The Billionaire's Pretend Wife (Isabella) novel Chapter 91

Isabelle frowned. “What was the point of the arrangement, then?”

“It was your adoptive parents who wanted a share of the Garcias’ wealth, fame, and glory. The pact was their condition to an old business deal. If they had really wanted to cancel it, I would have obliged them in a second.”

“But…they were afraid of your wrath. They acted like there was no way out of the arrangement. Besides Ruth’s issue, that’s why I agreed…they had adopted me and taken care of me. If I could do that one thing for them…” she trailed off and sighed.

“Then, it appears that your adoptive father was determined to marry one of his daughters into the Garcia family, come what may. You happened to be the ideal backup when their eldest claimed to be pregnant.”

She immediately shook her head. “No, my… Francis would never do that. He…in that household, he was the only one who treated me decently.”

“Are you sure he wouldn't? I’m assuming he is the only one who knows the true nature of the marriage agreement. If his wife begged him to save their daughter from a horrible husband, why did he not just cancel the agreement when he knew he could do it? From the beginning, he wanted one thing. A marriage connection to the Garcia family. So he acted like he had no power to break it. Your sister forced his hand when she claimed to be pregnant, but fortunately for him, you were right there.”

She couldn’t believe it. Francis wouldn’t be so…calculating. He treated her like his own daughter. He always defended her against Lucy. She shook her head. It couldn’t be. But if what Jacob was saying about the marriage agreement was true…

“Trust me, I know a thing or two about how greedy people can get for wealth,” Jacob said. “I would say the only reason they adopted you was so you could suffice for an instance like that one.”

She felt sick. Her breakfast turned in her stomach and she pressed a palm to her mouth, shooting to her feet. “Bathroom,” she mumbled through her hand.

Jacob sprang into action, taking her other hand and leading her to a door on the other side of the room. He opened it and brought her inside. She lurched forward and knelt in front of the toilet bowl just as everything vacated her stomach.

He was right behind her, patting her back. “Isabelle, are you sick?”

“I, uh, I must have eaten something bad,” she said in between emptying her guts into the bowl. “You don’t have to stay.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said, moving away. “I believe I have some pills here you can take to feel better.”

When nothing more but dry heaves came up, she got to her feet and approached the sink. While she rinsed her mouth, Jacob rummaged through the cabinets. Like he owned the place.

“I…I’m not sure I can take that,” she told him when he presented her with a pill bottle.

He frowned and looked down at the bottle label. “Why not? Are you allergic? This can settle your stomach in a few minutes.”

“I’ll be alright now that I’ve let it out,” she told him. “Don’t worry about me.”

“What did you eat in the first place? And where are you living? Why did you leave our apartment?”

“Aren’t you mad that I lied to you?” she asked.

“The only reason marrying the Cruzes’ eldest daughter meant anything to me was because of my mother. I never wanted to get married to Naomi in the first place. Not after everything I heard about her. So no, I’m not mad that your family cheated me out of marrying her.” He placed the bottle of pills on the counter and reached for her hand. “I count it as a blessing in disguise. I got to meet you.”

She didn’t know what to say. She had thought… Damn what she had thought. It had all been far from the truth.

“I wish you had told me about Ruth,” he said softly. “I would have moved her to a better hospital and gotten her the treatment she needed right away.”