We couldn’t get off the stage quickly enough, but as soon as we descended the steps, the crowd mobbed us. It seemed like every guest at the event wanted to speak with my father. They were all desperate to find out whether what Noah had said was true and what had prompted his takeover of Hastings Laboratories. They weren’t the only ones who were curious.
Matthew dodged their questions by simply raising his hand and quickly ushering my mom and I past them. But while it might have been easy for him to avoid people’s questions, it was much harder to ignore the whispers and pointed looks we received as we made our way through the ballroom.
I looked back and saw Noah had descended the steps just behind us, but he’d immediately been surrounded by guests. I didn’t know if he’d been following us or not, but I didn’t care. He’d completely blindsided me this evening, and I wasn’t sure I could handle being around him any more tonight.
It was a relief once we were finally outside, and we hurried down the steps to where Matthew’s limo was already waiting. Once we were in the vehicle, it felt like I was finally able to show my emotions.
“What the hell was that?” I asked Matthew. He was sitting across from me while my mom sat beside him. “First, you didn’t tell me we were going to Noah’s party? And then you steal his grandfather’s business?”
Matthew shook his head. “I’m sorry for ambushing you that way,” he said. “I only did so at Noah’s insistence that you would not come otherwise.”
‘Of course, I wouldn’t have come.”
He nodded as though I’d just proved his point.
“You really bought the Hastings’ company?” I continued. “What’s this all about?”
Matthew rubbed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as he let out a sigh. He seemed exhausted by the whole thing, but I was still trying to process what had happened.
“Well?” I prompted.
He lifted his eyes to mine once more. “If you could just wait a moment, I’ll explain.”
“Wait? Why do you want me to wait?”
Matthew didn’t get a chance to answer because the limo door opened, and Noah climbed in. He calmly slid onto the bench seat beside me, not the least bit bothered that his wet suit was dripping on the leather or that he was interrupting a discussion I very much wanted to have with Matthew in private.
“What are you doing here?” I growled.
“We need to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk to you.” Noah didn’t look like he was going anywhere though, so I turned to my father. ‘Does he need to be here?”
“The story behind what happened tonight is as much Noah’s as it is mine,” Matthew replied. “If you want to understand, then yes, he needs to be here.”
I shot Noah a glare, but my need for answers outweighed my need to be far away from him so I conceded.
“Fine.” I shuffled over in my seat, trying to create as much space from Noah as was possible in the limo. My dress was still drenched from the rain, and droplets of water trickled from my hair and down my back. It seemed like a lifetime ago when Noah and I had danced in the rain. I might not have believed it even happened if I couldn’t still feel my damp clothes against my body and the way his hands had branded themselves on my skin. I tried my best not to think about that and turned my focus on Matthew once more.
“Whatever this story is, it better be good.”
Matthew hesitated and shared a look with Noah.
“I should be the one to explain,” Noah said.
“I can do it,” Matthew replied.
“I don’t care who does it,” I demanded. “Just tell us what is going on.”
My voice was becoming more urgent. The limo pulled away from the curb, and a little of my anxiety lifted. I was resigned to the fact I’d be stuck with Noah for the car journey, but it was a relief to know we were leaving. I wanted to be as far away from William Hastings as possible. But even as the distance grew between us, I still struggled to forget the fury that had appeared in his eyes when he’d said we would pay for this. Why had it felt like he’d only been talking about me?
“Let’s all just take a deep breath,” my mom said. She looked at all three of us as she spoke, but I suspected her suggestion was mostly directed at me.
“Noah, why don’t you start.” My mom gave him an encouraging smile. “What happened tonight?”
I had no idea how she managed to stay so calm. I supposed it was because her heart hadn’t been shattered by these families. She cared, of course, but she wasn’t deeply involved in the drama that had unfolded between the Hastings family and the LaFleurs.
Noah cleared his throat and glanced at my father who nodded at him to go ahead.
“Matthew and I…” Noah began. “We’ve been working together.”
Noah’s eyes stayed on me as he spoke, and I struggled to contain my surprise. Even after the way I’d seen Noah and my father acting tonight, it was impossible to imagine. How could they be working together? I thought they hated each other.
“How? Why?” I could only seem to force two words out of my mouth as thoughts, questions, and confusion rumbled around in my head.
“To take down my grandfather.” Noah’s voice was cold, and he spoke with such bitterness the car fell silent. I thought Noah was close with his grandfather and would do anything for him. He was the only family Noah had left. I couldn’t believe it was true.
“I thought you loved your grandfather.”
“Maybe I did, once upon a time, but I’ve hated that man for many years,” Noah said. “My grandfather is not a good person. He’s done terrible things and suffered no consequences. I had to make him pay. So, I’ve been playing the part of the perfect grandson, staying close to him and following his every order like a loyal soldier. Tonight, I finally made my move.”
He seemed so determined, so driven by his mission to take down his grandfather. It was a stark contrast to the boy who felt forced to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps. Who felt pressured to do whatever William asked. Now he was saying all that had been an act? It had certainly fooled me.
Only a few weeks ago, Noah had punched my father to defend his family. And before that, on the night I first met William Hastings, Noah had so easily followed his grandfather’s order to end our relationship and broken my heart. He’d then spent these last weeks acting like he couldn’t stand me. Was this all a part of his performance? And if it was, how did he really feel? The questions piled up in my head. I didn’t know which one I wanted answered first. And which ones I didn’t want to know the answer to at all.
“You said you wanted to make William pay.” Luckily, my mom spoke first. Her eyes were thoughtful as she looked between Noah and my dad. “What did he do?”
“He’s done many things over the years,” Noah replied. His jaw was tight as he spoke, like he was straining to keep a leash on the anger he felt toward his grandfather. It was clear he’d been bottling these feelings up for a long time. “But there’s one thing I will never forgive him for…”
He glanced at Matthew, and I couldn’t tell if he was seeking my father’s approval to continue or if he wasn’t sure he could bring himself to go on. It was clear from the look they shared they both knew what came next. What weren’t they saying? And why did my heart twist with concern?
“What did he do?” I repeated my mom’s question.
Noah nodded at my father, and Matthew exhaled as they broke eye contact. He slowly leaned forward and grasped my hands in his. If I wasn’t concerned before, I certainly was now. Especially when I saw the pain radiating from his eyes.
“What is it?” I whispered.
“There’s no easy way to say this,” Matthew said. “But the fire that killed my sister and Noah’s father.” He drew in a breath. “William was the one who started it.”
My mom gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in horror. I drew back from my father in shock. “But you told me it wasn’t him. That William would never hurt his own son.”
“When I told you that, I didn’t know. There was no evidence that suggested it, and I honestly didn’t think he was capable,” Matthew said, wringing his hands as he leaned back in his seat again. “But Noah discovered the truth.”
“Why would William do that?” my mom asked.
“Money, of course.” Noah spat out the words. “The company needed it, and he got a huge insurance payout on the building.”
“But, his son was in that building…”
“We can’t be sure William knew that at the time,” Matthew added. “But we can be sure he started the blaze.”
“Have you told the police all this?” my mom continued.
“No,” Matthew replied. “William covered his tracks well. A lot of the evidence Noah found wouldn’t hold up in court. But, while we might not have enough to put William behind bars, it’s enough to ensure there’s no doubt in our minds he’s guilty.
“And since we knew we couldn’t bring William the justice he deserved,” Noah added, “we had to seek another means to make him pay.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was all so horrible. But it made sense based on everything I knew about the history between our families and the kind of man William Hastings was. Still, it was hard to know what to think when my emotions were still rioting inside me.
“So, we took the one thing he cares about,” Noah continued. “The thing that feeds his greed. It’s going to kill him to see the Hastings empire absorbed into The LaFleur Corporation.”
“So, this was all about revenge?” The word felt harsh and bitter on my tongue.
“It was more than that,” Matthew answered. “It was also about doing some good with Hastings Labs. Both our companies focus on cancer treatments, and if we work in tandem, I believe we can really make some breakthroughs. If Liam was still alive, he would have been in charge, and the company would have been going in a very different direction.”
Noah nodded. “My grandfather only ever cared about profits, and my father hated it. He wanted to use our research and medicines to help people. When I went to Matthew and told him everything, he explained that he felt the same way. He told me that before they died, he’d been working with Georgina and my father to end their rivalry and build a bridge between our two businesses so that both could be better. We want to continue that good work. To honor their legacy.”
It was a lot to take in. I was starting to understand the reasons behind what they’d done, but it didn’t stop me from feeling hurt and betrayed. They’d achieved their goal, but my heart got broken in the process.
“Well, congratulations,” I muttered. “It seems like you got what you wanted.”
“Isobel.” Noah moved closer to me, sensing my distress. “You don’t know how much I regret the way you’ve been caught up in this. I wanted to tell you everything, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to convince my grandfather I was still loyal to him in case he somehow blocked access to my trust before I turned eighteen. And, I needed to keep you safe. My grandfather is a dangerous man, and I couldn’t let anything happen to you.”
He was sitting next to me now on the long leather bench seat, and he reached out a hand to touch mine. “I’ve spent years hiding my true feelings,” he continued. “Pretending that the most important thing in my life was my grandfather and his company. I’ve done plenty of things I didn’t want to at his command, but hiding my feelings from you was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”
Noah’s words made my heart leap and my stomach drop at the same time. He was hiding feelings for me? How was I supposed to react to that? He’d treated me like he hated me for so long, like he wanted nothing to do with me. But now he was saying it was all to protect me? I thought back over all the conversations we’d had, the arguments, the stolen looks, the kisses. What was real and what wasn’t? I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to find out more, but I also didn’t want to have this part of the conversation in front of my parents.
A moment later, the limo rolled to a stop as we pulled up outside Matthew’s building. I still had so many questions, but I felt an overwhelming urge to escape. I needed space to come to terms with everything I’d been told, space to breathe, and space from Noah.
“I need to get out,” I said, pulling my hand from underneath Noah’s gentle grasp as I scrambled for the door.
I didn’t wait for anyone to respond, and I jumped from the car before they could stop me. I didn’t look back as I entered the building and ran past the concierge and onto the elevator. I only breathed again when the doors closed behind me and I was alone.
When I reached the penthouse, I headed straight to my room and tore the wet evening gown from my body. I scrubbed the makeup from my face, erasing all evidence of the night we’d endured, and changed into a pair of pajamas.
My body felt better, but my mind was still racing. I was still struggling to comprehend everything my father and Noah had just dumped on me. As I sat on my bed, wondering how I was ever going to get to sleep tonight, there was a knock at the door. It was probably my mom coming to check on me.
“Come in,” I called out without looking up.
“How are you feeling?” My father’s voice surprised me.
“Uh, fine,” I stammered. “Well, as fine as I can be after finding out how my aunt was killed and my father and my ex-boyfriend have been secretly working together for months.”
“I’m sorry we kept this all from you,” Matthew said, coming to sit at the end of my bed. “But I promise, now this is over, I won’t keep secrets from you again.”
His eyes were open and honest, and I could see he meant it. That didn’t mean I wasn’t still mad at him. “I just wished you could have trusted me with it.”
“I do trust you, Isobel. We just couldn’t risk William getting any idea about what was to come. And we wanted to keep you separated from this as much as possible.”
“But I haven’t been separated from it,” I said. “I’ve been hurt and lied to. I had to watch you get punched. Noah broke up with me because of all this.”
I paused, not wanting to dwell on Noah’s actions or think about what they now meant.
“I know,” Matthew said. “I’m sorry it played out this way. But I’ve already lost a sister because of this man; I couldn’t risk my daughter. The bitterness between our families is in the past now, and I’m hoping we can move on.”
His words took the edge off my anger. I could understand his concern, especially after what happened to Georgina. This rivalry had cost both Matthew and Noah so much. Could I really be mad at them for doing what they had to in order to bring it to an end?
“Okay.” I nodded. “But you could have at least told me we were going to Noah’s birthday party tonight. That was not cool.”
A little bit of the tension that had been gripping my chest and filling the room eased, and Matthew’s lips hitched up in a half smile. “Yes, you’re right. That must have been a shock. Very uncool of me.”
I rolled my eyes. The way Matthew said the word uncool only made it more uncool. He seemed to realize it too because he released a soft chuckle.
“I still can’t believe you two worked together on this,” I said. “Only a month ago, Noah was punching you in the face.”
“He only did that so William wouldn’t suspect we were working together,” Matthew replied with a shake of his head. “He probably could have gone a little softer on me though.”
“You were working together even then?”
Matthew nodded. “Noah came to see me in New York,” he said. “He was devastated by what happened the night of the White Ball. He explained what he was hoping to achieve and how I could help.”
I struggled to swallow as memories of that night flooded my mind. The cool night air in the courtyard outside the ballroom at Weybridge Academy. The look on Noah’s face when he’d learned who my father was. The pain and resignation in his eyes when William forced him to break up with me. He’d cast me aside and broken my heart with so much ease, just because his grandfather wished it. It had felt so real, and I struggled to comprehend that there might have been more to Noah’s actions that night than met the eye.
“I have to admit I was surprised when Noah came to me,” Matthew continued. “But when I heard what he had to say and learned the truth about what happened to my sister, I knew something had to be done.”
“I’m really sorry about Georgina.”
“Thank you.” Matthew gave me a sad smile. “I miss her every day, but knowing the truth has helped a little. I have Noah to thank for that. Now we can honor both her and Liam through our work. Maybe that will bring her some peace.”
“I’m sure it will.” I smiled back at him. “What about you though? What does taking over Hastings Laboratories mean for you? I thought you wanted to take a step back from all this.”
“I still do,” Matthew said. “It won’t happen immediately, but acquiring Hastings shouldn’t change those plans. It will become a subsidiary of The LaFleur Corporation that Noah will eventually run.”
“Really? I thought he wasn’t interested in running his family’s company.”
“That’s something you’d have to ask Noah,” Matthew replied.
That was just one of the many things I needed to ask Noah. The thought of facing those questions was still a little overwhelming, and I fell silent. Matthew was quiet too. Maybe we didn’t have the energy for any more. I was still trying to make sense of everything I’d learned tonight, but I didn’t have to have all the answers now.
Matthew must have agreed because he rose from the edge of the bed. “You should get some rest. It’s been quite a night.”
I didn’t protest. I was exhausted after the evening’s events. As my father left the room, softly closing the door behind him, I settled myself into the giant bed and stared up at the ceiling.
I expected to be plagued by thoughts about everything that had happened tonight as I peered upward at the ceiling, but instead I found myself thinking about the least likely of people. I was thinking about Norma and the prediction she’d made for me when I was last at home. She’d told me to trust my heart, and I wondered if perhaps her prediction hadn’t been about Wes. I’d always found it difficult to believe Noah had changed so completely after we broke up, and I wondered if perhaps she’d been talking about him all along.
