On the way to the wedding hall, Alex sighed and closed his eyes, with Isabella sitting beside him in the car."You can do this, Alex. Just get through this, and then there's only one more thing to handle before it's over with her." He thought to himself, trying to muster some motivation.He dreaded the thought of kissing Isabella at the podium in front of everyone, but he knew it was unavoidable. The memory of the scene at the court they had just left replayed in his mind, filling him with disgust. The vows, which could have been an obstacle, were now behind them thanks to the compromise—the agreement after divorce—and this brought a fleeting smile to his lips.She noticed his brief smile and could not resist the urge to tease him. She loved having that power over him, making the formidable Alex seem weak and pliable. She loved having that power over him—making the formidable Alex, whom everyone else saw as strong, seem weak and pliable.She leaned her head lightly on his shoulder,
Emily did not regret accepting Sarah's proposal to spend the day together. They enjoyed each other's company immensely, from watching movies and playing games to cooking and sharing a meal. As Emily walked Sarah outside, Sarah beamed with joy. "It’s been so long since I’ve had a day this enjoyable," Sarah exclaimed with happiness. Emily responded with a warm smile, their eyes meeting in mutual understanding. She, too, had needed this companionship. Since Amara's death, a lingering pain has shadowed her days—especially the revelation that Amara, whom she had lost, was actually her mother. "We seem to have a real connection," Emily finally said, her voice sincere. Sarah, walking a few steps ahead, suddenly turned to face her. "So..." She began, drawing out the word, "Does that mean we're friends now?" Emily hesitated for a moment. "No, not quite yet. We're just acquaintances for now. Let's start from there," she replied, wanting to give their budding friendship a
Alex's brow furrowed as he scanned the contents of the file, revealing a school application form for a child named Jason. Confusion clouded his features; he had assumed it belonged to one of Isabella's stepbrothers, given their shared surname, until a stark realization struck him—none of them bore that name.He clutched the file, his gaze sweeping over the depths of her closet, where he had found the document. "Who could this belong to?" he muttered, his voice laced with bewilderment. "And why would she keep it hidden away like this?""Whatever." A part of him yearned to return the file to its resting place, dismissing it as none of his concern now that he had retrieved the item Isabella had requested. Yet, an insistent voice within him urged him to unravel the mystery—to uncover the child's identity and their connection to her.Driven by this curiosity, he resolved to task the private investigator, who had previously failed to uncover Isabella's motives for agreeing to their marr
"I can now be free from her, finally." As his stomach churned in happiness, he thought inwardly.Under normal circumstances, the disclosure about Isabella's sex with Derek alone would not have been sufficient to terminate their relationship. However, given the information he already possessed, he was convinced that it would lead to its conclusion.He thanked the private investigator, paid him, and left.Filled with happiness, he called Henry to inform him."Henry, I'm finally free! I'm finally done with Isabella." Alex's voice was laced with excitement."You finally grew the balls to break up with her?" Henry inquired.Alex recounted the entire situation to Henry, who was taken aback, particularly by the allegation that Isabella had sex with Derek."Why didn't you inform me when it all went down?" Henry inquired."Because I knew how you would react and what you would have suggested I do," Alex responded, his tone tinged with apprehension. "You're about to blame me for not doing what
While Alex was at his workplace on that day, he made phone calls to his own parents and Isabella's parents. The purpose of these calls was to arrange a meeting at his house, which was to take place the following morning.That was his plan: to expose Isabella's secrets during the meeting. He believed her parents were already aware of her hidden child. By revealing that and her other secret, he intended to abruptly end his marriage with Isabella in front of their families.On getting home, he met Isabella in the living room."What is happening tomorrow?" Isabella asked him."Oh. I guess your father already called to inform you about it." He chuckled."Just answer my goddam question!" Alex smiled because she thought she was still in control of him. Only if she knew."You'll find out about it tomorrow, Isabella," he said. "For now, let's just get some rest." He turned towards the stairs.Her eyes flashed with indignation. She sprang up from the sofa, her fists clenched at her sides.
Isabella's father said nothing but held a fierce gaze at Isabella as he gave her the phone.Her eyes widened in shock as the image flickered on the screen. In an instant, she was transported back to that fateful day, the memory searing through her mind, threatening to unravel everything she held dear—her world, her future, and her very sense of self.Her world tilted, the room spinning around her. She heard a strange, keening sound and realised distantly that it was coming from her own throat.Her father then suddenly snatched the phone away from her, his chest heaving with rage and something else. Something worse: disappointment and disgust.Her cheeks burned with shame as she lowered her gaze, unable to face him or anyone else in the room. She stared at the scuffed tiles, tracing the cracks with her eyes as if they might reveal an escape route."You're useless." Her father's voice echoed in her mind, every syllable a dagger. She squeezed her eyes shut as she regretted her careles
Isabella hung her head, unable to meet anyone's gaze as the heated argument between her father and Alex's parents escalated. Shame burned her cheeks, and disappointment settled like a lead weight in her stomach. This was her chance—her one opportunity to prove her father wrong, to show him she could excel. She had been so sure of herself and confident in her abilities. But now, as the adults' voices rose in anger, that prospect crumbled before her eyes as any hopes of redemption slipped through her fingers like grains of sand, leaving her adrift in a sea of humiliation and defeat."Like he said, you should leave this house today!" Alex's father spat before storming out of there with his wife in annoyance.There were now three in the room: Isabella, her father, and her stepmother."I was always pushing you, saying those words about you, thinking that would motivate you to accomplish this small mission, but you still ended up disappointing me, you loser."She could not dare look at her
Since Derek had failed in his mission, he decided to meet with Santiago to inform him.To Derek's surprise, when he told Santiago, Santaigo laughed hysterically."So why are you here exactly?" Santiago asked him.Derek struggled to find the words, afraid to reveal the true reason for his visit."I...I..." he stammered, his voice catching in his throat.Santiago grew impatient and furious. "Are you deaf? Can't you speak?" he demanded.Finally, Derek mustered the courage to say what he came for. "I was thinking that... perhaps the information I've gathered while on the mission is enough for whatever you plan to do with Mr. Thornton, sir."Santiago chuckled, amused by what he considered audacity from Derek. "Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten our initial agreement?"It was why Derek was initially reluctant to spill it out due to their original agreement, which stated that he would abort the mission only if Santiago explicitly ordered him to do so. "I know, sir. Please. I know I've