A wave of anxiety washed over Isabella Austin. "Can you just say what you mean?"

Benjamin Gomez slid his arm around her waist, watching her parents disappear from the ballroom. His voice was quiet but steady. "Emily Blair knows about us. She knows I help you out. With everything that's gone down between you two, there's no way she'd act this nice to me unless there was a reason."

There was a thought taking shape in Isabella's mind, but she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

Benjamin kept going. “Back at the resort, I thought it was weird. She kept coming over to talk, acting all friendly. She was never like that before you left for abroad. Now she's trying way too hard to get close."

Isabella's nerves were stretched tight. "Maybe she thinks I'm out of the picture. Maybe she thinks you've moved on, so she's trying to get in your good graces. You are a successful businessman. It would make sense."

Benjamin had considered that, but there was another possibility he couldn't ignore, one that felt much more dangerous.

"She was acting strange at the resort,” he said. "Remember when we played darts? She was on the other side of the room but kept insisting on joining us. That's when your hand got cut."

He reached for Isabella's hand, gently opening her palm to show her the scabbed- over wound.

"She's not careless like that. Most people are careful around strangers. So why did she 'accidentally' cut you with the dart?"

Isabella felt her face turn pale. She could guess where this was heading.

Benjamin's tone grew even more serious. "The dart that cut you had your blood on it. I went back to look for it, but it was gone. Either it got cleaned up, or someone took it."

Isabella's lips parted. She stared at Benjamin, panic flickering in her eyes.

"She's probably trying to confirm if you're really Isabella Austin," Benjamin said. “She's suspicious. If she took your blood for a DNA test, what do you think would happen?"

Isabella shook her head right away. "No way. Who would she even test my blood with? I'm not my parents' biological kid. If she ran a test with them, it would just prove we're not related. That doesn't confirm anything about who I am.”

Benjamin listened, then said, “But you have a biological son. Dennis Lane. And remember what Emily's mom just said? She said Emily is your parents' real daughter. That means Emily already knows you're not their biological child. If Emily's smart, she wouldn't test your DNA with your parents, she'd try to find another way."

Isabella bit down on her lip, her fear growing. “But Dennis is in Riven. She can't get to him."

She hesitated, panic rising. "And how do Emily and her mom even know I'm not my parents' real daughter?"

Benjamin rubbed her back, trying to calm her.

"I haven't figured out how she knows yet," he admitted. “But I checked her travel history. She hasn't been to Riven, and Dennis hasn't come to the city. So for now, you're probably still safe. Emily doesn't have the proof she needs to connect you to Isabella Austin."