Her Haunted Millionaire

Isabelle murmured to Rayan who couldn't hear h

, but he knew how scary it

ke his

had come from the man's office. Breaking glass and angry screaming. The loud noises had made Rayan cower

because when he got angry like that, the best thing to do

her to hide, to not

own in question She immediately noted how paper-white his little face had

urled into a fist on her

trying to make their gazes meet. His eyes wer

poor child? She laid a hand on his cheek, but

dn’t want to consider at all. Her gaze lifted to tak

couldn't possibly be hur

him?” rang a whisper t

an into her arms and hugged him to

aphaël when they were little kids, much less could she claim

enough to hide whatever dark and dreary activ

owly walked around the living room, still carrying Rayan and

rming so she knew

on the photograph o

g smile of the boy who ha

he sounded quite normal, didn't he? Disregarding the cli

lle s

Her imagination was r

hew this morning. That must hav

at child". He used the chil

and could do no such thing a

look in his eyes earlier when she

ce. Like he was hardly re

he glared at her from the corner of his e

ayan had shru

insisted. “Don't be an id

t her botto

dn't matter if Raphaël had swords while she

calm her nerves the higher

op so low as to har

r teeth and forced h

d she knew she has to st

king out in fiery songs of war with rage

is back, to calm him j

cross a boy just like Rayan who she

arch into his home and seek the assaulte

l family having din

inclined low to

looked wel

the man at the head of the table, quietly and politely told

ling an apology, convinced that the bo

ade a vow to return to the

ever go

whom she'd become fond of and had befriended was found by his

ad an intruder who made away with t

n because, poor them,

w clenches at

the cold, steel look of the hawk-like mother at

is name. Isabelle had been his o

ain her face, Isabel

appen to you, Rayan. I

ck to look at her face,

ped because she knew what she looked li

boy falling out of

the tears off her cheek, however

f she'd let that brut

e said, smiling s

his head

laug

I'm l

kitchen and settled R

lready nine o'cl

te of steaming pancakes in front

ed, focusing his stare on the pan

im, for some reaso

e looked up at her and slowly a

caught in

lly smilin

lind as well as an idiot no

nd smiled brightly at Rayan who then dug into his

en the time to teach him

ure it wasn't Raphaël S

time and patience to teach a boy

harsh, comm

ver the soft brown curls of Raya

'd made an instant con

m, seeing as her family in Italy had plenty running aroun

nexplainable need to be close to him. To comfort him and protect him. She just wan

o do

hology and with her level of mental imbalanc

e of how to build a human mind back up, she'd have an even

at child psychology would be the

his neat wardrobe and laid several outfi

ose of warm love. And she was

to harm him would be ch

very masculine hands

st before Rayan peeked into

tely to her as she explained why hal

n outfit of jeans and a long sleeved shirt, Isabelle

eyes all a

iped and dusted invisible dirt here and there with Rayan glued to her side, although his attenti

lad she'd

d, at the endless pictu

ended up explori

girl and all her secret hideouts when her aunt discover

up, having never known her fathe

n she'd seen Jean-Marc, the neighbor's son, kick a small stray dog. O

could hardly feel a thing. He was merely amused at the re

oved France! Her mother was It

age kitchen. Either there or shipped to Italy to be with her mother's family. She was so

form of a peace treaty between the family and Aunt Rosa after she and Lucianna, Isabel

's mom and from what she'd heard about h

e of grass at Rayan as he listen

on a small blanket between them. She loved this spot. With the soft, grass tic

si

my life. I was still happy and got more than enough love. Pl

vely, his silence a st

w,” she said to him wi

ass then up at her, a qu

ame back here." She closed her eyes. "France has this eternal romance in

im a sarca

n...no novels. I've written no nov

lying on the grass besi

. Uhm... My books are quit

e saying thi

m meant, did he? No, pro

dn't explain. What business would she have ex

ne dry from doing all the talking. It didn’t help that Rayan barely responded to her games, mostly looking shyly at her, before turning his

an headed inside to

Raphaël again. He'd been rudely occupying her mi

him more than a piece of her mind tonight. If he was reasonable and not pig-he

ally was hur

n! So what if he was six-foot-two and she was fi

swipes at his kissable jaw before making off with the boy, lea

hat v

s, and very rudely too,

the phone, lifting it out of its cradle and putting i

ment of silenc

and calm of Raphaël's voice

ace to face? Maybe she could ask him on the phone and if she was wrong a

Okay. It was