Chapter 8

I panicked. I looked frantically around the bright study. There was no time to open the secret bookshelf. Inigo moved with terrifying speed. He grabbed my waist. He shoved me hard behind the thick velvet curtains near the large window.

He turned around just as the heavy oak doors swung open.

I held my breath. I pressed my back tightly against the cold glass.

"Paula," Inigo said. His voice was completely smooth. He stepped out of the study and pulled the heavy doors shut behind him. They were standing in the grand hallway.

"Inigo," Paula purred. Her sharp heels clicked loudly on the marble floor. "I forgot my purse. I think I left it on your desk."

"My staff already found it," Inigo lied effortlessly. "I sent my butler to put it in your car."

"Oh," Paula said softly. Her voice dropped to a low, husky whisper. "You are always so efficient. Troy could learn a few things from you."

I peeked through a tiny crack in the dark velvet curtains. Paula was standing incredibly close to Inigo. She reached out and slowly traced the lapel of his expensive suit.

She was trying to seduce him. She was betraying Troy just hours after they finalized their cruel plan.

"Troy is a very lucky man," Inigo said carefully. He did not step away from her touch. He played the dangerous game perfectly.

Paula let out a loud, bitter sigh. She dropped her hand.

"Troy is completely exhausting," Paula complained. She crossed her arms over her chest. "He is acting like a madman over that missing baby. It is ruining everything. We finally have all the money. We finally have absolute freedom. But he will not stop screaming about the child."

My blood boiled with pure rage. She spoke about my son like he was a piece of garbage.

"He is just stressed," Inigo offered smoothly.

"He is obsessed," Paula whined. "I honestly hope the kidnappers keep the little brat. I do not want to raise another woman's child. I want to travel. I want to enjoy my new life. That stupid baby is just heavy baggage."

I bit my lip hard. I tasted fresh blood. I wanted to step out of the shadows. I wanted to wrap my hands around her throat.

"You deserve a beautiful life, Paula," Inigo murmured. His voice dripped with fake admiration. "You should go home and rest. Let Troy handle the mess."

Paula smiled brightly. She leaned up and kissed Inigo softly on the cheek.

"You are a true gentleman, Inigo," she whispered. "Perhaps we can get a private drink sometime. When Troy is busy."

"I would like that," Inigo lied.

Paula turned around. She walked down the grand hallway. The heavy front door opened and closed. She was finally gone.

Inigo opened the study doors. He walked back into the room. I stepped out from behind the heavy curtains. My entire body shook with pure anger.

"She is a monster," I hissed.

"She is greedy," Inigo corrected quietly. "And greed makes people incredibly careless. We are going to use her massive ego against her."

"How?" I asked.

"Paula wants to be the queen of high society," Inigo explained. He walked over to his desk. "She will attend every major gala and charity event in the city. We need to infiltrate her new world. We need to get close to her so we can steal the evidence we need."

"I cannot go to a gala," I argued. "Everyone in this city knows my face. They think I am dead."

"They know Helena Smith," Inigo said. He looked at me with dark, intense eyes. "They do not know Isabella Yuchengco. We are going to completely transform you."

An hour later, we sat in the back of Inigo's tinted SUV. We left Arthur safely at the estate with a trusted team of armed guards and a private nanny. We drove into the heart of the city.

The car stopped in front of a small, unmarked boutique. It was a private, exclusive tailor shop. Only the absolute elite knew it existed.

We walked inside. The shop smelled of rich silk and expensive perfume. An elderly woman stepped out from the back room. She wore a sharp black dress and heavy pearl necklaces. Her white hair was pulled back into a tight bun.

"Mr. Yuchengco," the woman greeted warmly. "It is an honor."

"Madame Rossi," Inigo replied. He gently placed his hand on my lower back. "This is my new fiancée, Isabella. She needs a complete wardrobe. She needs to look absolutely unrecognizable."

Madame Rossi nodded slowly. She walked toward me. She pulled a yellow measuring tape from her pocket.

"Take off your coat, my dear," she instructed.

I obeyed. I stood perfectly still in the center of the room. Madame Rossi measured my shoulders. She measured my waist. She moved with practiced, silent efficiency.

Then, she stopped completely.

She dropped the yellow tape. She stared directly into my eyes. Her own eyes widened in absolute shock.

"Isabella?" Madame Rossi whispered. Her voice shook slightly.

"Yes," I lied smoothly. My heart began to race.

Madame Rossi reached out. She gently touched my cheek with her wrinkled hand.

"You can change your hair," Madame Rossi said softly. "You can change your clothes. But you cannot change those eyes. You have Eleanor's eyes."

My breath caught in my throat. Eleanor was my mother. She died when I was a teenager.

"I made your mother's wedding dress," Madame Rossi continued. A single tear fell down her wrinkled cheek. "I knew her perfectly. And I know you. You are Helena Croft."

I froze in pure terror. The disguise was already ruined. If she called the police, Troy would have me in minutes. Inigo stepped forward immediately. He placed his large body between me and the tailor.

"Madame Rossi," Inigo warned. His voice was dark and incredibly dangerous.

"Do not threaten me, Inigo," the old woman snapped fiercely. She looked back at me. "The news said you killed yourself last night. But here you are. Standing in my shop with a new name."

"Please," I begged softly. "You have to keep my secret. If they find me, they will kill my baby."

Madame Rossi softened instantly. She wiped the tear from her face.

"Your mother was my dearest friend," she whispered. "I will never betray her daughter. I will make you the most beautiful, unrecognizable woman in the city. Your secret is completely safe with me."

I let out a massive sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Madame Rossi picked up her measuring tape. She looked around the quiet shop to make sure we were truly alone. Her face grew incredibly serious.

"But you must be very careful, Helena," Madame Rossi warned in a hushed whisper. "You are in terrible danger."

"What do you mean?" Inigo asked sharply.

"A man came into my shop this morning," Madame Rossi explained. "He was a private investigator. He flashed a massive badge. He said he was working directly for Mrs. Smith."

My blood ran completely cold. Troy's mother was hunting us.

"What did he want?" I asked. My voice trembled.

"He was not asking about you," Madame Rossi said. She looked at me with terrified eyes. "He was asking every shop owner on this street if they had seen a missing baby."