Only Isla by Bronnie Thomas

Only Isla by Bronnie Thomas

Author:Bronnie Thomas [Thomas, Bronnie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boodyhiggins Publishing
Published: 2024-02-28T00:00:00+00:00


Chapter 18

Emerging out of the humid bowels of Canary Wharf Underground Station, Isla welcomed the breeze coming off the water. She stepped out onto a plaza surrounded by a dizzying array of skyscrapers, and found a quiet spot next to a hedge to orientate herself. She spun around a few times before settling on a building directly to her left. Alex had agreed to meet at his office at 11.30am, and she was sure it was to be found somewhere in that glass tower.

She tried to ignore her nerves as she headed for the entrance. She was exhausted by the internal battle ravaging her body. Her heart desperately wanted her brother to forgive her, but she wasn’t going to let him walk all over her. Dressed in a bright orange dress and teal coat, Isla stood out among the black and grey suits populating the lobby of the building. It was an impressive space with its white marble floors, blond wood-panelled walls, and volumes of light spilling through floor-to-ceiling windows. Planter boxes brimming with greenery separated the reception area from a small café occupying one end of the lobby.

After showing her ID to a serious-looking man behind the desk, Isla was handed a visitor pass which she scanned at the security gates before taking the lift to the 21st floor. She exited into another reception area, where an older woman with reading glasses perched on the end of her nose sat behind a large granite desk. Isla was told to take a seat and wait for Alex’s assistant. As soon as she sat down, she felt the urge to pee. She’d had two coffees already that morning. The receptionist pointed her in the direction of the bathroom and she was grateful to find it quickly.

As she was walking back to the reception area, movement through a partly open office door briefly caught her eye. A man and a woman were standing close together; the man raised his arm and tucked a loose strand of strawberry blonde hair behind the woman’s ear before trailing a finger down her neck towards her breasts. The woman closed her eyes and arched her head back, revealing a sensual smile.

Feeling like a voyeur, Isla carried on walking, wondering why the man looked familiar. Then it clicked: Alex’s cousin, Rupert. He featured regularly in London’s social pages, and was usually portrayed as a bachelor with something of an air of mystery. He’d apparently had affairs with several of London’s leading socialites, but never seemed to stick with any of them.

As soon as Isla sat down, Rupert walked past her with a smug smile on his face. She got a better look at him this time. Every dark hair on his head sat perfectly in place. Isla imagined it took a lot of wax to make it sit exactly so. Although he was short in stature, he was muscular and lean. Isla admitted he was handsome, but there was something a bit too smooth about him in his tailored suit and shiny shoes.



Download



Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.