Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus) novel Chapter 19

Pearl dashed upstairs, storming into her bedroom.

Without hesitation, she began hurling everything in sight—pillows, perfume bottles, picture frames—anything within reach went crashing to the floor.

Even with the door shut, the furious clatter echoed down the hall, unmistakable to anyone nearby.

Laura stood waiting outside with the family doctor, hesitant to knock.

She’d worked for the Vaughan family for over twenty years, not just as a maid but as the housekeeper who knew every secret and every child’s temperament.

Laura had watched Pearl grow up—headstrong, willful, always used to getting her way. Back when everyone believed she was the Vaughan family’s real daughter, her outbursts were tolerated, even indulged.

But now, with the truth out and Pearl exposed as an imposter, nothing about her had changed. If anything, her temper had gotten worse behind closed doors.

Laura found herself wondering what Mr. and Mrs. Vaughan could possibly be thinking. Why keep this pretender around? Isadora was a hundred times the daughter Pearl could ever be.

Inside, Pearl finally stopped. The chaos she’d unleashed had barely eased the sting of humiliation.

Fine. So Isadora had the upper hand tonight, all because Magnus was there to back her up—and their parents, of course, had taken her side.

But if Magnus was Isadora’s shield, her beloved, then Pearl would simply tear him away from her. She would make sure Isadora suffered.

Her lips curled into a cruel smile as she pulled out her phone and opened her chat with Elise.

Pearl and Elise had never been friends, but they shared a common enemy. Pearl had visited her in the hospital, and the two had hit it off instantly, exchanging numbers—ready to help each other when the opportunity arose.

After sending her message, Pearl finally felt a little better.

Out by the pool, under the soft glow of garden lights, Isadora stepped back, arms folded, her eyes cold as ice as she stared Magnus down.

“What do you want?” she demanded, her tone frosty.

Magnus’s intense gaze lingered on her. Tonight, she looked different—her striking features framed by loose waves of midnight hair, her makeup flawless, the curve of her figure accentuated by a sleek, black, one-shoulder dress. There was a fierce beauty about her he couldn’t look away from.

He couldn’t help recalling the unanswered call from earlier. Isadora had never ignored his calls before. In the past, she’d answer within seconds, no matter what.

His voice was low, almost accusing. “Why did you turn off your phone?”

Isadora’s lips curled into a cold, bitter smile.

“Why do you care, Magnus? You didn’t lift a finger to help me. Let me remind you, from the moment you were celebrating your engagement with Elise yesterday while I was being kidnapped, we were finished.”