Chapter 22
Chapter 22
“Thank you, Mr. Galvez! We owe you our lives.” The thug’s voices were trembling with fear and gratitude.
They were terrified–especially of Mr. Preston, the cold–blooded boss known for his ruthless reputation. With Simon having spared them, they were tempted to turn tail and flee on the spot.
Watching the farce come to an end, Isabel stood up and gave Simon a light shove. “Okay, now that you’ve blown off some steam, let’s get going,” she said.
“Fine. I’m dying to get out of here.” Simon replied. He quickly followed her, eager to leave.
A few of Tyler’s guards stayed behind to clean up the mess while Tyler stepped out, following Isabel and Simon. Rex and the others limped along, struggling to keep up.
Outside, the night had fallen, and the area on the outskirts of the city was pretty quiet. The streetlights flickered dimly, and many weren’t even finished yet.
“Simon,” Isabel spoke up, noticing Tyler trailing behind her. She shot Simon a glance, “Wait here for a second.”
Simon was confused, but nodded and waited in place. Isabel then started walking ahead, and Tyler immediately fell into step behind her.
As soon as they were out of earshot of the others, Tyler pouted and called out, “Boss…”
“Is this how you run things?” Isabel shot him a look, eyebrow raised.
“Boss, you know I’ve got a lot on my plate. I can’t keep tabs on everyone.” Tyler whined, tugging at her sleeve like a pet dog caught doing something bad. “Rex’s a small fry, I didn’t know he’d pissed you off. Please, don’t be mad. I’ll do anything!”
Simon and the others, still watching from a distance, couldn’t believe their eyes. Was this really Mr. Preston, the ruthless, stone–cold guy they knew? The same thought crossed all their minds at once.
“Boss, come on, just slap me once to get it out of your system. Please!” Tyler pleaded, looking almost like a little kid throwing
a tantrum.
Isabel raised an eyebrow, her hand twitching as if to slap him. But after a second of hesitation, she stopped herself.
“Go ahead, slap me! It’s been so long since you’ve hit me! I kinda miss it…” Tyler begged with a smirk.
Isabel stared at him, speechless. She glanced back at Simon and the others, then decided to spare him this time.
“Stop messing around, Tyler. Let’s head back quickly,” said Isabel, turning to leave.
Simon was still in shock, his jaw almost hitting the floor when Isabel returned and slapped him on the shoulder, “Alright, Simon, let’s head home.”
Simon snapped out of his daze and immediately rushed to catch up. “Hold up, Isabel! Wait for me!”
Isabel glanced at him with a side–eye. “Now you’re coming home with me?”
“Isabel, you’re the best. You’ve always been my number–one sister.” Simon grinned and linked his arm with hers, trying to butter her up.
Behind them, Tyler shot him a jealous look.
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8:33 pm DD
Chapter 22
‘Why did Simon get to hold the boss’s arm? I’d never had that privilege!‘ He mumbled in his own thought.
“Isabel, you were fire today! I had no idea you were such a badass! And you know Mr. Preston? What’s the deal there?” On their way home, Simon asked, genuinely curious.
“It’s nothing special. We’ve crossed paths a few times, that’s all,” Isabel said casually.
“Uh–huh… Sure…” Simon wasn’t buying it. The way Mr. Preston had acted earlier didn’t seem like a casual acquaintance kind of thing. He wondered.
“Don’t overthink it.” Isabel said, “Since it’s all over now, let’s just head back. Mom’s probably freaking out.”
“Right, but there’s one more thing…” Simon hesitated.
“What now?” Isabel frowned.
“If I go back like this, I’ll get an earful. Plus, they’ll worry themselves sick,” Simon said, looking down at his bruises.
Isabel took a look at him, then pulled out a small tube of ointment from her pocket. “I’ll put some on your face. It’ll cover up the bruises so they won’t look so bad. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.”
Simon nodded gratefully as Isabel gently dabbing the ointment on his face and smoothing it over the bruises. “Thanks, sis. You’re the best. Honestly, Amelia’s always been such a pain.”
“Did you guys fight often?” Isabel asked, curious.
“Yeah, she’s always at each other’s throats. She insults Mom, picking fights with everyone in the family, you name it. It’s always me who catches the brunt of it.” Simon sighed, “So when I found out you swapped, I thought you’d be just as bad…”
“Forget the past. From now on, if anyone gives you trouble, just tell me. I’ll be your shield,” Isabel reassured him, patting him on the back.
Simon’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. Isabel realized that, although he was almost as tall as her now, he was still just a younger brother–one who longed for someone to have his back and protect him.
“Yeah, Isabel, don’t worry. With someone like you on my side, no one’s gonna mess with me!” He said, “But don’t tell Mom and Dad about tonight, alright? They’ll freak out if they know what went down.”
“I won’t. If they knew about all the blood and guts tonight, they’d never sleep again.” Isabel chuckled.
By the time they made it home, it was already late. Hannah had made dinner, and the whole family was waiting for Isabel and Simon to come back.
“They’re back!” Alex called out excitedly.
Hannah hurried outside. When she saw they were safe, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Simon, where have you been? We’ve been freaking out!” Hannah snapped, giving him a smack on the back of the head.
“Mom, Simon just went to hang out with a friend. Don’t worry, he’s fine!” Isabel quickly explained,
Simon lowered his head, standing awkwardly in front of his mother. “Sorry, Mom. I won’t mess around anymore.”
“Alright, the food’s getting cold. Come on, let’s eat!” Hannah said, waving them inside.
At the dinner table, Simon was in full–on “kiss–up” mode, constantly piling food onto Isabel’s plate like it was his job.
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8:33 pm D
Chapter 22
“Isabel, you’ve got to try this, Mom made it, it’s fire.” He placed all the sliced meat in front of Isabel, pleaded.
The whole family stared in surprise. When did Simon, the family troublemaker, become such a softie?
Hannah and Samuel exchanged glances, feeling a warm, unfamiliar sense of pride. Ever since Isabel came back to the family, things had been slowly turning around.
+20
“By the way, Mom, Dad, I bought a place in the city. How about we all move there? The conditions here kinda suck, but the new house is huge and perfect for all of us.” Isabel dropped the bombshell casually.
Hannah didn’t seem too thrilled. “Isabel, that house, isn’t that from the Clyde family? We don’t want anything from them.”
“No, no. It’s my house, I bought it with my own money. Not a penny from the Clyde family. You don’t need to worry.” Isabel explained.
“If it’s your own money, then keep it. You’re probably gonna need it more than we do,” Hannah declined. “We’re barely scraping by as it is. You’ll need that money down the road, especially when you’re looking for a job or thinking about getting married.”
“Exactly, Isabel.” Samuel agreed, “As for getting married, you see, Alex is still single. Jack’s in the same boat, and Roy hasn’t even had a matchmaker come around. We can’t drag you down, too.”
“Stop talking like that, Dad. It’s all about fate. No one can predict when the right person will come along.” Isabel smiled and looked around at her family.
“Besides, my brothers and sisters are all kind and genuine. They’re going to find someone amazing, I’m sure of it. Don’t you think so?”
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AD
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