Chapter 19

Isabella and Victoria's faces transformed instantly.

Harrison turned to Isabella with feigned shock. "Oh dear! Don't tell me Nathaniel never mentioned our passionate kiss last night?"

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "When Nathaniel kissed me, it was all teeth and desperation. Honestly, I've had better kisses from teenagers."

Isabella gaped at Nathaniel. He'd actually kissed Harrison?

Nathaniel's chiseled features turned glacial. Whether from Harrison's deliberate revelation or her public critique of his technique, his piercing gaze darkened dangerously as it locked onto her.

"Harrison!" His voice held clear warning.

She smirked. 'What?'

Was he seriously upset over her mentioning Isabella?

Her sharp eyes met his. "Stop yelling. With skills that pathetic, I wouldn't touch you again if you paid me. Let's end this farce!"

The stunned silence could have been cut with a knife.

Had Harrison completely lost her mind?

Nathaniel's jaw tightened. "Fine. We'll file the papers today."

Now seated in the back of Nathaniel's Bentley Continental, Harrison watched his rigid posture as he drove them toward city hall. The luxurious interior crackled with unspoken tension.

Nathaniel's tanned hands flexed on the leather steering wheel as he navigated the morning traffic with military precision.

"Who picked you up last night?" The question sliced through the silence.

Harrison's pulse jumped. "Your hired help didn't appeal to me. I found someone more... skilled."

She added deliberately, "A man who actually knows how to use his tongue."

The steering wheel creaked under Nathaniel's grip. His reflection in the rearview mirror showed eyes like shards of ice.

"Harrison, this obsession with last night's kiss - should I be flattered?"

She scoffed. "Projecting much? Sounds like you're the one who can't forget it."

Nathaniel's lips pressed into a thin line.

He clearly regretted asking.

The suffocating silence returned, heavier than before.

A melodic ringtone shattered the tension. The dashboard display showed a call from Falcon Estate.

Nathaniel answered via Bluetooth.

The butler's voice filled the car. "Young Master, your grandmother's condition has worsened. She's asking for Mrs. Falcon. You must bring her immediately."

Nathaniel's grip tightened. 'Of all times...'

He abruptly changed direction toward the family estate.

Harrison sat forward. "Where are we going?"

"Grandmother wants to see you." His tone brooked no argument. "You'll play your part."

She laughed bitterly. "Pretend we're happily married? That ship has sailed."

"Since when did you have principles?" Nathaniel sneered. "You've been acting this role for years."

The barb struck deep. Eleanor Falcon's fragile health had always weighed on Harrison. During their visits, while Nathaniel remained distant, she'd been the one maintaining the charade of affection.

Her one-woman performance.

And now he threw it in her face.

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at Falcon Estate. As Harrison crossed the manicured lawns, she collided with someone leaving the main house - Arabella Falcon.