Isabelle's POV
The silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable. I had barely let the words leave my lips before I saw something flicker in his eyes. It was so quick, so subtle, that I almost wondered if I'd imagined it.
But I hadn't. Not that I was expecting a reaction from him.
"I want to find my real parents," I said, "I know this marriage comes with its clauses, including cutting ties with my past. But I'm asking you, just once—grant me permission to investigate. To search for who I really am."
The silence that seemed to last for eternity broke.
"And if you find them?" His tone was calm, but there was something sharp beneath it. "What are you going to do?."
I honestly don't know, I admitted to myself.