Isabella sat on Ben's porch, enjoying the quiet night. Beside her, Felix sat with folded arms, his expression filled with regret. They had been through a lot together, and although their relationship was based on a contract marriage, deeper feelings had started to grow between them. Yet, all of that felt like a fading shadow amidst the conflicts that had arisen.Felix took a deep breath before finally starting a difficult conversation. "Isabella, I... I want to apologize," he said, his voice heavy. "About Sarah... I know it's complicated and confusing, but I never wanted to hurt you."Isabella looked at him coldly, waiting for further explanation. She had heard Sarah's name many times, and although she tried to close her heart, jealousy and disappointment always seeped in whenever that name came up.Felix continued, "My relationship with Sarah is very complicated. We have a long history before all of this, and I know how messy this situation is. But what you need to know is that I nev
Isabella sat at the bar in a fancy restaurant, several empty wine bottles lined up on the table in front of her. Her face was flushed, and her smile grew thinner as time passed, but Nicholas, sitting beside her, was becoming more worried. Isabella wasn’t the type to get drunk often, and this time, she had gone way beyond her limit."Isabella, that’s enough," Nicholas said gently but firmly, trying to take the wine bottle from her hand. "You've had too much to drink."Isabella chuckled softly, though her laugh sounded bitter. "Not enough, Nicholas. I... still want to forget, even if it’s just for tonight."Nicholas quickly grabbed the bottle before Isabella could pour more wine into her glass. "You're not going to solve anything by getting drunk," Nicholas said patiently. "Come on, I’ll take you home."Isabella shook her head slowly, her face looking tired and disheveled. "I don’t want to go home. I don’t know what I’ll do if I go home."Nicholas looked at her with concern. He understo
CHAPTER 61Ben looked at Nicholas with a serious yet warm expression. After the events of that day, although he trusted Nicholas, Ben felt the need to protect Isabella and ensure there were no misunderstandings. "Nicholas," Ben said, gently patting his shoulder, "if you want, you can stay the night. But it's better if you sleep on the couch. I don't want anything to be misinterpreted or misunderstood."Nicholas nodded, fully understanding the situation Ben was referring to. "Of course, Ben. I'll be here if Isabella needs anything. Thank you for trusting me."Ben nodded before heading to his room, leaving Nicholas alone in the living room. Nicholas sighed deeply, his eyes drifting toward Isabella's bedroom, where the door was slightly ajar. Quietly, he walked closer to check on her before settling down on the couch, as Ben had suggested.As Nicholas peeked inside, he saw Isabella asleep in her bed. However, her expression showed deep concern. Occasionally, her body moved restlessly, an
CHAPTER 62Isabella woke up feeling still tired. Although the night had passed, her mind was still shrouded in fog from all the chaos that had occurred recently—Felix, Nicholas, and most importantly, Irene. She slowly rose from her bed, feeling a dull throbbing in her head, and walked out of her room.In the kitchen, the aroma of tomato egg soup greeted her. Rose, as usual, had woken up early and prepared a warm breakfast. "Good morning, Bella," Rose greeted with a friendly smile as Isabella entered the kitchen."Good morning, Mom," Isabella replied with a weak smile, then sat down at the dining table with Ben, who was already waiting for her.Rose placed a bowl of soup in front of her, a look of concern on her face. "I made you tomato egg soup, your favorite. Hopefully, this will help you feel a bit better."Isabella smiled softly, though her heart still felt heavy. "Thank you, Mom. You're the best."They began to have breakfast in a comfortable silence, but Isabella felt that it was
Ben, with his heart pounding, rushed to check the attic after hearing something strange coming from there. The faint sounds from above seemed to call him to act. He quickly found a locked door, which appeared to be hiding something behind it. Without thinking twice, Ben prepared to break it down.With a strong kick, the door burst open. The old wooden door shattered with a loud crash that echoed through the attic. Everyone—Isabella and Rose, who were behind him—stood still for a moment, shocked by what they saw inside.There, sitting in the corner of a small, gloomy room, was Irene. She looked exhausted and thin, but the most shocking thing was that she was nursing a baby. Earphones were plugged into her ears, as if trying to escape the reality around her. When the door opened, Irene jerked in surprise, turning with eyes full of fear, before quickly removing her earphones.“Irene…” whispered Isabella, her voice hoarse with disbelief at what she was seeing.Ben didn’t wait any longer.
CHAPTER 64Isabella walked into Felix’s office with a heavy heart. In her hand, she held a resignation letter—not just from her job, but from Felix's life. Everything had become too complicated, and she couldn’t stay trapped in a relationship without clarity.Felix sat at his desk, focused on his computer screen, as if nothing was wrong between them. The silence around them was tense, but Felix remained calm, indifferent to the strain clearly filling the room.Isabella stood in front of Felix’s desk, looking at him with eyes full of pain. After taking a deep breath, she pulled the resignation letter from her bag and placed it firmly on Felix’s desk.“Here,” Isabella said with a calm but firm voice. “My resignation letter. I’ve decided… I want to end everything—my job, and our relationship.”Felix glanced at the letter, but his face remained expressionless. Silence hung between them. He didn’t say a word, didn’t ask questions, didn’t stop her. His gaze remained empty, as if Isabella’s
CHAPTER 65Nicholas stepped into Isabella's house with a slight feeling of tension, though he tried to remain calm. This was the first time he had met Irene in person since she had been found.In the living room, Irene was sitting on the sofa, cradling her baby, who was peacefully asleep in her arms. The baby, named Selena, was a symbol of hope amid the chaos they were facing.Nicholas smiled warmly when he saw Irene. He carried a bouquet of flowers in his hand, which he gently offered to her. "These are for you, Irene. I hope they can brighten your day a little."Irene looked at Nicholas with a weary face but filled with gratitude. She accepted the flowers and smiled faintly. "Thank you, Nicholas. They're beautiful."Nicholas sat down beside Isabella, who had accompanied him inside. "How are you feeling now?" Nicholas asked softly, his tone full of concern.Irene sighed, her eyes glancing at Selena, still sleeping soundly in her arms. "I'm... still struggling. There are days when I fe
Sarah sat down in front of Felix's desk, her eyes focused on the man in front of her, who appeared calm despite the tense atmosphere between them. She had just informed Felix that she had filed for divorce from Louis—a difficult decision but one she believed was the only way to be with Felix again.However, Felix's response was far from what she had expected."I don’t want to continue this relationship, Sarah," Felix said in a flat, almost emotionless tone. "Our relationship is over, and I don’t want us to go back to how things were."Sarah was taken aback by Felix's words, her eyes widening in shock. "What do you mean, Felix? Do you know how much I've sacrificed for this? I left Louis... for us. For a second chance at us."Felix took a deep breath before looking at Sarah with a serious expression. "I know, Sarah, and I appreciate what you've done. But I've made my decision. I'm going to London, and I won’t be coming back to New York."Sarah's face instantly paled, her entire body fee