrayal. He needed to talk to her first, to explain. “Gabriella, did you say anything to Isobel about the test?”
“No, I didn’t say anything to your precious Isobel,” she snapped, whipping around and pacing away from him. “But you should know that we’ve been talking and have come to some decisions.”
The unease that had coiled inside him slowly unfurled. “What are you talking about?”
For a heartbeat, Helena and Gabriella didn’t respond, just stared at him. The tension thickened until it seemed to suck all the air out of the room.
“Answer me,” he grated out.
“Now that we know for certain that Aiden is Gage’s son, we intend to go forward with the suit for sole custody,” Helena announced. “We’ve already contacted our attorney.”
“You. Did. Not,” he snarled. Betrayal, rage and despair churned in his chest, and he fought not to hurl curses and accusations that would irrevocably damage his relationships with these people. “That wasn’t my plan or my agreement with Isobel. The terms of which I expressly discussed with you.”
Helena scoffed, waving a hand. “That was before we knew that Aiden was our grandson.Ours,” she stressed, pressing a fist to her heart. “Gage would’ve wanted him raised with us. Byusand not that...that deceiver, that liar. And no judge on this earth wouldn’t see that we’re much more fit parents than her.”
“Darius, don’t you see?” Gabriella implored, moving closer to him. She clutched his upper arm, and he curbed his automatic reaction to shake her off. And that reaction sent a blast of pain through him. “This is for you, too. Now you can break off this joke of an engagement. You did all this for us, and we love you for it. But now, with us suing for custody, you don’t have to chain yourself to a woman you hate. We know you might not agree with this, but we believe it is for the best.”
“For the best,” he repeated. “Do you know all Isobel has been through with her marriage to Gage? He wasn’t a loving, faithful husband. He emotionally beat her down, cheated on her. He mentally abused her. Now, after she survived that, you want to rip her child away from her.”
“How dare you?” Helena hissed, anger mottling her skin. She advanced on him, eyes narrowed and glittering. “I love you like a son, Darius, but I won’t allow you to speak ill of my son in this house. Who told you these lies that you’re so willing to swallow? Isobel?” She spit the name, her mouth twisting into an ugly sneer. “So, you believe her over a man who you loved as a brother? Did she warp your mind? Is that it, Darius? Do you think you’re in love with her?”
He parted his lips, but no words emerged. His pulse pounded in his ears, and his tongue suddenly seemed too thick for his mouth. Helena’s question ricocheted off the walls of his skull.
Do you think you’re in love with her? Do you think you’re in love with her?
