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Chapter 116

Author: lady.serene
last update publish date: 2026-02-27 19:45:35

Isabella

He steps inside the nursery fully this time and closes the door quietly behind him.

The sound is soft.

Respectful.

I’m still seated on the rocking chair, fingers gripping the armrest like I need something solid to hold on to.

Gabriel walks slowly toward the window, looking around the room like he’s seeing it again for the first time.

“I used to come here at night,” he says casually, almost like he’s confessing something small. “After work. When the house was quiet.”

I look at him.

He
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    Isabella The morning light of the gala felt different—heavy, with a silent urgency that made every tick of the clock feel like a countdown. As I watched the emerald gown hanging by the window, I felt a sharp chill that had nothing to do with the morning breeze."Isabella! Are you even listening? I said we need the extra-hold hairspray!" Mia’s voice cut through my thoughts. She was at the vanity, wrestling with a stubborn curl while looking radiant in her own right.I forced a smile, pulling myself back to the room. "Sorry, Mia. Just pre-gala jitters."Right on cue, my phone vibrated. A text from Gabriel.I’ll be there in an hour. Be ready to be the most beautiful woman in that ballroom. I can’t wait to see you."Ooh! Is that the birthday boy?" Mia teased, leaning over to catch a glimpse of the screen. "One hour, girl! We better move before that man's heart stops when he sees you at the door.""Relax, Mia. We're almost done," I laughed, starting on my makeup. "But speaking of... Elias

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    Isabella The site was already awake when I arrived.Steel clanged against steel somewhere in the distance, the low grind of machinery cutting through the morning air. Men in hard hats moved with purpose across the concrete, radios crackling, voices overlapping in clipped bursts of instruction. Nor

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