CHAPTER 75: "HAVE YOU ALREADY HAD SEX WITH HIM?"Sebastián's hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Every laugh and gesture of closeness between Isabella and Elijah was like a stab to his heart. He couldn't bear to see Isabella in another man's arms, especially Elijah's. The image of their embrace was etched in his mind, fueling his fury.Unable to take it any longer, Sebastián got out of the car and walked towards them. His clapping interrupted the atmosphere, causing Isabella and Elijah to immediately pull apart."Bravo, Isabella..." Sebastián spat with disdain and jealousy. "You don't waste much time finding someone else, do you?"Isabella swallowed and took a deep breath, trying to stay calm."It's not what you think, and even if it were, you're the last person who should be complaining, don't you think?""The last person?" Sebastián laughed without humor. "Sure, because you've always been the perfect victim, right? While I fight for our childr
CHAPTER 76: "BRANDED ON HIS SOUL"After Elijah left, Isabella went up to the apartment followed by Sebastián. Throughout the entire walk, neither of them said anything; however, the tension between them was palpable. After Sebastián put Nicholas to bed, he left the room and found Isabella waiting for him in the living room, her eyes filled with a mix of sadness and determination."Why did you come here, Sebastián?" The coldness in her voice was palpable. "What need do you have to make a scene?" She paused, taking a deep breath. "Do you even think about Nicholas?"Sebastián took a few steps toward her with his hands in his pockets, his gaze loaded with conflicting emotions."Are you with him?"Isabella furrowed her brows and pressed her lips together, trying to contain the anger she felt."Is that all you care about? If I'm in a relationship with Elijah? If I'm sleeping with him?"Sebastián felt a mix of conflicting emotions. What if he was wrong? But every time he thought of Elijah to
CHAPTER 77: "OUR FAREWELL"Sebastián cradled her nape and tilted his head to deepen the kiss. At that moment, he felt as if all the weight of the world vanished. It felt so real, so normal, so her. The familiarity of her touch reminded him of the happy days they had shared before everything got complicated.Whether it was a dream or a product of his imagination, he didn't care; he just wanted to mitigate his pain and have her in his arms again. His hands cupped her buttocks, and the woman moaned softly, rubbing against him."I need you..." Sebastián whispered, his voice breaking. "I need you, Isabella..."He lowered his lips and left a trail of kisses along her neck, each one charged with a mix of desperation and desire. His tongue traced the line of her collarbone, and with a softness that contrasted with his urgency, he pulled down the strap of her dress, following the path until he reached her nipple. When his lips surrounded it, the woman let out a soft moan, burying her fingers i
CHAPTER 78: "TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WEAKNESSES"A groan escaped from Sebastián as he opened his eyes, his temples throbbing from the intense headache. He looked around and found himself in his private room at the company. The room was dim, with the dawn light filtering through the blinds. Clothes were scattered on the floor, and the air was heavy with the scent of alcohol and perfume. The surprise was greater when he realized he was naked."What the hell...?" he murmured, hurriedly getting up and realizing he was alone. But everything indicated that he had been with someone, though the woman in question was not there.Suddenly, blurry images of the previous night began to appear in his mind. However, he couldn't see the woman's face."Fuck... Who was I with?" A brief memory of Isabella appeared, and his eyebrows furrowed. "Isabella?"For a moment, he contemplated the possibility but then dismissed it. He thought it was impossible given their current situation. He went to the bathroom to
CHAPTER 79: WRONG NUMBERIsabella swallowed and answered."Hello?"However, no one spoke from the other end of the line."Hello?"Elijah, who had seen Sebastián's name on the screen, decided to intervene on purpose."Honey, do you want to have lunch at the French restaurant? I still remember it was your favorite food when we were in college."Isabella turned and saw Elijah looking straight ahead while driving. On the other end of the line, Sebastián gripped the phone tightly. He had called because he wanted to know if she was the woman who had been in the office. Although Inesa told him it was her, something inside him refused to accept it as true. Instead, his heart screamed that it was Isabella.But now he realized they were just foolish longings because she had left him behind too easily. So, he hung up without saying anything.In the car, Isabella looked at the screen while her heart raced, unable to stop wondering about the reason for that call.Elijah noticed her unease and gave
CHAPTER 80: CONFRONTATIONThe trial began, and Sebastián's lawyer wasted no time attacking Isabella."Your Honor, my client, Sebastián, has been an exemplary father, while Mrs. Collins has proven to be completely unfit to care for the children." The lawyer paused, looking at Isabella with disdain. "Not only has she shown a lack of emotional stability, but she has also committed deplorable acts in the past."Isabella looked at the lawyer anxiously, shaking her head, but his words hit her like daggers."Six years ago, Mrs. Collins profited from Nicholas. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are talking about an act that warrants a prison sentence." The lawyer raised a document. "Here I have proof of the emails sent to my client and the sum of money she received in payment for Nicholas ten years ago."Isabella felt her world collapse around her. Elijah took her hand and whispered in her ear."Calm down, Isabella. We are prepared for this."From the other side of the room, Sebastián watched the
CHAPTER 81: TRUTHThe atmosphere in the courtroom grew increasingly tense. Sebastián's lawyer, with an unrelenting expression, continued his verbal assault."Your Honor, it is evident that Mrs. Isabella pursued my client with the sole purpose of taking advantage of his vulnerability. She offered herself as a surrogate mother not out of altruism but to emotionally manipulate Sebastián and secure her position in his life. All this, under the pretext of saving Nicholas."The lawyer's words echoed in the room, causing a restless murmur among those present. Isabella, sitting in her chair, widened her eyes, unable to believe what she was hearing. Her hands trembled slightly as she tried to remain calm.Sebastián, for his part, furrowed his brow and looked at the lawyer with a mix of disbelief and anger. He was about to stand up and protest when Inesa, sitting next to him, grabbed his arm firmly."Don't do something stupid, Sebastián," she whispered, her eyes locked onto his with palpable in
CHAPTER 82: LOSING IT ALLThe judge struck his gavel, calling for order in the courtroom, which had descended into a chaos of murmurs and surprised exclamations."Order in the court!" he demanded, his voice resonating with authority.Sebastián, still stunned by the revelation, felt the force of his emotions leave him breathless. Inesa, beside him, looked at him with concern, aware of the impact this truth was having on him.Isabella's lawyer wasted no time and addressed Roberto again."Mr. Márquez, can you detail what kind of deal Mr. Becker made with Sebastián Ashford?"Roberto nodded slowly, his nervousness palpable."Mr. Becker... paid me to tell Sebastián Ashford that a woman he had spent the night with was willing to sell him the child. He assured me it was for the child's best interest and that the mother did not want to be involved."Isabella's lawyer turned to the judge."Your Honor, it is clear that my client, Mrs. Isabella Collins, has been a victim of manipulation by her ex