Chapter 5 Spinning Stories

Isla had no idea who sat inside the RV. She edged closer, her skin prickling with a sense of menace that seemed to thicken the air with every step.

"Ma'am, please come back!" the driver shouted as he caught sight of Isla loitering near the vehicle. Sweat ran down his temple as he spoke. "Only Mr. Brent Harris and Mr. Theodore Harris are supposed to be near that RV."

"What's the reason for that?" she asked, her voice steady.

Wiping his brow, the man said, "Mr. Theodore Harris needs monthly medical checks. With the hospital so far and Mr. Brent Harris always anxious about emergencies, he had this RV converted into a traveling clinic."

The inside, he explained, had the finest medical equipment available, and a roster of doctors with impressive backgrounds.

Contemplating the story, Isla fixed her eyes on the RV.

That eerie feeling crept up her spine, an echo of the eyes she had felt the night before.

But wasn't Theodore supposed to be inside for his examination?

A quick, effortless grin crossed her lips. "Let's get going to the hospital," she said.

Yet even as she spoke, her attention never wavered from the RV.

Inside the hospital, Isla hadn't even reached Skylar's room when she heard loud cries and angry shouts.

A sick twist of anxiety settled in her gut as she rushed down the hall, catching sight of Archie, who towered over Skylar.

Fury twisted his words. "You spiked my drink and crawled into my bed, Skylar, ruining things with my girlfriend! I married you for your child's sake, and I treated you well. Now your daughter's got a golden ticket into the Harris family, but she's coming after me and threatening my career?"

"That's not true. You're making it all up!" Skylar's voice trembled.

Rage nearly suffocated Skylar as she struggled for air, her eyes wide with disbelief. Archie's betrayal still stung, and now he dared to twist reality as if she were the villain?

Stuck in bed, she found herself powerless, the harsh words raining down on her.

When Isla saw she was close to fainting, her fury reached a boiling point. Without hesitation, she strode in and delivered a sharp slap that echoed in the room.

Isla had dreamed of striking Archie ever since he took Skylar away.

"Leave now," said Isla, her eyes blazing, "or I'll drag every skeleton out of your closet for the world to see. No more games, Archie. Are you sure you want a war with me?"

A stunned Archie staggered back, but the sight of Isla reignited his arrogance. His lips curled in a sneer. He was confident that if she truly held any sway, he never would have forced her into that marriage.

He leaned in, voice dripping with threat. "Hand over the money Brent gave you. If you refuse, I'll keep showing up and making trouble. My business is collapsing and desperation's a powerful thing. If I'm finished, you and your mother won't get away clean, Isla."

Archie hadn't expected Brent to claim that the one billion dollars he pledged belonged to Isla alone. Not a soul could touch it but her.

Bankruptcy closing in, Archie grasped at the last hope-he'd heard from someone in the Harris family that Isla would be at the hospital and saw his chance to corner her.

Regardless of Isla's courage, he knew she'd have to weigh her mother's fragile health in any decision.

Spotting the real angle behind Archie's threats, Isla did not flinch.

A sly grin tugged at her lips. "Just imagine, Archie. Suppose fate turned against you-what if you ended up shattered, paralyzed, or clinging to life? Would I need to be afraid of you then?"

An unsteady voice broke from Archie. "You wouldn't do it!" Fear flickered in his eyes, though it paled next to the terror of being broke. Wild panic took over as he threw himself down, seized a vase from the nightstand, and slammed it against his own skull.

"You got what you wanted, Isla. Are you satisfied? I'm begging here-just give me a break. My marriage with your mom ended because I don't love her, not because I ran out on you. You can't just forget I exist after you join the rich. Besides, your mom was already seeing another man back then."

Isla's glare turned cold, her eyes fixed on the man sobbing and spinning stories right in front of her.

Still getting no sympathy, Archie resorted to hitting himself repeatedly. "How about this, Isla? Is it enough now? Or do you need me dead before you let me off?"

Lost in his theatrics, he failed to notice Isla's keen gaze catch the faint red glimmer shining from his pocket.