Chapter 19

"Say that again? Did you say Isabel Stone?" I asked again, as I could hardly believe my ears. Mom nodded and replied, "Yes. Brandon's been very tight-lipped. I heard they've been together for quite a while. But since she's a celebrity, he's kept it from us because he was afraid it would bring her trouble." Dad chuckled as well. "No wonder he never dated other women all these years and never mentioned marriage. We thought something was wrong with him. It turns out he's had his eye on someone all along!" Their words shattered my worldview. Isabel already had a three-year-old child with Steve, but she was stringing Brandon along at the same time! Right now, she was in Beyer Island with Steve. So what role was Brandon playing in all of this? When did all of this even begin? Countless questions swam in my head, and my face turned visibly pale. Mom noticed immediately and asked with concern, "Zara, what's wrong?" For a long while, I struggled to organize my thoughts and words. I wante