Page 67 of Hired Husband

She laughed. “When have you ever known me to do that? If I agree with an idea he’s had, I’ll advocate for it. If not, I won’t. It’s that simple.”

“Well, what’s your position on this one?” I asked. “Because I won’t do it.”

“I know,” she said patiently. “So does your father, I think.”

“Really?” I snorted. “I don’t think he knows. Perhaps you should speak to him. He’s your husband, after all.”

“Yes, but he worries. He’s only trying to protect you.”

“By handing me to David?” I scoffed. “The only person that would help is David himself, and he’s the worst. I have no idea why Dad feels obligated to help that family out, but he shouldn’t.”

“Your father and the Mahers go back a long way, sweetheart. Dad isn’t trying to force you into anything. He simply thought he would present an option.”

“Except, it’s not an option. Not to me. Whatever is happening with the Mahers, they’ve brought it upon themselves and I will not be riding to their rescue.”

“Well, that’s unlikely to be an issue now anyway.” Mom smiled at me over the rim of her teacup. “David and his group were awarded the bid for the complex in Sharm, so the immediate crisis has passed.”

My eyebrows shot up, my heart tripping over itself before it sank. “I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?” There was absolutely no chance I’d heard her correctly. “Do you mean Isaac’s complex in Sharm?”

Sympathy softened her eyes as she nodded. “It was never a sure thing, honey. Isaac knew that going in. Dad supported his and Joseph’s proposal, but it wasn’t approved because the board felt it was unnecessarily expensive, that construction would take too long, and that it required too much community involvement.”

I scowled. “Since when is community involvement a bad thing?”

She held her hands out to her sides and shook her head. “I asked your father the same question, but it seems the board didn’t agree that the people who live there should feel like it’s something that actually belongs to them. Even if those same people are the ones who will be working in the complex. It sounds like the board made it out to be a too many cooks in the kitchen scenario.”

I scoffed, remembering the way Isaac’s eyes had lit up every time he’d talked about that project and how passionate he’d been about designing something that would become a point of pride for the whole region. Now my father’s board had decided to go with cheap gray boxes.

Fantastic.

“I have to go,” I said suddenly, getting up so fast that I nearly fell over forward. “I’ll talk to you later, Mom.”

She gave me a knowing smile. “Tell Isaac I said I’m sorry, but that⁠—”

I didn’t wait to hear the rest of her sentence, rushing back to the car. So shocked I could barely see straight, I waved at my driver, who took one look at me and raced over to open the door.

He drove us back to Heliopolis like he was competing in a Formula One race, squealing to a stop right outside of the building’s doors instead of even wasting time getting into the parking lot. As I catapulted myself out of the car, the only thing I could think of was Isaac and how excited he’d been that day on the bus back from the Sinai.

I get to be creative here in a way I never had back home.

My heart cracked as I imagined what he must be going through now, knowing that his creativity was what had lost him the bid. Assholes. All of them. Every single one.

When I made it up to his apartment, I burst in without knocking, relieved that the door hadn’t been locked. “Isaac?”

He looked up from where he was sitting on the couch, his bags already packed and standing by the door like soldiers awaiting orders. “Jasmine?” A deep frown appeared on his features as he sat up a little straighter, looking at me like he wasn’t sure I was real. “What are you doing here?”

“I just heard.” I slammed the door behind me and crossed the room in fast, clipped strides, sinking into a crouch in front of him. “I’m so sorry, Isaac. That project should’ve been yours, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave.”

Those blue eyes slid to his suitcases. He sighed and looked back at me. “Yes, it does. That’s exactly what it means. I didn’t get the bid.”

“Yeah, I know, but you still have the apartment and there are other contracts out there.”

“The lease is month to month, and without that project, there’s nothing here for me, Jasmine. Not now, anyway.”

“What about—” I cut myself off as soon as I realized what I’d been about to ask, pain radiating through me as I stared up at him.

“What about what?” He shrugged. “I might be trying to get something going with Joseph, but right now, as far as I’m concerned, that’s it. There is nothing else.”

My head jerked back like he’d slapped me. “Fine. If you’re going to make me say it, I’ll say it. What about me, Isaac? I’m still here. Am I nothing?”