Emeralds for sleepless nights 1

IMOGEN'S POV

I must have gone mad. That had to be it. Why else would I give in to my brother-in-law's outrageous demands?

I kissed him and as if that wasn't bad enough. He had kissed me back. I could still feel the phantom of his tongue in my mouth. I could still taste him.

The fact that it hadn't been repulsive enough to push him away made my body burn.

Was this how far I was willing to go to make Elijah feel the pain he was inflicting on me? Cheat?

A kiss was still infidelity. No matter the reason why I had done it. It would be wise just to nib it in the bud. Apologize to Isaac for what I had caused us both to do and hope that our paths never crossed again.

But despite the amount of guilt racking me, my lips refused to move. I claimed that I wanted nothing to do with this anymore. But each time I thought about Elijah, that guilt seemed to fry off, replaced by insidious rage.

So, I took advantage of that anger to nullify the guilt that was reaching the tipping point.

It was all I had left.

I stared at Isaac for a while as we both tried to make sense of what happened. I wondered what was going on in that little mind of his. What if he was just as demented as my husband?

The latter wouldn't be unappreciated if I were being true to myself. If I wanted to drag Elijah through the bowels of hell with me, I needed to hold the hands of a devil.

I wiped at my mouth as if hoping it would erase the sin I had committed. It didn't, of course.

"Are you convinced now?" I asked in a tone that suggested that I was in my own. Guiltless.

It must have been convincing. My voice did not crack, and my brother-in-law seemed to be out of words.

"Yes... I am." He eventually managed to say when he found his voice.

I was actually going through with it. I was losing myself in a pathetic attempt to get Elijah to feel my grief.

"But there are rules we must adhere to." I continued like I was okay. Even though my knees jerked without control and my voice was turning hoarse.

"What rules?" Isaac asked, leaning back into his chair.

"This kiss was a demand you made," I told him. "A demand I had to adhere to if I wanted your help. It will not be a regular occurrence. So if you have thoughts about messing with me in hopes of riling up your brother-"

"Stepbrother." Isaac chimed in.

I almost rolled my eyes. "Stepbrother," I repeated. "Then it is better this deal dies in this room."

"Are you implying there is a line you refuse to cross? A line you just crossed now?" He was such a know-it-all. It made me furious to no end. "Why do you want a line? Is your marriage to Elijah still sacred to you when he has shown you time and time again that you are not sacred to him? Do you still want to play house while he is railing another woman without even trying to hide it? That sounds like love to me."

"It sounds like restraint to me." I retorted. "I do not want to be like my husband. I am not a cheat. At least, I don't want to be. This is supposed to bring me a semblance of peace."

"How will you convince Elijah then?" He asked. "How will you convince him that you are playing his game? You will have to cross the line... multiple times, too, if you want a reaction from him."

I chuckled, tucking a stubborn lock behind my ear as I sat down. "You are just looking for a cheap way to rile Elijah? Sleeping with me will probably get you what you want. But I refuse."

"Sleeping with you is not on my agenda. Never was. That is blurring your imaginary line. But there is one thing I have learned as a businessman, if you want to tell a story, know how to sell it. I don't have to sleep with you. I have to sell the illusion that I am, which we will need. At least, I do."

"Again, it. Is. Not. Going to happen."

"Hear me out, sister-in-law. If Elijah were even a fairly decent man, you would be right to hold your marriage in such a high regard. But he is not. He never will be. If you want to hold my hand, you will need to cross the line. Multiple times. Nothing you will detest."

There was a smirk on his mouth that I did not miss when he mentioned 'Nothing you will detest.' He was talking about the kiss.

I unintentionally licked at my bottom lip and immediately regretted it.

"And what is crossing the line?" I asked.

"And what is crossing the line?" I asked, my voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.

Isaac leaned forward, his gaze intense. "Crossing the line means doing whatever it takes to make Elijah feel the same pain he's caused you. It means stepping outside your comfort zone, challenging your morals, and embracing that darkness within to achieve your goal."

I swallowed hard, feeling a knot form in the pit of my stomach. The thought of delving into such depths of manipulation and deceit made me shudder, but a part of me couldn't deny the allure of the idea. After all, Elijah had pushed me to this point with his callous disregard for our marriage vows.

"But how far is too far?" I whispered. "Must I lose myself?"

Isaac's expression softened slightly, as if he understood the storm raging inside of me.

"That's for you to decide," he replied, his tone gentle yet persuasive. "Be rest assured, though. That I have no intention of sleeping with you."

I clenched my fists, grappling with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, I yearned for retribution, for Elijah to feel the same anguish that gnawed at my soul. But on the other hand, I hesitated to sacrifice my principles and integrity in the process.

"Think about it, Imogen," Isaac continued, his voice a low murmur. "Think about what you're willing to do to reclaim your dignity, your self-respect. Think about the lengths you're willing to go to ensure that Elijah faces the consequences of his actions. And remember, I'll be here to support you every step of the way as long as I also get what I want."

"And what is that? What exactly do you want?" I asked.

"Retribution on the Rossi family. What better way to do it than to smear the legal son and make a bastard out of him?"

He sounded collected as he said those words. But anger was anger. No matter how well it was masked.

"What did the Rossi family do to you?"

His eyes left mine, and he focused on his computer. "We shouldn't bring our personal lives into the conversations that we have. It will blur the line."

Damn. My personal life was the whole reason I was having a deal with him, and there he was being secretive with his. He could keep his damn secrets.

I straightened up in my chair, the frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "Fine," I muttered, gathering my belongings. "I'll be on my way then."

Isaac's hand shot out, stopping me in my tracks. "Wait," he said, his voice softer now, devoid of the earlier hostility. He retrieved a sleek business card from his desk and extended it towards me. "Here," he continued, his expression unreadable. "You can call me whenever you need to discuss our arrangement."

I hesitated for a moment, eyeing the card with suspicion. But ultimately, I reached out and took it, slipping it into my bag without another word.

As I turned to leave, Isaac's voice stopped me once again. "Imogen," he called out, his tone oddly contemplative. "Before you go, I have one last question for you."

I sighed inwardly, steeling myself for whatever curveball he was about to throw my way. "What is it?" I asked, turning to face him with a guarded expression.

"What stone do you like?" he inquired, his gaze piercing yet strangely earnest.

I blinked in confusion, caught off guard by the unexpected question. "Stones?" I echoed, furrowing my brow. "What do you mean... Oh. Like Diamonds?"

Isaac nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Exactly. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds... What's your preference?"

I paused, momentarily taken aback by the seemingly random inquiry. "Um, I guess I like emeralds," I replied tentatively, unsure of where this conversation was leading.

Isaac's smile widened, a glint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "Good choice," he remarked cryptically before returning his attention to his computer screen.

He really wasn't going to tell me why he asked?

"Why did you ask?"

"While you think about our arrangement. I will help you cross the line. Show you the beauty of our arrangement."

"With jewelery?" I chuckled.

"Illusions." He replied, looking at me for a moment. "Trust me, you will have no choice but to take my hand after."