Se connecterBetween Andrea and Isabella,who do you think really loves the other
105The soft ticking of the wall clock filled the quiet office.Issabella sat on the gray couch with one hand pressed lightly against her forehead.Another headache.The third one this week.And this one felt worse.Across from her, the therapist watched calmly while writing something down in a small notebook.Dr. Helen was a woman in her late forties with a gentle voice and patient eyes that somehow made people feel comfortable enough to talk.But today, Issabella looked exhausted.Mentally exhausted.“You don’t have to force yourself,” Dr. Helen said softly.Issabella let out a frustrated breath.“That’s easy to say.”“You’re putting too much pressure on yourself.”“Because everybody keeps acting like there’s something I need to know.”Dr. Helen remained calm.“There is nothing wrong with you issabel, just calm down.”“Then why can’t I remember anything?”The frustration in her voice was obvious now.Issabella rubbed her temple again as another sharp pain hit her head briefly.Dr. H
104Andrea’s voice echoed sharply through the mansion.The staff froze in fear around them.Only Andrea’s father remained exactly the same.Silent and still.Watching everything without a single word.***The next morning. Vanessa’s eyelids twitched weakly before slowly opening, as the soft morning light filtered through the curtains.For a few seconds, her vision remained blurry.Everything around her felt heavy.Her body.Her head.Even breathing felt painful.She frowned slightly, she was in her room.Then slowly, the memory returned.The fall.The blood.The pain.Vanessa’s heartbeat instantly quickened.She tried sitting up immediately—“Aah!”A sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen and head at once.She gasped and fell back against the bed weakly, breathing hard.“What the hell…”Her hand moved shakily toward her stomach.Fear crawled slowly into her chest.Then the bedroom door opened gently.Vanessa quickly looked up.Andrea walked inside carrying a tray of food and a glas
103The entire mansion was silent.Outside, the night breeze moved gently through the trees while soft moonlight filtered through the large glass windows.It was already past midnight.Most of the staff had gone to sleep, and the house felt unusually still.Inside his bedroom, Andrea sat against the headboard with his laptop resting on his lap.The light from the screen reflected faintly across his face as he worked quietly.Or at least, he tried to work.Because every few minutes, his thoughts drifted back to Issabella again.The memory of her fiery eyes.The slap.The way she melted into his arms for those few seconds before pushing him away.Andrea sighed quietly and shut the laptop halfway.“This woman…”A faint smile appeared on his lips before he shook his head slightly.Just then—Knock knock.Andrea frowned.At this hour?Who else if it wasn't the annoying Vanessa? He was only putting up with her because she is carrying his child.“Come in.”The door slowly opened, and Vanessa
102Andrea loosened the first two buttons of his shirt as he walked into his bedroom.The room was quiet and dimly lit, the soft golden light from the bedside lamp spreading across the expensive furniture.Normally, after a long day, he would head straight for a shower or open his laptop to continue working.But tonight was different.Tonight, his mind refused to settle.Because of her.Because of his long forgotten wife, Issabella, the one every one tagged “dead” meanwhile, she was freely moving around.Andrea exhaled slowly and sat at the edge of the bed, leaning forward with both elbows resting on his knees.Then suddenly, against his will, he smiled.That woman was unbelievable.The slap alone still shocked him.He touched his cheek lightly and laughed under his breath again.Nobody had ever dared to do that to him before.Nobody.Yet somehow, instead of making him angry, it only made him more interested in her.His mind replayed the entire scene again.Her furious face.Her fiery
101By the time they arrived at the house, the sky had already grown darker.The compound lights glowed softly against the evening breeze as Issabella parked the car carefully in front of the house.She switched off the engine and immediately released a long breath she didn’t even realize she had been holding.Her heart still felt strangely unsettled. Andrea’s face flashed through her mind again.The way he held her.The way he looked at her.The confidence in his voice when he said—“You still have my child.”Issabella quickly shook the thought away.Crazy man.Completely crazy.Beside her, Lucas was already unbuckling his seatbelt excitedly.“Mummy.”Issabella immediately knew she was about to hear something annoying.“What?”“Why did you slap that handsome man?”Issabella almost closed her eyes in frustration.“Lucas.”“What? I’m asking.”She opened the car door quickly.“I don’t want to discuss it.”Lucas followed her out immediately.“But why did you slap him?”“Because he blocke
100Andrea watched her approach with amusement dancing in his eyes.Honestly, he had expected many reactions from her.Fear,shock, and confusion.But definitely not this level of anger.Before he could even properly greet her..SLAP!The sound echoed sharply across the quiet road.Andrea’s head turned slightly from the force, even Lucas gasped loudly inside the car.Issabella glared at Andrea furiously, her chest rising and falling heavily.“Are you insane?” she snapped. “Is seeing us dead your mission?”Andrea slowly turned his face back toward her.Instead of anger, amusement slowly spread across his expression.Interesting.Very interesting.Most women trembled around him, but this one slapped him, just like seven years ago.Andrea rubbed the side of his cheek slowly before laughing softly.“You slap quite hard you know.”“Don’t play with me!” Issabella fired back angrily. “You almost caused an accident!”Andrea straightened slightly. “I only wanted to talk.”“By blocking my car?”
034Isabella’s fingers twitched first, It was faint, so faint it could have been mistaken for nothing. But then it happened again.Beside her, Ethan slept in an awkward position, his head resting on the edge of the bed, one arm folded beneath him. Isabella’s eyelids fluttered open, and the lights
032Isabella lay on a hospital bed. She looked pale yet peaceful. Machines beeped steadily around her. She had just gone through her surgical operation and had gone into a coma, as pronounced by the doctor.At the far end of the ward was an incubator, with Isabella’s premature baby lying inside. Et
027Andrea slammed the door open so hard it crashed against the wall.He stormed into the living room, brushing past his guards without even sparing them a glance as they greeted him.He dropped heavily onto a chair, dragging a shaky hand through his neatly styled hair. His fingers clawed through i
024“The number you dialed is not available at the moment.”Andrea angrily dropped the phone on the table. He had been trying to reach issabella again and again, but her number was not connecting. Did she block him?He picked up the phone again and stared at the screen. “Isabella,” he muttered.







