Dangerous Love (girl x girl)

Chapter 33

Arielle

The next few weeks were difficult. I was starting to become restless even though I had copious amounts of university work to keep me busy. In particular, it seemed like Isabelle had been purposely assigning excessive amounts of work to the class just to keep me occupied. I knew I wasn't imagining things because even the other students in the class had started to complain before Isabelle shut them down. I couldn't leave the estate except for school, not even if Isabelle was with me.

I hadn't seen my parents since the morning Isabelle had taken me back home to get my things, but I spoke to my mom almost every day on the new phone that Isabelle had gotten me. Even though I couldn't see her, she seemed happier than before and relieved to know that I was safe. I was also glad that I didn't have to keep so many things from her. Despite not being able to tell the entire truth about who I was with, at least she knew I was safe.

Celine had spoken to Chase and he seemed to accept the fact that I was staying where I was for the time being. The only thing that I felt extremely guilty about was not being able to reach out to Rex. He had warned me about coming here and urged me not to. Now he probably thought that I was dead along with everyone else. However, I knew that contacting anyone from the Black Phoenix was out of the question.

I also knew that Isabelle was trying her best to devise a plan, so I tried my best not to bother her too much or add to her anxiety. She had explained to me that although she didn't normally involve herself in her father's work matters, she knew that he had double agents within Tristan Vincenzo's gang. To protect them, their identities were kept a secret from everyone, including his own daughter. She was hoping that she could look through her father's records and identify one of them.

Although Isabelle was busy, she always found time to spend with me every evening. I recalled one of our conversations earlier on in the week.

~~Flashback~~

"How come you decided to be a Professor when you have all of this?" I gestured at everything around the room. Isabelle technically had an entire empire waiting for her. In the days that I had been here, I had discovered the full extents of her father's power and influence. However, whenever I was present for their conversations, they never discussed business. Dominic Versailles appeared to only be interested in his daughter's life and spending time with Isabelle whenever he could. Regardless of whether I agreed with his profession, he was a good father.

Isabelle chuckled. "I didn't always want to be a professor in criminal justice. It's a long story, but I knew I didn't want to get involved in this business because of some things that happened in my childhood." She looked down at our interlaced hands. Isabelle had told me about her mother previously, but only the short version of how she had been killed by members of the Black Phoenix.

I hesitated. "I-I know what actually happened..." she glanced at me and raised her eyebrows. "T-to your mother."

Isabelle's face seemed to lose all of its colour in an instant and her entire posture stiffened. "H-how?" That was the first time that I had heard her stutter. When I made eye contact with her, she looked uncertain and lost.

I hesitated before answering her, choosing my words very carefully. "Do you remember that night? The night that I broke into your father's office?" Isabelle nodded silently.

"I wasn't alone." I said quietly. I rushed to explain once I sensed her stiffening. "I mean, I was the only one in the estate, but I wasn't the only one involved in the plan. Vincenzo had someone drive me here and another guy who conveniently knew how to sneak around the side on the vines I told you about." Isabelle had her father's gardener cut the vines the moment I told her about how I had gotten over the high wall to avoid security.