The End of a Marriage (Colette and Matheo) novel Chapter 257

Chapter 257

Chapter 36

The next morning dawned clear, the storm leaving behind a sky

scrubbed clean and painted in soft hues of blue and white. By the

time Isla finally summoned the courage to leave her room, lunch had

long since passed. Her stomach churned with unease as she

descended the stairs, her steps hesitant. Each movement felt heavier

than the last, her heart pounding louder with every footfall. She had spent the entire night replaying Graham’s words and actions in her mind, trying to make sense of the cold indifference he had shown her.

She found him on the sunroof. For a brief moment, as she caught

sight of him laughing with Evie, Isla froze. The way his handsome profile lit up with ease, the sound of his laugh carrying faintly over

the breeze, made her chest ache. He looked so carefree, so utterly

unlike the man who had once been her closest confidant. And Evie,

standing beside him, was the epitome of grace and beauty. She tilted

her head back, laughing softly at something he said, her hand resting

lightly on his forearm as though she belonged there.

Isla’s legs trembled, but she forced herself forward, her hands

clenched tightly into fists to stop them from shaking. She stepped out

onto the sunroof, the warmth of the sunlight doing little to calm the

cold knot in her stomach.

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Chapter 257

“Graham, can we talk for a second?” she called out, her voice slightly

shaky. She raised it louder to mask the tremor, and both Graham and

Evie turned to look at her.

The ease on Graham’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a guarded,

grim expression. His smile disappeared like a light being switched off,

and Isla felt the familiar pang of rejection hit her square in the chest.

His eyes, once so warm when they met hers, now seemed distant and

unreadable.

Evie glanced between them curiously, but Graham spoke first, his voice devoid of emotion. “Evie, this is my step–sister, Isla.”

The words were a slap to Isla’s face. Step–sister. The term felt clinical, detached, as if he were drawing a deliberate line between them. It was the ultimate dismissal, a reminder that she was an outsider in his world. Isla’s eyes dropped to the ground, her breath hitching as Evie stepped forward with a smile, extending her hand.

“Hello, Ms. Lancaster. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Evelyn Sage.”

If being called his step–sister had hurt, this was worse. Isla had never carried the Lancaster name, a fact that had always made her feel like she didn’t quite belong. Her mother and stepfather had refused to let her take the Lancaster surname, despite her pleading as a child to match their family. The exclusion had stung then, and it still stung now. Her voice was barely above a whisper, tinged with a breathless

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Chapter 257

quality she couldn’t control. “Isla Clarke, actually.” “She kept her

father’s name,” Graham said, his tone firm, as if cutting off the

conversation.

Evie tilted her head, a polite but curious expression crossing her

features. “Clarke? Was your biological father English?”

The question hit Isla like a blow. Her chest tightened, her heart

slamming against her ribcage. She hated talking about her biological

father. He was a void in her life, a man she knew nothing about except

that he had left her and her mother behind. The topic brought

nothing but pain, and Evie’s innocent curiosity felt like a cruel twist

of the knife.

Before Isla could respond, Graham stepped in, his large frame moving

between her and Evie like a protective barrier. His sudden movement

surprised her, and for a moment, she caught the faintest flicker of

something–worry? Regret?-in his expression. But it was gone as

quickly as it appeared.

He positioned himself so completely in front of Isla that she could no

longer see Evie. Isla could feel the tension radiating off him, his

broad shoulders stiff.

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