Chapter 19

Isobel paused. She then spoke quietly but with every word clear. "I don't have any real research results I can show right now. And everything people are saying about me online… most of it is sympathy, but it'll still drag you into it. I can't… I can't cause you any more trouble." Conrad felt something knock hard against his chest. It hurt, but it was a gentle kind of hurt. Even after everything she'd gone through, the first thing she worried about was whether she'd pull him down with her. He looked at her thin shoulders and the way she still stood straight. A quiet mix of pity and respect rose in him. "Isobel, I don't care about any of that—" he blurted. "But I do." Isobel shook her head and cut him off, a faint smile touching her lips. "You've got a bright future. I don't want to be the one who holds you back." Conrad met the determination in her eyes and knew she'd already made up her mind. He was grateful for her thoughtfulness, yet he also hated how much she insisted on car