Isabella gripped the steering wheel tightly. She was using Google Maps to find the location written in the data Kevin had given her. She didn’t completely trust Kevin, but she trusted Felix, and Felix had entrusted this task to Kevin. She changed direction, battling the night with all the emotions swirling in her head.This was about finding Irene, her twin sister who had suddenly disappeared a few weeks after her engagement to Rudolf. That should be Isabella’s priority now. But somehow, her focus was split between thinking about Irene and wondering what was really happening between Felix and Sarah.Isabella’s car sped toward a small town on the outskirts of New York called Marysweet Avenue. She had heard a little about the place before but had never been interested enough to visit. As far as Isabella could remember, Irene had mentioned this place once. It was a rural area on the city’s border, where Irene had conducted research for her college project.As Isabella entered the road le
"Are you alright, Isabella?"Nicholas got off his motorcycle, parked it, and immediately helped Isabella stand up. Isabella dusted off her backside after falling onto the asphalt, nodded, and said, "I'm fine. But what are you doing here?""Shouldn't I be asking you that? What are you doing in a remote village like Marysweet Avenue, Bella?"Isabella fell silent. Her mind still replayed the moment she discovered Rudolf and the reality that he had a baby. Letting out a long sigh, Isabella lowered her voice. "I think I found—""Found Irene?" Nicholas suddenly interrupted."How did you know?"Nicholas sighed, taking his helmet off the motorcycle and saying, "It's dark and cold here. We should talk while heading back to the city. Were you walking?""My car ran out of gas, back there," Isabella said, pointing to her SUV parked quite far behind them. She shrugged. "I couldn’t find anyone to help, so I started walking."With his uncanny intuition, Nicholas immediately sensed that Isabella was
Felix looked around and turned to see Sarah behind him. Shaking his head in disbelief, he said, "Are you serious, Sarah?"Sarah nodded, smiling as she held Felix’s arm with a joyful expression. "Of course, Felix. Come on, let’s go!""Wait, but this—""Sarah!"The voice cut Felix off before he could finish his words. He turned, and so did Sarah. There was Noel, their old friend. The man of English descent, who later married an African woman, had become one of their business partners in the media industry."Oh, hi, Felix. I didn’t know Sarah would bring you," Noel said with a hint of sarcasm.He wrapped his arm around Sarah’s waist and kissed her cheek gently. Felix was suddenly reminded of Isabella. Isabella would never want this if she were Sarah."Well, my relationship with Felix has improved a bit, and that’s good, right?"Noel looked between Sarah and Felix. He seemed hesitant but finally nodded reluctantly. "Sure. So... are we leaving now?""Of course. Come on, Felix."Unlike a qu
Isabella had just arrived home after searching for Irene and wandering around the town of Marysweet Avenue. It had been an exhausting and... very dramatic journey. She dropped herself onto the sofa, staring blankly at the large television in front of her. Her reflection appeared on the black screen, showing how disheveled and tired she looked.With a deep sigh, Isabella glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost midnight, nearly twelve, and Felix still hadn’t come home."What exactly is Felix doing with Sarah?"Curiosity filled Isabella's chest. She reached into the backpack she had carelessly thrown onto the sofa and pulled out her smartphone. Unfortunately, it was out of battery, and she sighed yet again."My phone's dead, that's bad."Isabella got up from the sofa, leaving her exhaustion behind as she headed to take a bath. Her body felt weighed down, and a bath filled with mint and vanilla-scented bubbles seemed like the best choice right now. Not only did she prepare a fragr
The sound of an alarm from her phone woke Isabella. She struggled to open her eyes, feeling as if something heavy was weighing them down, almost like glue holding them shut. Slowly, she blinked and tried to gather her thoughts all at once. The memories of yesterday made her head ache. About Irene. About Felix. About everything.A long sigh escaped Isabella's lips. She got up and looked around. Her room was still the same. Nothing had changed."Has Felix come back yet?" Isabella touched her neck. "Oh, great, my voice is hoarse from crying all night. How did all this chaos happen at once?"Isabella stood up, hurried to check Felix’s room, but he still hadn’t returned. Her blue eyes scanned the entire house, confirming that her husband hadn’t been back since yesterday. She returned to her room and picked up her phone, but there were no new messages. Felix hadn’t replied or called back. Isabella's heart grew even more uneasy. Did this mean Felix had returned to Sarah and left her?Not wan
Isabella spent the rest of the afternoon with an unsettling feeling that continued to haunt her, growing stronger as time passed. Felix still hadn’t come home, and she couldn’t shake the image of Felix with Sarah from her mind. When night fell, she knew she couldn’t just sit around any longer. Felix’s parents, especially his mother, Sophia Baker, might have the answers—if Felix was avoiding her, perhaps he had gone to them.After a silent and anxious drive through the city streets, Isabella arrived at the grand Baker family estate. There was always a coldness she felt every time she came there, like the grand mansion was designed to intimidate rather than welcome. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the car and walked toward the front door, hoping for answers.Sophia Baker herself answered the door, her sharp gaze immediately fixed on Isabella with a mixture of surprise and disdain. “Irene,” she said in a stiff voice, “what are you doing here?”Isabella’s heart sank immediately.
Isabella had been sitting in her car for about thirty minutes, trying to calm herself down. She suddenly felt numb, unable to empathize with anything in front of her anymore. About Irene. About Felix. Was the world always this disappointing?Isabella's phone rang for what felt like the hundredth time. This time, she managed to gather her thoughts. Her hand moved to pick up the phone."Where are you, Isabella?""Hi, Nick. I think… I can’t meet you," Isabella said, her voice still hoarse. She wasn’t even sure if talking would make her feel better at this point. She watched as other cars passed by. "Maybe… I just need more time.""Let me come to you.""No, no. Really. I just… can’t handle this right now."A heavy sigh came from the other end. Nicholas, too, seemed to realize how fragile Isabella’s state was. Finally, he said, "Alright, call me if you need anything.""Sure."Click.Isabella lifted her head and stared at herself in the mirror, putting on her sunglasses to cover her puffy e
All her life, Isabella had lived in a pleasant fictional world. She was a writer. She could ensure that the characters she created would have a happy ending, or the opposite. Living in such a comfortable world left Isabella shocked by the reality she now had to face. Losing her twin sister, disguising herself as a personal secretary, entering a contract marriage, and now being cheated on—this situation had completely drained Isabella of ideas.She stopped the car after arriving at her parents' house. Taking several deep breaths to compose herself, Isabella finally summoned the courage to get out of the car and walk toward the front door."Okay, I know this is a bad decision, but... it's the only choice I have."Isabella stood, walked toward the front door, and knocked on her parents’ house late at night. It wasn’t even the right time for a “parental visit,” but Isabella felt she couldn’t handle this on her own.Ben stood in the doorway, his eyes softening the moment he saw Isabella's