Ashton's Secret

CHAPTER 21.

Isla stood behind a pillar at a hidden corner away from the party, trying to calm her nerves and the mess her head was now in. Ashton was slowly driving her crazy. What is it about him that is so attractive and irresistible?

Isla shook her head in shock. She could not believe that she just thought about a man in that way. "Irresistible?" she sighed to herself "you are out of your mind Isla.

Her hands slowly reach to brush the side of her neck where Ashton had kissed her earlier. She could still feel the pressure of his lips on her neck. Isla herself has no idea what was going on. It was just a stupid neck kiss, so why is her heart refusing to calm down?

"I was not expecting to see you here" a feminine voice startled Isla out of her thought. She turned around, and Isla literally felt her heart explode. The blacked haired woman before her was equally dressed in a black fitting dress. Isla could still not get used to that face of hers. It always makes her uncomfortable. The woman looked really pleased at Isla's shocked face, "an awful surprise, is it not?"

Isla recovered from her shock and put on her usual cold face mask "I should be saying that Julia. I thought you are out of town with your family?"

Julia scoffs "Of course, you must have not expected us to return. The damage you caused to my family was just too great. I see you have been living in peace Isla, you never thought you would pay for your sins one of these days"

"What sins are you talking about? I have never done anything against you or your family."

The fake smile totally left Julia's face to be replaced with anger, "you have such guts to say that to me you witch! After what you did to my sister, you still have the audacity to say that you have done nothing to me and my family. Not only did you cause my sister's death, you also ruin my family name!!"

"Whatever happened to Joana is not my fault. She was stupid enough to kill herself. I did not ask her to, so why are you blaming me?"

"You sick monster!" Julia was shaking now "you lured her into committing an abomination with you, and now you stand there speaking without any remorse?!"

Isla looked completely unmoved "it is as I said in court that day Julia. Your sister Joana was the one who threw herself at me. I only spoke the truth."

Julia could take no more. She made to go forward and bestow Isla's cheek with a hard slap, but a hand held her shoulder from behind to stop her. It was Fiona. Isla had not even noticed that she was standing there.

"It is okay Julia, she is not worth it. It is better if you stop wasting your breath thinking you will get any sympathy from her. She has lost her soul a long time ago"

Isla refused to let their words affect her. She is not that girl anymore who always cares, who always gets deceived because she cared.

"As expected," Julia said bitterly "you are still as evil as you have always been. One of these days, your own sins will catch up to you. That is a promise Isla"

Isla's façade crumbled as soon as their backs were turned. She had tried to hold it in a little longer, but seeing Julia's face, that uncanny resemblance she bore with Joana. The pain, the hurt, the guilt and betrayal all came back to her. It all felt like everything happened just yesterday. That face and the memory of all she had to go through because of her, she stored them all in the deepest part of her heart, but it only take that much for it to all rise to the surface.

Isla knew that she could never be able to convince everyone that it was not entirely her fault, but how could she when she felt like she was too blame, how could anyone forgive her when she was not ready to forgive herself?