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    Isabelle walked right up to me, her eyes red and puffy, looking like she hadn’t slept in days.


    <b>48 </b>


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    She stared at my face, eyes wide, scanning me from top to bottom like she was searching for something.


    Once she’d finished sizing me up, she blurted out, “Uncle Ryan likes you.” Her words stopped me cold.


    Isabelle looked calm on the surface, but there was a wildness in her eyes. “The night of my show, he came to cheer me on–not for me, but for you.”


    My face went stiff, totally caught off guard.


    Isabelle sounded calm, but there was a wild edge to her words. “You have no idea how happy I was that night. The guy I loved was sitting right there in the crowd, watching me. Just knowing he was looking at me gave me all the courage and confidence in the world.”


    She suddenly gave a self–deprecating smile and nced away. “My parents were thrilled, thinking my secret crush was finally about to blossom.”


    My heart skipped a beat, and all I wanted was to get out of there.


    Isabelle suddenly shouted, her voice cracking. “But it was all just smoke and mirrors–a stupid fantasy. He wasn’t there for me, he was there for you! The moment you walked out, he left right after, leaving me stranded on stage, totally lost.”


    “I… Ms. Lynn, I…” I tried to say something, but my mind just wentpletely nk.


    Isabelle dropped to her knees, tears spilling down her cheeks. “He likes you. Edward likes you, Victoria. Do you even know how much it hurt me when you showed up? Why did you have to appear? Why?”


    I just stood there, watching her crying her eyes out, and for a moment, Victoria had no idea how tofort her.


    Love never cares about who came first, never follows any rules, and sometimes, even morals get tossed aside.


    “Before you came into the picture, I always thought Uncle Ryan was just cold to everyone, not just me. I held onto this huge fantasy, thinking if I just loved him enough, kept running after him, one day he’d finally notice me, Isabelle said, her voice shaky, and Victoria could hear the pain behind every word.


    “But your arrival shattered my dream. Uncle Ryan isn’t cold to everyone–he can go crazy, desperate to get your attention, desperate for your love. He can be so passionate, like a kid… he’d do anything for you, even y second fiddle in love.” Isabelle’s voice was hoarse from crying as she suddenly shot to her feet, locking eyes with me. “On Ryan‘ birthday, I knew he had a big international meeting. I was so worried he wouldn’t show up, but he stayed home. I hadn’t seen him in ages. Do you know how happy I was that night? I thought he stayed for me” Victoria thought back to that night–Edward hadn’t spent much time in the hall, but he had been upstairs the whole time.


    Isabelle looked like she was digging up her own evidence, poking holes in her fantasy one painful truth at a


    time.


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    “Ms. Lynn, this could just be your own suspicions. These aren’t really proof of anything,” I said, my first instinct to deny it.


    “Uncle Ryan must’ve confessed to you, Victoria. You don’t need words for love–you can see it in someone’s eyes. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice,” Isabelle snapped, ring at me. “I sent you those photos of Ryan on purpose. I wanted you to feel just as crushed and broken as I do.”


    I took a step back, so it was all intentional.


    “I took a bunch more juicy photos after that. I wanted to send them to you, but you blocked me. Too bad- you missed out,” Isabelle said, giving a wild, mocking grin. “But whatever. I’ll make sure you hurt even worse.”


    My face went cold. “Isabelle, don’t go looking for trouble. You’re not seriously thinking of telling Ryan about what happened with Edward, are you?”


    Isabelle’s face went ghostly pale. Clearly, she didn’t have the guts to do it.


    “If I was really going to spill, I would’ve done it ages ago–not waited until now,” Isabelle snapped, her voice tight with anger. “Yeah, I’m not about to drag the Jennings family’s name through the mud. Does that make you feel better?”


    My brows knitted, a sense of dread rising inside me.


    Isabelle was the kind of person who’s all about revenge–no way she’d just sit on her hands after finding out Edward was into me.


    “Isabelle, there’s nothing between me and Edward. Please, stoping at me with this crazy stuff,” I said, my tone serious.


    “Victoria, you really have no clue. Some people just showing up is a disaster. Just being alive is enough to be an eyesore,” Isabelle spat, her eyes cold and wild. “You never should’ve crashed our circle. You messed up the


    whole bnce.”


    五