Isabella~
"Bella, we should leave now." After Xavier left for his court hearing, James called me.
"Give me five minutes; I'll be there." I immediately jumped out of my bed and walked out of the house. Fortunately, Dad left early for urgent work; otherwise, I would have had to respond to his pointed inquiries before I could leave.
"Let's go," I said, opening the car door and seating myself in the passenger seat.
"Bella, what's all this?" James asked, puzzled, gazing at the dark circles under my eyes and my disheveled hair. "I pretended to Xavier that I was sick, but to make my lie seem more realistic, I had to maintain this appearance." I shrugged my shoulders and took out a comb from my bag.
"Bella, please improve your appearance; I'm scared seeing you like this," James teased.
"Stop mocking me and focus on driving," I replied, punching him lightly on the shoulder.
Today is an extraordinary day for Xavier, and I wanted to be with him. However, after discovering that yellow file, unsettling facts about my family surfaced, so I decided to solve the mystery of this file instead of spending today with Xavier.
I know hiding such an important secret from him isn't helping, but I fear that if I force him to tell me about Laila, it may harm our relationship further. A series of events has created a barrier between us. I tried to reassure him last night that I wasn't upset about the kiss, but my discovery of Laila's file consumed me. My distance hurt him, and now guilt gnawed at me.
Laila was Uncle Jorawar's elder daughter, and after learning this truth, my head spun so badly last night that I went to get coffee just to clear my mind. The more I read about Laila in that yellow file, the stronger my curiosity became.
But I knew Uncle Jorawar wouldn't tell me anything if I confronted him again. Last time, he only kept quiet because of Aunt Lily. If I pushed him further, he might not hesitate to inform Xavier or Dad about my interference.
After a long night battling between curiosity and guilt, I decided to visit Aunt Lily while Uncle Jorawar was away. With him busy in court with Xavier, this was the perfect opportunity to visit Aunt Lily.
"Bella, please stop now. Do you want me to kill with this red-hot lipstick?" James' voice interrupted my inner monologue, pulling me out of my thoughts. I glanced at my lips in the car's rearview mirror, realizing I'd been absentmindedly applying lipstick.
"Isn't it attractive?" I asked with a teasing smile.
"It's too inviting. Trust me, if I were Xavier, I'd never leave you alone for a single moment."
His flirtation reminded me of the kiss Xavier gave me.
My thoughts returned to Xavier's court hearing. Would he hold his confidence today? His win determined more than just justice—it decided our future. I remembered the longing in his eyes this morning, silently begging me to accompany him, but I couldn't pass up this chance to meet Aunt Lily.
"Bella, do you need me to accompany you?" James asked parking in front of Uncle Jorawar's house.
"No, you can wait here for me. I'll be back soon." I got out of the car and pressed the doorbell. Aunt Lily opened the door, her face showing surprise at my unexpected visit.
"Bella, Jorawar isn't home." She gestured for me to enter.
"I came to see you, Aunt," I said. "I want to know about Laila." As I sat on the couch, my eyes scanned the room for pictures of Laila.
Aunt Lily's face filled with fear.
"Bella, I have to go out for some important work. Please leave."
"Please, Aunt, tell me about her." My voice softened. "I came with so much hope that you'd tell me. No matter what happened to her, I want to bring her justice." I pulled out the yellow file from my bag and placed it on the table.
Aunt Lily sighed deeply.
"It's a long story, Bella. We were a joyful family once. At that time, your father-in-law, my husband, and I all shared one roof. But a storm swept through our lives. We separated."
I leaned forward, every word pulling me deeper into their fractured past.
"Laila was my daughter," she continued. "She was in love with Jordan Lucas' brother, but Richard disapproved of their relationship. Later, Richard became involved in Jordan Lucas' father's case, which led to his imprisonment. Laila wouldn't listen to any of our warnings; she was so deeply in love with Jonathan Lucas. Jordan Lucas exploited her naive love for Jonathan by orchestrating her pregnancy before abandoning her." Aunt Lily's voice cracked, tears spilling down her cheeks.
My heart tightened as I listened. "What happened to her?"
"She couldn't bear the betrayal and the shame. She committed suicide." Aunt Lily's sobs echoed in the room.
A lump formed in my throat, but I stayed silent, letting her continue.
"Xavier defended her and managed to imprison Jonathan. But Richard was furious. He believed no one in the family should involve themselves with Jordan Lucas or his family. Jorawar, on the other hand, held Richard accountable for not preventing Laila's tragedy. Their blame tore the family apart."
Each detail felt like a stab. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to process everything.
Jordan Lucas had manipulated their fractured relationship once before, and now he was trying to do it again.
"Thank you, Aunt Lily," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I promise you, I'll bring justice for Laila."
As I stepped outside, my resolve solidified. I had to stop Jordan Lucas before he carried out his plan.
"Bella, are you okay?" James asked concern written all over his face as I slid into the passenger seat.
"Take me to the court, James." My voice trembled, but my determination was unwavering.
"Are you sure? You look—tensed."
"I need to tell Xavier the truth."
As James turned the car toward the courthouse, my heart pounded. Every second I spent away from Xavier felt like another step Jordan Lucas took closer to destroying us all. Would Xavier believe me in time—or would Jordan Lucas strike again before I could stop him?