Chapter 318
Thunder cracked violently across the night sky.
Heavy rain began pouring down without warning.
The deluge transformed the streets into rushing rivers within minutes.
Both Isabella and Nathaniel got completely soaked.
Nathaniel pushed aside their earlier conversation.
He swiftly opened the car door for her. "Get in now."
Isabella quickly jumped into the passenger seat.
Water dripped from her hair and clothes onto the leather seats.
Nathaniel slid into the driver's side moments later.
He looked even more drenched than she was.
Isabella grabbed tissues from the console.
She wiped her face and handed some to Nathaniel.
He accepted them and dried himself quickly.
Nathaniel started the engine and drove toward Blackwood Estate.
He worried the cold rainwater would make her sick.
The car moved slowly through the stormy darkness.
Raindrops hammered loudly against the windshield.
Isabella stared out at the torrential downpour.
Her expression grew tense and distant.
This storm reminded her of that night five years ago.
She had just given birth to a stillborn child.
Everyone wanted her gone immediately.
They shipped her off to Africa without a second thought.
So much had changed since that terrible time.
Her thoughts turned inward once more.
What right did she have to judge Nathaniel?
At least his encounter was with an ex-girlfriend.
But she...she had been violently taken against her will.
She had carried a child from that violation.
A sudden loud noise jerked her from her thoughts.
Hiss!
The car lurched to an abrupt stop.
Nathaniel's voice cut through the noise. "The engine flooded. Stay put."
He opened his door to assess the damage.
Water immediately rushed into the vehicle.
Nathaniel moved quickly to her side.
He pulled open her door before she could react.
Strong arms lifted her from the seat.
Even his considerable height was no match for the water.
It reached past his waist as he carried her.
He held her high above the swirling flood.
She couldn't even see his legs beneath the dark water.
Nathaniel's gaze fixed on a building through the rain.
"The Grand Monarch is close. We'll stay there tonight."
His tone left no room for argument.
Isabella's heart beat faster at his words.
Getting a room together this late?
They had shared a bed before, but always with separate rooms available.
She scanned their surroundings through the pouring rain.
No other hotels were visible nearby.
The Grand Monarch stood as their only option.
Memories of five years ago surfaced instantly.
Victoria had sent her to that same hotel back then.
There had been no available rooms that night either.
"The Phoenix Hotel is the next closest," she suggested.
"It would take too long to reach in this weather."
Nathaniel adjusted his grip on her. "The Grand Monarch will have space."
He began moving through the chest-deep water.
The Grand Monarch was Westchester's largest luxury hotel.
It spanned nineteen floors of opulent accommodations.
They finally reached the grand entrance.
A receptionist's eyes widened in recognition.
Mr. Blackwood here at this hour!
And carrying a woman in his arms!
Isabella immediately turned her face away.
She buried it against Nathaniel's chest.
Another headline scandal was the last thing she needed right now.