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Chapter 22

Penulis: lady.serene
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-12-15 22:37:30

Isabella

The house was quiet, unnervingly quiet after the city’s distant hum had faded behind us. Gabriel was slumped against the sofa, the blanket I’d tucked over him barely containing the subtle rise and fall of his broad shoulders. His dark hair fell across his forehead in messy waves, a strand brushing his cheek as he muttered incoherently to himself.

I crossed my arms over my chest, assessing him like a general surveying the battlefield. Drunk, unsteady, but not dangerous. Not yet. That, at least, I could control.

“Gabriel,” I said, low and firm. “You’re staying here. On this sofa. Do not get up.”

His head turned toward me, eyes glassy, a small frown forming between his brows. “I—” He attempted words, but they came out slurred and incoherent.

I stepped closer, voice unyielding. “I don’t care what you think. You stay. You sleep. You don’t move. Understand?”

He blinked, as if trying to grasp my tone, then mumbled something that sounded like a half-hearted agreement. I didn’t wait f
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  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 32

    Isabella Lunch stretched longer than any of us expected.Plates were cleared, then replaced with coffee, then dessert that Mia insisted on ordering “for morale.” The window beside us framed the vineyard road in warm afternoon light, dust floating lazily in the air as trucks passed by in the distance.Elias leaned back in his chair, arms crossed loosely. “So,” he said, eyes returning to me, “tell me more about the next phase. Beyond barrels and aging.”I didn’t hesitate. This was the part I loved—the part that felt like building something alive.“We diversify without diluting,” I said. “The flagship wines remain untouched. Same standards. Same scarcity. But we introduce a secondary label—still estate-grown, still controlled—but younger. Accessible. It brings people in without lowering the ceiling.”Mia nodded. “Gateway wine.”“Exactly,” I said. “It funds the patience required for the rest.”“And tourism?” Elias asked.I smiled faintly. “Selective. By appointment. Curated experiences.

  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 31

    IsabellaThe vineyard had always felt like breathing to me.Not effortless—but necessary.The air that morning was crisp, carrying the faint sweetness of ripening grapes and damp earth. Rows of vines stretched endlessly ahead, green and disciplined, soaking up the early light. This was where my thoughts finally settled. Where fear loosened its grip. Where everything made sense again.I stood at the edge of the first block, tablet tucked under my arm, boots sinking slightly into the soil.“This section’s yield increased by twelve percent last quarter,” I said calmly. “But the sugar content dipped.”Elias glanced at the vines, then at the data on his phone. “Which means?”“Which means the soil’s tired,” I replied. “We pushed volume instead of balance. That ends this season.”He hummed. “And you’re willing to lose output?”“I’m willing to lose short-term numbers for long-term reputation,” I said without hesitation. “Bad wine sells once. Good wine sells forever.”A pause.Then Elias smile

  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 30

    Isabella Lena hesitated.It wasn’t dramatic—no gasp, no sudden tension—but I noticed it anyway. The way her shoulders stiffened. The way her fingers folded together as if bracing herself against something heavy.Then she exhaled.Slowly. Carefully. Like a woman who had been holding a truth inside her for far too long.“On the first night you were gone,” she began quietly, “he came home past midnight.”I didn’t react. I didn’t ask her to continue.I simply waited.“He was drunk,” she said. “Not loud. Not violent. Not reckless. Just…” She searched for the right word, eyes lowering briefly. “Empty.”My fingers curled against the cushion beneath me.“I had never seen him like that before, Isabella,” she went on. “Not once. Even when he was furious. Even when work was crushing him from all sides. He was always controlled. Always precise. That night, he wasn’t.”The house felt suddenly too quiet. Too still.“He didn’t turn on the lights,” Lena continued. “He stood in the foyer for a long t

  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 29

    Isabella I woke to the sound of movement.Not abrupt. Not careless. Just… there.For half a second, panic flared—my body reacting before my mind caught up. Then I remembered. The hospital. The drive home. The weight beside me that hadn’t left.Gabriel.I didn’t open my eyes right away.The bed dipped slightly as he shifted, careful even in sleep. I could feel the heat of him at my back, close enough to be unmistakable, far enough to be intentional. His arm was no longer around me, but I could sense where it had been, like my skin remembered before I did.Morning light filtered through the curtains, soft and pale. Too gentle for the mess in my head.I inhaled slowly.My body felt… sore, but stable. No sharp pain. No panic curling in my stomach. Instinctively, my hand moved to my abdomen. Still flat. Still quiet.Relief washed over me—quick, overwhelming—before I pushed it back down. I wouldn’t let myself spiral. Not now.Behind me, Gabriel exhaled.I felt him sit up.The mattress shif

  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 28

    Isabella I woke up to the quiet hum of machines and the unfamiliar weight of stillness pressing against my chest. My first instinct was panic—my hand flew to my stomach, breath hitching as I waited for pain that didn’t come.A soft knock sounded before the door opened.Gabriel was already there.He stood by the window, jacket gone, sleeves rolled up, hair disheveled in a way that told me he hadn’t slept. He turned the moment he sensed I was awake, crossing the room in three long strides.“You’re awake,” he said, voice low, controlled—but his eyes betrayed him. Relief cracked through them before he masked it.“I’m fine,” I said automatically.He didn’t respond to that. Instead, he reached for the chair beside my bed and sat, elbows braced on his knees.“You’re not going home alone,” he said.There it was. No preamble. No soft landing.I exhaled slowly. “Gabriel—”“Listen to me first.” His tone wasn’t raised, but it carried weight. Authority. “The doctor made it clear. You’re on strict

  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 27

    IsabellaThere are memories that don’t fade no matter how much time passes. They don’t soften. They don’t dull. They wait—quietly, patiently—until something cracks you open enough for them to rush back in.Like now.The music in the ballroom blurred into background noise as I moved away from the dance floor, my heels carrying me forward while my mind slipped backward—years into the past, into a version of Gabriel the world rarely saw.The Gabriel who knelt.The Gabriel who shook.The Gabriel who loved me without reservation.It had been late afternoon, the kind where the sky was painted in warm gold, the sun low and indulgent. Gabriel had told me we were visiting one of the older Thorne properties—just business, he’d said, casual, almost distracted.I should have known better.The vineyard stretched endlessly before me when we arrived, rows of green heavy with fruit, the air sweet and earthy. Lanterns hung between posts, unlit but waiting. White fabric danced softly in the breeze. The

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