This time, he did not attempt to hide his feelings for Charlie. He leaned over deliberately and kissed Charlie, a proper kiss that spoke of affection and claiming and not caring who saw. “I’ll be back soon.”
Isabella looked away, giving them that moment of privacy even though they were clearly past hiding.
Logan and Jane turned and left together, their voices fading as they walked down the hallway. That left Isabellaalone in the library with Charlie, the awkwardness settling around them like morning fog.
“I’m truly sorry I interrupted,” Isabella said, meaning it sincerely. “I was delivering your lunch in hopes we could talk before... uh... before this afternoon?”
“Yes, of course.” Charlie’s professional demeanor slid back into place with practiced ease. She indicated the chair in front of the desk. “Take a seat. I’ve been going over your case.”
Isabella sat, noticing how Charlie had transformed the corner of the library into a functional office space. The desk was covered with folders and legal pads filled with Charlie’s neat handwriting. She pulled Isabella’s folder from the desk drawer, the one that held all the documentation of Isabella’s failed marriage and messy divorce.
“I’ve been going over your divorce papers,” Charlie said, flipping through the documents with the careful attention of someone who knew exactly what she was looking for. “And I have to say, it was good thinking getting him to sign away all rights to Maddy. He relinquished all parental rights in exchange for being released from child support obligations. That gives you complete legal control over decisions regarding her welfare, education, and medical care.”
Isabella felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders. “Yes, I didn’t want him to have any control over our lives.” She remembered fighting for that clause, remembered how her lawyer had warned her that she was giving up potentialfinancial support. But Isabella had been adamant. “He made it clear he didn’t want to be a father. I just wanted to make it legal so he couldn’t change his mind later and try to use Maddy against me.”
“Smart,” Charlie said, nodding with approval. “The problem is, by signing away his rights, he also signed away any legal claim to you or Maddy. Which means whatever he wants now, it’s not about regaining parental access.” She paused, her expression turning serious. “It’s about money.”
Isabella’s stomach tightened. She’d suspected as much, but hearing Charlie confirm it made it feel more real somehow.
“I’ve been looking into his financials,” Charlie continued, pulling out another folder. “I hope you don’t mind, but I have contacts who can access this kind of information. Todd’s not doing well financially. He’s opened numerous restaurants around the world over the past twelve years. Every single one of them has flopped. He’s deeply in debt to multiple investors.”
“That’s because I was the brains and talent behind the menu in our restaurant,” Isabella said, and bitterness crept into her voice, surprising her after all these years. She’d thought she was past feeling anything about Todd’s failures. “Todd could charm investors and create the right atmosphere. He knew how to make a place look good and feel exciting. But he couldn’t create food that people actually wanted to eat. That was always me.”
Charlie studied her for a moment. “Tell me about your grandmother’s house. The oneyou live in now.”
Isabella swallowed hard, understanding where this was going. “Gran left it to me when she died five years ago. Along with a small inheritance that I’ve already put toward Maddy’s education fund.” She paused, feeling protective of the only real security she had. “The house is paid off completely. It’s on beachfront property on Anastasia Island. It’s worth a lot more now than when my grandparents bought it sixty years ago.”
“How much more?” Charlie asked gently.
“The real estate agent who contacted me last year said it would probably sell for close to a million dollars, given the location and the current market,” Isabella admitted quietly. “Maybe more.”
Charlie nodded slowly, as if Isabella had just confirmed her theory. “That’s what he’s after. It has to be. If he could somehow establish a claim to the house, or convince you to sell it and give him a portion of the proceeds...” She trailed off, letting Isabella fill in the rest. “If you own the house outright, it means it could be clean collateral for a mortgage against it.”
“I wouldneverdo that,” Isabella finished, and the realization settled in her stomach like a stone. “I’d be too afraid of not being able to pay it back and then losing the only roof over mine and Maddy’s heads that we have.”
“I understand that. But we have to go through everything as if Todd has approached you. It means he’s probably very desperate,” Charlie agreed. “Which makes him potentially dangerous. Desperate people do foolish things.”
They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation pressing down on them both. Isabella thought about the house, about the home her grandmother had built and maintained for decades. The place where Isabella had grown up, where she was now raising Maddy. The only stability and security she’d ever really known.
And Todd thought he could just show up after twelve years and take it from her.
“Listen carefully to what he has to say this afternoon,” Charlie said, leaning forward with the intensity of someone who knew exactly how serious this was. “Don’t agree to anything. Don’t promise anything. Just listen and try to find out exactly what he wants.”
Isabella nodded, her mouth dry.
“Put your phone on the table and tell him you’re going to record this conversation,” Charlie continued. “Say it out loud so he knows you’re recording him.”
“But won’t that make him refuse to talk?” Isabella asked, confused.
“Probably,” Charlie admitted. “He probably won’t let you record openly. But at least you’ve told him, you’ve been upfront about your intention. He won’t know about the hidden microphone that Christopher’s going to set you up with. That way Christopher and I can hear everything in real time andknow you’re safe.”
“The wire,” Isabella said, remembering what Christopher had mentioned last night.
“Christopher is picking up the recording equipment from an electronics shop this morning,” Charlie explained. “It’s a small microphone that attaches under your clothing with adhesive. The transmitter fits in your pocket. We’ll be able to hear everything, and if anything goes wrong, we can be there in under a minute.”
Isabella felt tears prick at her eyes, overwhelmed by the care these people were showing her. “Thank you, Charlie. For everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you and Christopher helping me.”
Charlie’s expression softened, and she reached across the desk to squeeze Isabella’s hand. “That’s what family does. And you’re family now, Isabella. Anyone who makes Christopher look at them the way he looks at you is family.” She smiled. “Besides, putting entitled ex-husbands in their place is one of my favorite things.”
