Isabel woke in the morning and found herself alone in the bed. She stretched her arms above her head, wincing slightly. Her entire body felt sore and beaten, but worst of all was the pain in her chest. She replayed the conversation she'd had with Howard the night before, desperately analyzing his words and expressions for some remorse. Didn't he feel guilty for manipulating her? For forcing Noah to call her? For every other trick he'd played? She rubbed her eyes and sighed.
"It doesn't matter," she whispered to herself. "I knew all along who Howard Denmark is, what kind of a man he is. This shouldn't come as a surprise."
Despite her words, she still felt a twisting pain in her chest. She climbed out of bed with a sigh, walking carefully to avoid putting too much weight on her sprained
