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Chapter 24

Author: lady.serene
last update publish date: 2025-12-16 18:13:08

Isabella

The day of the gala arrived wrapped in calm sunlight, the kind that pretended everything was normal. I stood in front of the mirror longer than usual, studying my reflection with a critical eye—not out of vanity, but strategy. Appearances mattered. Tonight especially.

The dress I chose was a deep midnight blue, silk that flowed instead of clung, cut perfectly to follow my shape without revealing too much. Elegant. Controlled. The neckline was modest, the sleeves soft and structured, a
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  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 164

    Isabella The wind rushes past us, cool and steady, carrying the faint scent of salt and something clean—something untouched. The ocean stretches endlessly beside us, dark and vast, only breaking into soft silver whenever the light catches the waves just right.For a while, neither of us says anything.We don’t have to.I rest my arms lightly against the edge, letting the breeze brush against my skin, my hair moving freely with every shift of the car. There’s something about this—about being here, in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but the sound of the sea—that makes everything else feel… far away.“You’ve been quiet,” Gabriel says after a moment, his voice low but close enough to reach me through the wind.I glance at him, a faint smile forming. “I think this is the first time in days I’m not thinking about anything,” I admit, my tone softer now. “No work. No problems. No… complications.”His gaze lingers on me. “That’s good.”“It is,” I agree, looking back out at the ocean. “You

  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 163

    Isabella The moment we step inside, I pause.Because this—this isn’t just a plane.It’s… something else entirely.The cabin is nothing like the commercial flights I’m used to. No cramped rows, no overhead bins fighting for space, no noise of strangers settling in. Instead, everything is… open. Spacious. Quiet in a way that feels almost unreal. Cream leather seats, polished wood finishes, soft lighting that doesn’t hurt the eyes—it feels more like a private lounge than an aircraft.My gaze drifts slowly, taking everything in, trying to process how casually Gabriel just brought me here like this is normal.Like this is nothing.“This is your idea of ‘just somewhere’?” I murmur, glancing at him as I move further inside.Gabriel follows behind me, unbothered as ever. “You don’t like it?” he asks, a hint of amusement slipping into his voice.I let out a small breath, shaking my head faintly. “That’s not the point.”A flight attendant—no, not even that. Crew. Professional, composed—approa

  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 162

    Isabella Two weeks pass—and just like that, everything settles into a rhythm that feels almost… too normal.Work becomes the center of everything again. Meetings, site visits, reports—days blur into each other until time starts moving without me noticing. Whatever chaos followed the funeral slowly fades into the background, replaced by routine and deadlines.Lucas doesn’t reach out again.Not a single call. Not a message.Like that conversation never happened.And somehow—that silence feels louder than anything he’s said before.Emily shows up less too. When she does, it’s brief, distant, controlled. No unnecessary interactions, no tension-filled exchanges—just presence, then absence again. It leaves the space lighter, but not necessarily safer.Because something still feels off.Even if no one’s saying it out loud.So it’s just us.Work. Responsibility. Routine.And Gabriel.—Tonight, he picks me up from home.The moment I step out, his car is already there, engine running, headl

  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 161

    Isabella The drive back feels longer than it should.Maybe because the silence inside the car isn’t empty—it’s filled with echoes of a conversation that refuses to settle. Lucas’s voice lingers in my mind, calm and certain, the last thing he said replaying in a loop I can’t quite shut off.You’ll regret this.My grip tightens slightly on the steering wheel, my gaze fixed on the road ahead as I let out a slow breath. For a brief second, I let the weight of it sit there—let myself feel what it’s supposed to do.Fear.Doubt.Hesitation.But none of it sticks.Because beneath all of that, there’s something steadier. Something stronger.I’m not afraid of him.And more than that—I’m not afraid of choosing Gabriel.By the time I pull into the company building, the tension has already settled into something controlled again, tucked neatly beneath the composure I wear like second skin. I don’t waste time lingering, stepping out of the car and heading straight inside, my pace just a little qu

  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 160

    Isabella “That’s why,” he continues, his tone lowering just slightly, something more strategic settling into his voice, “I came prepared with an offer.”The words settle between us—quiet, controlled, but heavy enough to shift the entire direction of the conversation.I don’t speak right away.I just watch him.Because men like Lucas don’t make offers unless they’re already sure of their position.And somehow—he thinks I’m negotiable.He reaches into the inner pocket of his coat with unhurried precision, pulling out a slim document and placing it neatly on the table between us. The movement is smooth, practiced, like this is something he’s done before—handled people, arranged outcomes, closed situations.“Take a look,” he says calmly, gesturing toward it with a slight nod, his gaze never leaving mine.I don’t touch it.Not immediately.Instead, I lean back just slightly, crossing my arms as I hold his gaze, my expression unreadable. “You went through all this trouble,” I say evenly,

  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 159

    Isabella I don’t move right away after the call ends.For a few seconds, I just sit there, staring at the now dark screen of my phone, letting the weight of what just happened settle properly. This isn’t a coincidence. Lucas doesn’t call without reason—especially not like that.Especially not asking to meet in secret.My fingers tap lightly against the desk once… twice… before I finally straighten, the hesitation gone as quickly as it came.If anything—this just confirmed it.I close the folder in front of me, sliding it back into the drawer with deliberate care, making sure nothing looks out of place. No traces. No loose ends. Whatever this is, I’m not risking anyone stumbling into it—not Elias, not Mia… and especially not Gabriel.Not yet.I grab my phone and stand, smoothing out my blouse as I step out of my office, my expression already shifting back into something composed, something normal—like I’m just stepping out for something routine.My secretary looks up the moment I app

  • 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.H

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-20
  • 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 distan

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-20
  • 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 tho

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-20
  • After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back   Chapter 33

    Isabella Time stopped behaving normally after that.Days blurred into weeks, and weeks folded into something quieter—steadier—but no less heavy. Life didn’t slow down because I was pregnant. If anything, it demanded more of me.The vineyard came first.It always had.Mornings began before the sun

    last updateLast Updated : 2026-03-20
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