Chapter 13 The Gilded Cage

• The silence of the penthouse was suffocating. It was a silence that roared in Isabelle's ears, a constant grim memorial of her helpless state. Outdoors, the city lustered with life with a show of lights and sounds. But here within the walls of Liam Callahan's opulent apartment, she felt hugely alone. The air hung heavy, thick with the scent of precious polished marble.
• Liam, with his steely eyes and unwavering confidence, was away on one of his innumerous business functions. He had left her alone in his grand sterile sanctuary, a temporary queen in his castle of solitariness. The thought of being alone with him, of having to navigate his presence had always filled her with a dread that eroded her. Now, with him away she felt the weight of his absence as rough as his presence.
• The house was a stirring monument to Liam's success. Every room, from the grand living room with its panoramic view of the city's spangling skyline to the state-of-the-art kitchen, was a testament to his wealth and ambition. Yet, for Isabelle, it was a cold unwelcoming space. The walls seemed to close in on her, bruiting tales of Liam's triumphs and her insulation.