Chapter 211
As Isabella listened to Adrian’s urgent assurances, a nagging doubt lingered in her mind. Though she wanted to press him further, she realized that with Adrian driving, it was not the mothent for a confrontation. She tightened her grip on Damian’s hand, her silence heavy with unspoken frustrations. Adrian, aware of the tension, continued to steal glances at Isabella and Damian in the rearview mirror. Isabella, catching his divided attention, snapped sharply. “Just focus on driving.” Her icy tone underscored her concern for their safety, particularly with Damian in the vehicle.
“Okay,” Adrian replied, nodding solemnly. He understood the importance of focusing on the road and redirected his full attention to navigating through the heavy traffic. The journey home, usually brief, dragged on for an agonizing 40 minutes due to the congestion. Once they arrived, Damian hurried to open the door, but Isabella had already unbuckled herself and exited the car with Damian by her side. Her face showed clear signs of distress from their earlier exchange. “Isabella, please believe me. If I am involved with another woman, may I suffer a miserable death, Adrian implored with earnest sincerity.
“Why did you hesitate earlier then?” Isabella demanded, her glare sharp and accusing.
“I was just remembering how stunning you looked the day we first met. Believe me, I wasn’t thinking of anyone else,” Adrian explained, his voice filled with a desperate plea for understanding. Isabella maintained a long, silent stare before turning away and heading toward the stairwell, Damian in tow.
Adrian felt a whirlwind of confusion and distress as he followed them to their doorstep. Just as they were about to enter, Isabella suddenly spun around, and the door slammed shut with a resounding bang, narrowly missing hitting Adrian. He instinctively stepped back, standing at the entrance, his hand raised to knock but then hesitated, ultimately lowering it. He was torn over whether to confess his true identity to Isabella. His heart was heavy with turmoil, knowing full well that Isabella and Carly had a deep–seated disdain for the wealthy elite. The thought of revealing his background as one of those wealthy scions filled him with dread, and he vigorously shook his head, thinking, “No, I can’t handle the repercussions just yet. But what do I do for now?
Adrian remained conflicted for a considerable time before finally pulling out his phone and searching the internet for advice: [What to do when you’ve accidentally upset your wife?] He scrolled through various suggestions, ultimately choosing a low–key approach that wouldn’t overly disturb Isabella and Damian. He ordered a bouquet online and settled to wait patiently outside her door, hoping this small gesture might begin to mend the rift between them.
As time seemed to crawl by, the wait felt interminable, but finally, after what felt like an eternity, the flower delivery arrived. Adrian quickly signed for it and, upon the deliveryman’s hopeful look, he generously awarded a five–star rating, Squatting at the doorstep, Adrian clutched the bouquet of flowers, arranging his features into an expression of profound remorse.
Inside, after firmly closing the door, Isabella led Damian further into the depths of their home. Damian frequently turned to look back at the door and then up at Isabella with a puzzled expression. Despite his closer bond with Isabella and a tendency to often overlook Adrian, Damian had, over the past six months, come to appreciate Adrian due to his consistent affection and presence in their lives. “Daddy didn’t come inside,” Damian observed quietly after a moment. Isabella’s face grew stern as she glanced toward the door. She was indeed seething with anger, and after shutting the door with force, she found herself straining to hear any sounds from outside. She half–expected Adrian to knock, to make some gesture to come in and explain, but the silence was absolute.
Isabella wondered, ‘Has he left?‘ She couldn’t help but feel a wave of disappointment and disillusionment. Over the recent months, she had gradually started to view Adrian as a potential dependable partner. She thought ruefully, Men as expected, I can only truly depend on myself: Resolutely, she turned to Damian and instructed–sharply. “Ignore him.” Damian gave the door a lingering, hesitant look but eventually turned away, deciding to follow his mother’s directive. “Have you had anything to eat yet?” Isabella then asked, changing the subject to distract both Damian and herself.
Damian shook his head and answered, “No.” He had previously expressed his displeasure with Adrian’s subpar culinary efforts, especially criticizing the lunch he had prepared earlier that day. Seizing this opportunity to shift her focus, Isabella headed to the kitchen to prepare a meal for Damian.
That evening was spent in a flurry of activity; she cooked dinner cleaned up Damian’s scattered toys, gave him a bath, and then took a shower herself, all the while pushing thoughts of Adrian to the back of her mind. The next morning, driven by routine, Isabella went to open the door, only to be startled when Adrian, who had been slumped against it, toppled forward as it swung open
09:12 Sat, Aug 3
Chapter 211
Startled, Isabella instinctively reached out to catch him. Meanwhile, Adrian, groggy and disoriented, woke up abruptly. As his senses returned, he quickly stood up and, in his haste, handel the bouquet he had held all night to her. Isabella, taken aback, stared at him. Observing Adrian, who was still in the clothes from the previous day, with dark circles under his eyes and his hair disheveled from spending the night leaning against the door, she hesitated before asking, “You… slept outside all night?”
Adrian earnestly replied, “Isabella, I’m not lying to you. I don’t have another woman. I swear, it’s only you.” Desperate to reassure her, he added, “And I promise, after we get married, I will be faithful to you. I’ll never get involved with anyone else. Despite his heartfelt assurances, Isabella remained silent, her expression stern, but she did not push him away as she had the previous day. Instead, she turned and walked toward the kitchen without a word, her expression neutral.
Adrian, seeing a slight softening in her demeanor, felt his spirits lift. “Isabella, I’ll make breakfast today. Why don’t you go back to sleep for a bit? I’ll wake you when it’s ready,” he suggested, though she continued ignoring him, reaching for the pasta in the cupboard. Unsure of how else to contribute, Adrian busied himself by re–washing the dishes. After finishing, he checked the time and realized it was about time to wake Damian. T’ll go wake Damian,” he announced.
All the while, Isabella remained silent, only sparing a glance at his retreating figure. She was convinced he was hiding something from her. Her intuition was rarely wrong, and his evident guilt from the day before was a clear sign. Yet, given his persistent assurances, she was convinced it wasn’t related to another woman. However, something else was troubling him. Isabella pondered over this as she watched the water in the pot begin to boil, ready for the pasta. As breakfast was finally ready, a sudden thought struck her. She wondered, ‘Could he be in debt? Is that why he’s so afraid of me discovering his past?
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