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Chapter 196 - Fires of Envy
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2024-11-25 11:40:52Related chapters
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 197 - A Featherlight Touch
Isabel’s POVI couldn’t shake the unease gnawing at me. Emerson’s parting words lingered like a shadow. Targeted by whom? And for what? The cryptic warning looped in my mind like a song I couldn’t forget, each repetition pulling me deeper into uncertainty.My mind raced with questions, but before I could ask them, Emerson walked away. His posture was tense, his footsteps deliberate as he retreated to his study. He had closed the door on the conversation as quickly as he’d opened it.“Good night,” he said quietly, though the words carried a note of finality that made it clear the topic was no longer up for discussion.I stood in the dimly lit hallway, staring at the closed study door, debating whether to knock and demand answers. But the image of his stern expression and tightly set jaw earlier stopped me. Emerson wasn’t the type to yield under pressure, especially when his mind was made up.With a heavy sigh, I turned and headed back to my room, my thoughts swirling like leaves caught
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 1 - His First Love
Isabel’s POVMy husband Emerson hadn't come home for a whole week. I stayed in our huge villa all alone, waiting. The grand mansion with marble floors and chandeliers felt empty and cold without him.I placed a hand on my big belly and hoped he'd come back soon. I’ve been having strange, severe headaches lately. At 7 months pregnant, that wasn’t normal. We had to go for a pregnancy check-up.Where was he? My heart ached with worry and fear. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.Our life together had always seemed perfect. Emerson, a successful businessman, had swept me off my feet. We had everything—wealth, status, a beautiful home and a baby on the way.But recently, things changed. He seemed distant. I tried to ignore the signs. But the longer he stayed away, the harder it became to believe everything was fine.I tried to keep myself busy. I rearranged the nursery, folding tiny clothes and organizing baby toys. Each little onesie and stuffed animal made me
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 2 - The Breaking Point
Isabel’s POVWhen I woke up, the room was dimly lit. The low hum of medical machines noticed that I was in the hospital bed again. The difference was that I had a throbbing headache and intense stomach cramps that were worse than the last time. Where was I? What had happened?The soft hum of medical machines surrounded me. I had a throbbing headache and intense stomach cramps. Where was I? What happened?I suddenly remembered Lilith’s evil smile and hard push, then the painful fall down the staircase. I had ended up on the floor, flat on my belly with Lilith’s weight on top of me. Oh no… I gasped and jolted upright, causing another contraction in my womb. “My baby!”The doctor noticed I was awake and walked over to me. He stood by my bedside, his expression somber. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Williams," he said gently. "Your baby didn't survive the fall."His words pierced my heart like a dagger. I felt an overwhelming wave of grief wash over me. My hand instinctively moved to my now empty bell
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 3 - Last Hope
Isabel’s POVFacing the fear of death for the first time, I found myself clinging to the hope that my husband could be my anchor. I remembered our early days together. The joy and love that had filled our lives. Emerson had been my everything. My knight in shining armor. The memories now felt like distant dreams. He wasn’t here for me in my darkest moments. I spent a few more days in the hospital, under the watchful eye of a team of doctors and nurses. When they finally told me I could leave, I took a long shower in the sterile bathroom. When I looked in the mirror, I didn’t recognize myself.My once bright blue eyes were now dull and tired, shadowed by sleepless nights and endless tears. My long blonde hair hung lifelessly around my face, lacking its usual shine.I glanced down at my belly, still a bit swollen from the baby I once carried. The slight curve was a painful reminder of the life that had been growing inside me. A life that was now gone. I gently touched my stomach, feeli
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 4 - A New Battle
Isabel’s POVThe hospital corridors seemed endless as I hurried towards my father's room. My heart pounded in my chest. My thoughts were racing. I had to be strong. I had to be there for him. As I reached the ICU, a nurse stopped me."Ms. White, your father's condition has deteriorated. He's at risk of brain death," she said gently.Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt my knees weaken. But I couldn't afford to fall apart now. I needed to know more."What do we do now?" I asked, my voice trembling."The medical account balance is insufficient for further treatment. We need to make a decision soon," the nurse replied, her eyes filled with sympathy.Panic surged through me. My father's life was on the line, and I had no idea how to save him. Just then, my phone rang. It was Emerson."Where are you, Isabel?" he demanded, his voice sharp with irritation."I'm at the hospital. My father's condition has worsened," I explained, holding back a sob."You're just making excuses to avoid
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 5 - Shattered Pride
Isabel’s POVThe jewelry shop’s overhead light glinted off the bracelet in my hand. The little gemstones casted tiny reflections around the room. The bracelet had been a gift from Emerson. A symbol of a love that now felt like a cruel joke.“Wow, that's a beautiful bracelet!” Lilith’s voice broke through my thoughts, dripping with feigned admiration.She turned to Emerson, her brown eyes wide with innocent concern. “Isabel must be short of money if she's selling her jewelry. Should we help her?”Emerson’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me. He snapped, saying how this behavior humiliates him, and his family. His voice was low and menacing.I bristled at his accusation. “Humiliate you? You’re the one who insisted I give up my job to raise our child. I had no income and never asked you for extra money.” “I do need money, but not for myself,” I continued, my voice shaking with anger and desperation. “I need it to help my father. Since you refuse to help him, I ha
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 6 - It's Him
Isabel’s POV"Excuse me? Is this yours?" A voice stopped me in my tracks just as I was about to make the biggest—and last—decision of my life. I turned around and saw a hand holding my purse. Relief and confusion washed over me. The money wasn’t lost. A sliver of hope returned to my heart. Maybe it wasn’t my time yet. But that meant facing all the pain of living.The whirlwind of emotions became too much. My stomach churned, and a sharp headache surged through my skull. My legs gave way beneath me. I started to fall backward, off the edge of the pavement, toward the rushing cars. I held my breath as I felt myself slipping out of consciousness. Was this the end?But then, just in time, the figure’s arms caught me. He held me tightly as my world faded to black.The world slowly came back into focus as I vaguely heard someone talking. The voices were low and concerned. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw two doctors communicating with another man. The man noticed I was awake first. He rushed
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 7 - Confusing Feelings
Emerson’s POVThe day I promised to customize a necklace for Lilith as a birthday present, was the next time I saw Isabel. We decided to go to the jewelry store together to choose the perfect design. Lilith was in her element, gliding through the shopping street with an air of practiced elegance. I trailed behind her, my mind somewhere else entirely. As we entered the jewelry shop, I was only half-listening to her chatter about the latest trends.That’s when I saw her.Isabel stood at the counter. Her back was slightly hunched, as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. Her hair, once vibrant and full of life, looked dull. Her face was shadowed with fatigue. She was holding something in her hand—a bracelet. My bracelet. The one I had given her on our first anniversary.A sharp pang of anger shot through me. How dare she try to sell it? That bracelet was a symbol of our marriage. A bond that should have meant something to her. Even though I proposed divorce, I felt a bitte
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His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 197 - A Featherlight Touch
Isabel’s POVI couldn’t shake the unease gnawing at me. Emerson’s parting words lingered like a shadow. Targeted by whom? And for what? The cryptic warning looped in my mind like a song I couldn’t forget, each repetition pulling me deeper into uncertainty.My mind raced with questions, but before I could ask them, Emerson walked away. His posture was tense, his footsteps deliberate as he retreated to his study. He had closed the door on the conversation as quickly as he’d opened it.“Good night,” he said quietly, though the words carried a note of finality that made it clear the topic was no longer up for discussion.I stood in the dimly lit hallway, staring at the closed study door, debating whether to knock and demand answers. But the image of his stern expression and tightly set jaw earlier stopped me. Emerson wasn’t the type to yield under pressure, especially when his mind was made up.With a heavy sigh, I turned and headed back to my room, my thoughts swirling like leaves caught
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 196 - Fires of Envy
Isabel’s POVI blinked, stunned by Emerson’s question. His words hung in the air like an invisible weight pressing down on me. The intensity in his gaze made my stomach churn, but I forced myself to meet his eyes.“What are you really asking, Emerson?” I finally managed, my voice quieter than I intended.His posture remained rigid, his jaw clenched tight as if holding back something he wasn’t sure he wanted to say. The faintest crease in his brow betrayed an emotion I hadn’t expected—vulnerability. But there was something else, too, simmering just beneath the surface.Jealousy.The realization sent a shiver down my spine. Emerson, the cold and calculating man who rarely let emotions dictate his actions, was jealous. I hadn’t thought him capable of such a feeling, not when he had spent so much time keeping me at arm’s length, guarding his emotions like precious secrets.“Caleb is a nice young man,” I began cautiously, unsure where this conversation was heading. “He’s... a very qualifi
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 195 - Uncomfortable Questions
Isabel’s POVThe tension in the air was suffocating, and I found myself clenching my fists to keep my nerves at bay. Emerson’s sudden question hung heavily between the three of us. I could feel my heart pounding erratically.Caleb’s usual confidence faltered as Emerson’s piercing gaze bore into him. For a moment, Caleb looked genuinely stunned, his mouth opening and closing without sound. The silence stretched uncomfortably. My thoughts, relentless and intrusive, began to spiral. Caleb’s behavior over the past few days replayed in my mind like fragments of an unsolved puzzle.Did he have feelings for me?The question lingered, its weight growing with each passing second. Some of his recent actions hinted at something deeper.His attentiveness, the way his eyes seemed to linger just a moment too long, the subtle protectiveness in his tone when he spoke about me. Could there be more to it?Or was I just being narcissistic?I held my breath, silently praying.Please… let this be nothing.
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 194 - Fractured Loyalties
Isabel’s POVCaleb barely waited for Emerson to approach before launching into his explanation. He was clearly worried about me. His voice carried the clipped confidence of someone both annoyed and defensive.“Look, before you get all moody and controlling,” Caleb began, stepping forward with his hands half-raised in mock surrender, “I took Isabel out because she needed some air. Nothing happened, alright? No harm, no foul.”Emerson didn’t acknowledge him. His sharp, unyielding gaze locked onto me instead, stripping away any sense of ease I had managed to salvage from the day. The intensity in his eyes made my stomach twist uncomfortably. Though I refused to flinch under the weight of his scrutiny.“Emerson,” Caleb pressed, clearly unwilling to let the tension fester, “you don’t have to interrogate her like this. She’s a grown woman. She doesn’t need a chaperone every time she steps out the door.”“Caleb.” Emerson’s voice was clipped and precise, as though he were severing the convers
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 193 - Unexpected Confrontations
Isabel’s POVMy hands clenched at my sides, my initial shock giving way to anger. “What are you doing here, Lilith?”“Oh, just taking a walk,” she said airily. “What a coincidence running into you two. You know how small the world is.”Her eyes glittered with malice, and I knew she wasn’t here by accident. Whatever game she was playing, it was only just beginning.Lilith turned to Caleb, her voice dripping with fake concern. “You should enjoy your time while you can. You wouldn’t want to end up like Sebastian.”Her words sent a chill through me, but before I could respond, Caleb stepped closer to her, his tone low and dangerous. “Leave. Now.”Lilith’s smug smile widened as she waved her smartphone in the air, its screen flashing faintly in the sunlight. “What do you think Emerson would say,” she purred, “if I told him about this little outing?”I clenched my fists, my annoyance bubbling just beneath the surface. “Lilith, enough with the games. This is Emerson’s cousin Caleb you’re try
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 192 - Swept Away
Isabel’s POV“Captivity, huh?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.“Exactly,” he said, his voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. “While the evil lord of the manor is away, I’m here to whisk you off to freedom.”His words were clearly meant as a joke, but I couldn’t ignore the subtle jab at Emerson. “And where exactly are you planning to whisk me off to?”“You’ll see.” Caleb’s tone turned mysterious. “But it’s somewhere you’ll love, I promise.”I hesitated. Spending time with Caleb felt like a risk. He had always been a wild card, unpredictable and charming in equal measure. And with the complicated web of tension between Emerson and me, getting too close to his cousin felt... inappropriate.“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I said. “Besides, there’s Liam to consider. I can’t just leave him here.”As if summoned by my words, the maid came rushing out, taking Liam in her arms. She looked flustered, apologizing profusely for not hearing the doorbell.“It’s all right,” Caleb said with a sunny smi
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 191 - Mirror’s Deception
Isabel’s POVI forced a laugh, trying to brush off her comment. “I think you’re imagining things,” I said lightly, but the words felt hollow.The maid smiled apologetically. “Perhaps. I didn’t mean anything by it, miss.”At first, it felt absurd—laughable even. Liam was Emerson and Lilith’s child; that was an undeniable fact. But as the seconds ticked by, something darker, more insidious, began to creep into my thoughts.“That’s ridiculous,” I said aloud, though I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince her or myself.The maid gave me a sheepish smile, wringing her hands. “I’m sorry, Miss. It’s just something I noticed. His eyes, maybe? Or his smile? I didn’t mean anything by it.”Her apology only heightened my unease. “It’s fine,” I replied curtly, waving her off.But the seed was planted. My gaze drifted down to Liam, who sat in my lap, staring up at me with a toothy grin. His eyes sparkled with innocence, as if he was oblivious to the storm brewing in my mind.Could it be true?I sh
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 190 - Silent Night
Isabel’s POVThe stillness of the room pressed on me, amplified by the steady rhythm of Emerson’s breathing behind me. He still wasn’t asleep—I could tell by the occasional shift of his weight and the faint sighs escaping him.He had withdrawn his arm when I didn’t answer, but the proximity between us remained charged. Every so often, his body would shift, brushing against mine—a subtle, fleeting contact that sent ripples through my already frayed nerves. Was it accidental? Or deliberate? I couldn’t be sure, and the ambiguity only made it worse.My body, traitorous as ever, reacted in ways I hadn’t anticipated. The heat of his presence seemed to seep into my skin, igniting a tension I had no desire to acknowledge. It wasn’t fair—after everything, after all the anger and betrayal, how could some unintentional touch unravel me like this?I tried to suppress the swirling emotions, willing myself to focus on anything else. But the way my heart raced, the way my breath hitched in those st
His Betrayal, His Regret Chapter 189 - A Promise in the Dark
Isabel’s POVSitting on the kitchen table, Emerson still looming over me, my mind spiraled with guilt. Sebastian was locked up, possibly suffering, all because of me. He’d been trying to help me, to protect me, and now he was paying the price. I clenched my fists in my lap, trying to steady the whirlwind of emotions.“Isabel.”Emerson’s voice broke through the haze. His sharp gaze fixed on me. His head tilted slightly as if studying a puzzle. “You’re quiet. You look… off. Do you know something you’re not telling me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.My heart skipped a beat. Did he suspect? Could he somehow see through me, past the walls I’d painstakingly built?I met his eyes, masking the turmoil within. “No,” I said, forcing a small, almost casual shrug. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long day.”He didn’t seem entirely convinced. His piercing gaze lingered on me longer than I liked. I bit my lip, weighing my options. If Emerson knew the truth about Sebastian’s private investigation and
