Torn, Robert looked at Isabel, who was finishing her champagne and giving him a puzzled look.
“I’ll be there,” Robert said, and he ended the call.
“Everything okay?” Isabel asked.
He didn’t know what to say as reality struck home. It dawned on him that as much as he wanted to start a new life with Isabel, it wasn’t that easy. If it wasn’t Thea, then it would be Oliver, or even Moira. Try as he might, he could never escape Starling City. His business, his name—everything that came with his position would follow him.
Thea’s accident drove home a hard truth—one he couldn’t avoid. Robert knew that a life with Isabel would mean a life where his kids looked at him differently. Or perhaps he wouldn’t see them at all. Oliver and Thea would know he was capable of lying to them, shattering all that was once good in their relationship. They would look at him as a cheater, and the thought of losing his children scared Robert to his core.
Oliver and Thea were his life even if that meant a life with Moira.
“I have to go, Isabel,” he said finally.
“Go? But our plane is about to leave!” She stared at him as he threw his bag over his shoulder.
“It’s Thea…” Robert began. “She broke her arm falling off her horse, she’s in the hospital, scared, she needs me. I have to go to her.”
“Kids break bones all the time,” Isabel protested.
“Isabel, I can’t—not today. Tomorrow we’ll go, my darling. I promise.” He touched her face. As tears welled up in her eyes, Robert turned and started to walk toward the cabin door.
“Robert… please! You said you loved me,” she cried out. He turned back.
“Isabel, try to understand, I’m a father. I have to be there for my children. They are everything to me.” He went silent, and then added, “Tomorrow will be here before you know it.”
* * *
Isabel wanted to believe him, but she knew Becca was right. A married man would never leave his family. She had been delusional in thinking she could change him.
“But you told me yourself that Thea isn’t yours,” she said, rising from her seat. “It was Moira who betrayed you. How can you go running back to someone who doesn’t love you like I do?”
Robert went stiff at the mention of Thea’s paternity, and in that moment she knew she had lost him. Years ago, Moira had slept with Malcolm Merlyn. For the longest time Robert had blamed himself—he’d told Isabel as much—but he had finally let go of that guilt.
Or so it had seemed.
“Thea is mine, Isabel,” he said. “She may not have my blood running through her veins, but I’ve been there since the day she was born. I’m sorry, my love, but after work tomorrow we’re off to Fiji, I promise.”
She walked over to him, held his face in her hands, and looked into his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know you need to do this. Tomorrow after work.”
6
The next day Isabel got off the subway and walked, blinking, into the sunlight. She put on her sunglasses and turned toward the office, her high heels clicking on the pavement as she rolled her suitcase beside her.
“Good morning, Bobby,” she said as she pulled out her badge.
“Morning, Miss Rochev,” he replied. She swiped her badge, but there was a loud, obnoxious beep and the screen flashed DENIED.
That’s weird, she thought, and she tried it again. Bobby stepped off of his stool and came over.
“Sometimes the magnetic strip gets worn out, Miss Rochev,” he said as he took the badge from her hand. “Let me have a look.” He examined the badge, rubbing the magnetic strip to remove any debris, but couldn’t find any damage. So he walked to a nearby phone and placed a call that she couldn’t hear.
Then he returned.
“Can you just let me up, please, Bobby?” she said, keeping her voice steady. “Mr. Queen is expecting me.”
“Actually, Miss Rochev, I need you to stay right here for the moment,” he replied, and the tone of his voice had changed.
“Is anything wrong?”
“Just stay put for the moment, Miss Rochev,” Bobby said as he returned to his security post and began checking in other employees. Her worry grew stronger as more employees passed her. Suddenly Walter Steele emerged from an elevator car and crossed the lobby. Isabel felt a sense of relief seeing him, and she smiled at him.
“Miss Rochev,” Walter said, his expression unreadable.
“Good morning, Walter,” she answered. “How are you doing? Is Robert in yet?”
“I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, Miss Rochev, but Queen Consolidated no longer requires your… assistance. Your position has been eliminated.”
Isabel felt her heart sink to the floor.
“What do you mean, eliminated?”
“If you would be so kind as to leave the premises as soon as possible, I would appreciate it,” Walter said firmly. “We will forward your personal belongings to your home address.”
Isabel’s confusion crystallized into anger, and before she knew it, she was engulfed with rage.
“He put you up to this, didn’t he?” she demanded, her voice rising. “Robert Queen can’t even be man enough to do it to my face,” she shouted. Walter reached for her arm, shifting into the role of comforting friend.
“Please, Isabel, just go quietly.”
Suddenly she felt something inside her snap. Her face grew hot as emotions flooded her brain. Tears that she would normally hold back flowed down her face. She saw vividly all the mistakes she had been making. She was angry with herself for putting her trust in Robert, and she knew for certain he had only made his empty promises to string her along.
Her heart was breaking… and her career was over before it ever began. Her dream of becoming someone people remembered—that was gone. Her name would only be remembered for the illicit love affair she had had with her boss.
“You tell Robert I’m not going anywhere,” she cried out. “He can’t hide like a coward behind the company. You tell him if he wants me gone, he will have to do it himself.”
Walter let go of Isabel’s arm, and turned to make his way back to the elevator, signaling for security as he went.
“You tell him that one day he will be sorry he ever did this,” she continued. “I can promise you that—he’ll regret it! He will learn how it feels to lose everything!”
Bobby approached Isabel, a pained look on his face, and told her that it was time for her to leave—but she refused to move.
“Call Robert Queen,” she demanded loudly. “Get him on the phone, tell him that I’m not going anywhere!” Bobby pleaded again for her to go.
“Please, Miss Rochev, you need to leave or I’ll have to physically remove you from the building, and I really don’t want to do that.”
“I don’t care!” she shouted. “I don’t care what you say! Everyone needs to know that Robert Queen is a liar!” Crowds of employees began to gather, watching her unravel completely. Two additional security guards approached her to try to soothe her, but there was no comforting her, so they moved in more forcefully, each gripping an arm.
“He’ll be sorry he did this to me!” she cried. “Tell him that he had better watch his back!” She threw her arms around, trying to escape their grasp. “He can’t do this to me! He can’t do this to me! He promised me!” she cried as the guards dragged her toward the door.
“This isn’t how it was supposed to be!” she shouted out as the guards finally removed her from Queen Consolidated. When they released her, Isabel looked around, noticing the many eyes staring at her. She took a few steps back, looking up to the top of the building, knowing that Robert was probably watching her from his window.
He will be sorry about this, Isabel thought furiously to herself as she finally walked away from the building. She promised herself, however, that she would return to Queen Consolidated one day.
7
A few days after the scene at Queen Consolidated, Isabel was
driving recklessly through the streets of Starling City. She pressed her foot to the floor, catching a glimpse of herself in her rearview mirror.
Her eyes were bloodshot and beady, her once flawless complexion pale and ghostly. She didn’t recognize who that girl was in the mirror, and wondered how things had got this bad. She wondered when Robert had managed to take hold of her life like this. She felt foolish for letting him have this power over her, only to realize that it was one of the reasons she had been drawn to him in the first place. She cursed his name repeatedly as she swerved down the street.
“You think you can just make a fool out of me, and that I will just disappear,” she muttered out loud to herself. “Well, you have another think coming. You think you can just fire me and ruin my life—well, I can ruin your life, too.”
She made a hard right in her tiny car, and the open gates to the Queen mansion came into view. Isabel stopped the car just before the gates and took a minute. Inexplicably, she suddenly felt a little sad for him.
A sorry excuse for a man, and an utter coward, Isabel thought to herself. Only a weak, insecure person would do the things that Robert had done. She recalled the times they had talked about having children of their own… together. The thought sent a shiver down her spine as she saw now what a terrible father Robert was if he was capable of such lies.
She put her foot on the gas and drove through the gates.
Pulling up to the door, she got out of the car, her body shaking in a combination of fear and anger. She remembered the first time Robert had invited her to the house, the first time they had slept together. Isabel smiled a little, thinking about how she had felt about Robert in that moment, and her heart broke a little more thinking about where she was now.
As she reached the front door, she quickly snapped back to reality.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
Isabel tried to compose herself as she heard footsteps approach the door. It opened, and Moira Queen stood there.
“Isabel Rochev,” she said. “I need to speak with Robert.”
“I know who you are, Miss Rochev,” Moira said flatly. “Robert isn’t here—he’s taken our children out fishing on his boat for the weekend.”
Isabel remained silent. Her plan to talk to Robert, to deliver the speech she’d composed in her head, was out the window. And though she couldn’t say why, she hadn’t been expecting Moira to even be in the picture.
“I know why you are here, Miss Rochev,” Moira said, “and I feel sorry for you. That a woman can sleep with a married man is one of the most disgusting things I can imagine.”
The words cut Isabel deep—she was surprised that Moira knew about the affair. Even more so when she remembered that Moira had been a cheater as well.
Does she hate herself as much as she does me?
“You didn’t think I knew, did you?” Moira continued. “You’re nothing but a fling to that man. A name on a list. You’re just one of many other silly girls before you who were foolish enough to think that a man like Robert would trade in the life he has now… for you.”
Suddenly Isabel felt a strange calm come over her. She finally felt able to shut off her emotions like a faucet, and no longer felt like crying. In fact, she decided then and there that she would never cry again—for Robert Queen, or for anybody. She was done feeling self-pity.
“Now, do yourself a favor and get off my property before I call the police,” Moira snapped as she went to close the door in Isabel’s face.
“Or what?” Isabel said. “You see, Moira, we both involved ourselves with a foolish man—a man who told me many, many secrets about his life. Your life. So it would be in your best interest to watch your back. Be careful, because you never know when I might decide to have a chat with the press about the precious Queen family, perhaps sell your secrets to the highest bidder… especially when it comes to little Thea,” Isabel said coldly. “How wonderful it is that she’s healing so quickly.”
The door stopped, and Moira peered out again. Her eyes were wide with fear.
8
Classical jazz was playing softly in the background of a dark establishment. Patrons sat in leather-lined booths that lined the walls, speaking in low voices. Cherry hardwood shone throughout the establishment. While the majority of the people enjoyed a happy hour cocktail with coworkers as they exchanged stories about their days, Isabel was sitting alone on a tall stool at the bar.
Just a year after the debacle with Robert, Isabel was the picture of crispness and style. She was dressed in a dark red business suit. Her hair was long and poker straight. One black stiletto tapped on the bar’s ledge. A handsome bartender placed a martini in front of her, two olives, and she smiled at him devilishly as he threw her a wink and returned to work.
The local news played on the television above the bar.
“And in business news, Ramsford International—a subsidiary of Queen Consolidated—has been bought out by Unidac Industries,” news anchor Bethany Snow reported. “The takeover was engineered by Isabel Rochev, and this makes it the third subsidiary Queen Consolidated has lost to Rochev in the past six months.”
A small smile crept across Isabel’s face as she took a sip of her martini.
* * *
Exiting her sleek black Mercedes Benz, she grabbed her black leather briefcase and marched into her office at Unidac Industries. She walked with her head held high, steadfast and confident. Her subordinates lowered their gazes when she approached, and Isabel long since ceased to greet people with a smile. She remained focused on the task at hand, and had no time for chitchat or pleasantries.
As she arrived at her corner office her executive assistant, Theodore Decklin, greeted her with her morning latte and the rundown of her schedule for the day.
“First thing today, Miss Rochev, is the board meeting at 9 a.m.,” Decklin informed her. Without saying a word Isabel handed him her coat and briefcase, grabbed her latte and files, and headed for the conference room. When she got there, the other nine members of the board were already in place. She took her seat at the long table, and while the other board members chattered away, Isabel kept her thoughts to herself as she sipped her latte and reviewed her papers. Suddenly, the glass door swung wide open, and Malcolm Merlyn entered.
Malcolm Merlyn, CEO of Merlyn Global.
Thea Queen’s father.
Confidence radiated off of him in waves as he stood in front of the group. Dressed impeccably, he looked down at the people in the room almost as if they were bugs that begged to be squashed. All conversation ceased.
“Apologies for my tardiness this morning,” he said, and he smiled. “There’s nothing like a first impression.”
There was a smattering of laughter, and all eyes were on him.
“I know we all have a lot to do, a lot on our plates, so I will keep this brief. It is with great pleasure that I stand before you to announce the partnership between Unidac and Merlyn Global. For those of us at Merlyn Global, it was a no-brainer when it came to choosing companies with which we want to work.” To Isabel’s surprise, he turned to look directly at her. “Much of the reason stems from the tireless work led by Miss Isabel Rochev, who we’ve watched with great interest as she scooped up one after another of Queen Consolidated’s subsidiaries.”
The board applauded politely, and Malcolm continued.
“Nobody believes in this city more than I do. I was born here—Starling City is my home—and as most of you know, when my wife Rebecca was alive our family shared the common goal of making Starling City a better place. A better place for our children to grow up, for the community to work together, offering job opportunities for everyone. And even though my wife may not be here to witness it, this is still a goal toward which I intend to work, and tirelessly.
“This partnership will bring two great companies together, and it will help to make Starling City stronger,” Malcolm continued. “Thank you for your hard work, and your support.”
The board members stood and applauded
Malcolm’s speech. Isabel rose to her feet with them. Malcolm made a circuit around the rectangular table, shaking the hands of each board member. When he reached Isabel, he gripped her hand tightly.
“I look forward to working with you, Miss Rochev,” he said, looking her straight in the eye.
* * *
The following morning, Isabel entered her office to find Malcolm Merlyn sitting at her desk. She was taken aback by his boldness, and she was intrigued.
“Mr. Merlyn,” she said calmly. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Malcolm smiled his devil smile and rose from her chair.
“I think the better question is how can I help you, Miss Rochev,” he said enigmatically. “Shall we sit and discuss?”
They moved to the side of the room and sat on the couch. Isabel sat stiffly, and folded her arms defensively over her lap.
“Miss Rochev, as a smart businesswoman, you shouldn’t be surprised to know that I’m thorough when it comes to business. I don’t just jump at an opportunity simply because it’s there. I do my research, especially on the people who created the opportunity in the first place. In this case—that would mean you,” he said. “I feel it only fair to tell you that I’m a very close family friend to the Queen family.”
Isabel shifted in her seat. To this day, the mere mention of them caused her spine to tighten. Yet she had learned to keep her composure when the subject came up.
“What’s more,” he continued, “I know about your past… relationship with them.” The tension increased, and she decided to get to the point before it became painful.
“Mr. Merlyn, what are you getting at?” she asked, keeping a tight rein on her tone.
“Well, as I said yesterday, I believe in this great city of Starling. However, you and I both know that it has been suffering for a great deal of time. The slums known as the Glades, for example, are tragic for many reasons, as I know firsthand. My wife’s life was taken there.” He paused for effect, then continued, “However, I’m confident that with the joining of our companies, this is the chance for Starling City to turn over a new leaf. This is only the beginning.”
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