All Chapters of Never meant to be: Chapter 11 - Chapter 19

IsabellaI let out a breath of relief as I walked off the dance floor. Thank God that was over. The spotlight, the forced smile, the awkward yet strangely pleasant dance with Logan—it was all behind me now. I headed straight for the bar, desperate for a moment to myself and something to steady my nerves.“Champagne, please,” I said, and the bartender quickly handed me a flute.The cool bubbles fizzed against my lips, and I allowed myself a moment to savor the taste. For the first time all evening, I felt a flicker of calm. That flicker lasted about ten seconds.“Well, if it isn’t Cinderella herself,” a saccharine voice drawled behind me.I turned to see Clarissa, my new stepsister, looking me up and down with an expression that screamed condescension. She was dressed to the nines, of course, in a figure-hugging red gown that practically screamed for attention.“Clarissa,” I greeted, my voice flat.She tilted her head, her smile cold and calculating. “You know, I wasn’t sure how you’d

IsabellaThe hum of fluorescent lights in the office felt different today, a little heavier, a little final. My desk, once cluttered with sticky notes, pens, and the occasional candy wrapper, now looked bare. My last day at work had arrived, and as much as I tried to convince my mom not to drag us into the Sinclair orbit, she wouldn’t budge. So here I was, saying goodbye to a place I’d grown comfortable in, to people who had become a steady part of my life.A small group of my colleagues gathered around my desk, their smiles a mix of encouragement and sadness. “We’re going to miss you, Isabella,” one of them said, handing me a card filled with scribbled well-wishes and good luck messages.“I’ll miss you all too,” I replied, my voice catching slightly.As the group began to disperse back to their tasks, I spotted Carlson making his way toward me. My heart skipped a beat, as it always did when I saw him. Even after a year of dating, the sight of his easy smile still had that effect on m

Logan -I leaned back in my chair, watching Isabella leave my office. She held a notebook in one hand, a pen in the other, her expression focused as she reviewed the notes she’d just taken. It had only been her first week, but it was already clear—Isabella wasn’t the type to waste time or ask unnecessary questions. She was sharp, efficient, and professional to a fault.As the door clicked shut behind her, Derek leaned casually against the frame of my desk, a skeptical look on his face.“She’s quick,” he said, crossing his arms. “But aren’t you expecting a lot from someone who just started? You threw her straight into the deep end, Logan.”I smirked, tilting my chair back slightly. “She’ll handle it.”Derek raised an eyebrow, his expression unconvinced. “Confident, aren’t we? What makes you so sure?”I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk.“If you’d come to my father’s wedding,” I said, my tone casual but laced with meaning, “you’d already know why.”Derek’s brow furrowed, his

LoganThe moment Isabella walked out of my office, I smacked my forehead with the heel of my hand. What the hell was I thinking?It wasn’t like me to lose my cool—or my focus—but there I was, sitting at my desk, replaying the moment like a bad movie.Do you have a boyfriend?I wasn’t even sure why I’d asked. The question had slipped out before I could stop it.Now, she probably thought I was some kind of creep. Fantastic. Just what I needed on top of an already chaotic day.I leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly, trying to shake off the discomfort. It wasn’t like me to fumble, especially not around someone like Isabella. Derek walked in, carrying a folder. He placed it on my desk with a decisive thud, oblivious to my inner turmoil.“We need to finalize the influencers for the next advertising campaign,” he began, launching into a rundown of the options. “These are the top contenders based on reach and engagement metrics. I think we should—”“Hmm,” I said absently, my eyes drifting

IsabellaFridays had always been my favorite day of the week, but today felt special. My mind buzzed with excitement as I thought about the weekend ahead. Carlson and I had planned a getaway to his lake house, and I couldn’t wait to escape the endless grind of work, even if only for a couple of days. The day had started well enough, but my bubble burst mid-morning when Logan called me into his cabin.“Isabella,” he barked, holding a printed stack of papers in his hand, “what is this?”I blinked, startled. “The quarterly report you asked for?”“This isn’t a quarterly report,” he snapped. “It’s a mess. The format is all wrong, the data is incomplete, and worst of all, it’s not even your job to make this report! It’s the responsibility of the data analytics team.”I felt a chill creep up my spine. “I... I thought—”“Where did you get the data?” he interrupted, his tone sharp.I swallowed hard, fumbling for words. “Amy told me the files were in the shared drive under ‘Q2 Summary.’ I used