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Isabella's face drained of color in half a second. Her whole body shook. Her gray-green eyes went wide, pupils trembling, locked on Ruby in my arms.

"Ruby?" Her voice cracked. "What are you... how..."

Shit.

My brain connected the dots instantly.

Christ. There weren't that many girls in Manhattan who fell for men with daughters.

I'd slept with my daughter's best friend.

"Isa..." Ruby jerked out of my arms like she'd been electrocuted.

She stumbled backward too fast, heel catching on the garment bag, crashing into the corner of the mahogany cabinet. I reached for her, but she swatted my hand away, ignoring the pain in her elbow, arms wrapped around herself, face ashen, eyes darting between me and the door.

"Isa..." Ruby's lips trembled. "How did you..."

Isabella's tears broke loose. She pointed at me, voice nearly a scream. "You're the man Ruby told me about?"

Then she whipped toward Ruby, betrayal blazing in her eyes. "Ruby, tell me. The man you mentioned—the one who's 'so much older' and 'has a daughter'—that's my father?"

Ruby's mouth opened. Nothing came out.

Her face was ghost-white, body shaking violently.

"Answer me!" Isabella screamed, tears streaming. "Did you fuck my dad?"

"I didn't know..." Ruby's voice shook. "Isa, I swear, I had no idea he was your father..."

"You didn't know?" Isabella laughed bitterly, eyes like blades. "You didn't know his last name? Didn't know he runs IS·MA? Or did you just not care?"

"No, it's not..." Ruby shook her head frantically, vision blurred with tears. "Isa, let me explain—"

"Explain what?" Isabella's voice went hysterical. "I trusted you! I shared everything with you! And you were sleeping with my father behind my back?"

"Isabella, enough." I stepped between them, voice cold. "This isn't her fault."

"Not her fault?" Isabella turned on me, eyes full of hurt and fury. "Then whose fault is it? Mine?"

I said evenly, "It was an accident, Isa."

"So it's a coincidence?" Isabella sneered. "What a perfect fucking coincidence!"

"Isa..." Ruby moved toward her, reaching for her hand.

"Don't touch me!" Isabella jerked away, backing up, staring at Ruby like a stranger. "Ruby Caldwell, I was such an idiot to call you my friend!"

"Isabella!" My voice carried a warning.

"You shut up!" She shouted at me. "You don't get it! You have no idea how much I trusted her! I told her all my secrets, I even... I even told you I hoped you'd find someone who really loved you! And this is who you chose?"

She turned back to Ruby, tears falling. "Do you know how badly I wanted my dad to be happy? And you betray me like this?"

"I didn't..." Ruby shook all over, tears covering her face. "Isa, I swear, I really didn't know... if I had, I never would have..."

"Never would have what?" Isabella cut her off. "Never slept with him? Or never hid it from me?"

Ruby couldn't answer.