LOGIN112Isabella hadn’t even fully recovered from everything at the restaurant when the doorbell rang.She paused in the middle of the living room, her hand still resting on a glass of water.Lucas was in his room. The doorbell rang again. This time, more desperate.Isabella frowned and walked toward the door.When she opened it. Her expression hardened instantly.Ethan was standing s there, breathing heavily.“What? Ethan…”“Isabella…” he said quickly, stepping forward. “Please, just listen to me.”Issabella didn’t move, instead, her grip tightened on the door.“How did you even find where I live?” she asked sharply.“I just needed to see you,” he said. “I needed to explain—”“Explain what?” she snapped, her voice rising now. “How you showed up at the restaurant and embarrassed me in front of everyone?”Ethan lowered his head slightly.“I wasn’t thinking clearly. I was angry…”“Angry?” Isabella laughed bitterly. “You think that excuses what you did?”“Isabella, please—just give me a
111Isabella looked up immediately.“Ethan, what are you doing here?” she asked, shocked.“Really now? The question should be, what the hell are you doing with this man whore?” He threw.“Mind your tone Ethan, this is a public place, you don't want to cause a scene,” Andrea warned.“Scenes? Public? Do you think I care about all that?” He threw and turned to face issabella.“So this is why you left? So you can be with him right?” “It's not what you think, Ethan, we're just….“Spare me all those bullshit! He yelled, drawing the attention of others.“Come home with me please, we can sought things out,” “I'm not coming with you Ethan, go to hell,” Issabella retorted.Ethan looked at her for a while, anger flashing through his face.“I said you are coming home,” he repeated, grabbing her wrist.“What are you doing? Let go off me,” Issabella tried to break free to no avail, as Ethan had already pulled her from the chair.“Hey,” Andrea stood instantly. “Let go of her.” he said.That was a
110Vanessa sat slumped on the cold floor of her apartment, the lights were off, curtains drawn tight like she was hiding from the world.And the only glow came from the flickering TV across the room, muted noise filled the silence.A small bottle lay beside her.She picked it up with shaky fingers, swallowed, then leaned her head back against the wall like her body was too heavy to carry anymore.Her phone suddenly vibrated on the table.She didn’t move at first. But slowly, she reached for it.If it wasn't her partner in crime.“Speak .”“Vanessa… I need to check on you. You’ve been off the radar.”She let out a dry laugh.“Off the radar?” she repeated lazily. “I’ve been surviving.”“I’ve lost three pregnancies.”“Two were for other men…”“And one… was for that son of a bitch, Andrea.”“Can’t you see? I’ve failed,” she muttered. “Every time I get close to him. Something goes wrong.”Her fingers tightened around the phone.“But I’m not done.”“What do you mean?” The man asked over th
109“You told her to ask me?”Miguel’s furious voice echoed across the living room.Ethan stood near the fireplace, his jaw tight as Miguel stormed toward him with blazing eyes.“What the hell were you thinking?” Miguel snapped.Ethan looked exhausted already, like he regretted everything but was too stubborn to admit it.“She deserves to know the truth.”“Not like this!” Miguel yelled.The veins in his neck tightened as he ran an angry hand through his hair.“You practically pushed her toward the secret yourself!”Ethan’s eyes darkened.“And how long exactly were you planning to keep lying to her?”Miguel laughed bitterly.“Lying?”He pointed toward the staircase angrily.“You think I wanted this? You think hiding everything from my own sister was easy for me?”“She’s living in the dark, Miguel!”“She’s alive because she’s in the dark!”Miguel threw.Silence crashed heavily between them. Ethan clenched his fists.Miguel’s breathing turned uneven as frustration burned across his face.
108The wind at the beach was cool. Isabella stood near the water, watching as the waves came and went. She liked the wash, pull, wash pull sound of the rain. It made her head feel a little lighter.Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her eyes stared at the horizon, where the sky met the sea. It was blue on blue, no dead end.This was exactly what she needed after the argument between her and Ethan.Ethan’s words were still in her ears. “This is how you pay me back?”And right now, alll she wanted was quiet, which she was getting from the waves until footsteps came on the sand behind her. Slow and careful.She turned around slowly.“Andrea?” Issabella called, surprise etched on her face.“We meet again,” a voice said.Isabella let out a sigh. Andrea stopped a few steps away from her. “What are you doing here?” Isabella asked.“Same as you,” Andrea said. “Tryna calm my mind.”Isabella glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. “Family matters?” she asked.Andrea no
107The door flew open with a bang and Ethan marched inside.“Isabella!”He screamed, his voice was loud and sharp, cutting through the quiet of the room like a knife.Isabella immediately turned fast. She was standing by the bed, folding a small shirt. Her hair was tied up, and her face was calm, until she saw him.“Ethan?” she said. “What’s wrong? Why are you—”Ethan did not let her finish.He stepped into the room and threw the phone onto the bed. It bounced once and landed face up.Isabella picked the phone and froze.Her eyes went wide, and her mouth opened, but no sound came out.For a second, the whole room stopped breathing.“Ethan, wait—” she started.“What is this?” Ethan’s voice was low and dangerous.He pointed at the phone with a shaking finger. “What is this?”Isabella felt her heart drop to her stomach. She had told Lucas to delete that picture and hadn't bother to check.Why would she? Lucas always obeyed her.But now, the photo was here, in Ethan's hands. How is
013Isabella walked slowly toward the car as the night air brushed against her skin, but it did nothing to calm the storm in her chest.How dare Andrea? Seeing him with that evil bitch makes her feel like strangling life out of him, she wanted to go back upstairs, take off the clothes and stay indo
011Vanessa woke up slowly, a sharp pain stabbed through her forehead. She groaned softly, trying to move, only to be met with another wave of pain. Her body felt heavy.“Oh… you’re awake.” A soft voice spoke behind her. Vanessa tried to lift her hand, she watch as the nurse hovered over her.“Whe
010Vanessa stared at Andrea and Miguel in confusion, is this bitch trying to seduce my man again?“I asked a question.” She yelled, her voice cutting through the room slowly.Andrea’s hand loosened around Isabella at once. He pushed her away without looking at her. Isabella stumbled back, her palm
009Andrea has been on the phone for over half an hour listening to his nagging Father. “Dad, I brought her into my house, and so?” He asked sharply into the phone, sounding irritated.Andrea stood beside the large glass window in his study, he watched as his reflection stared back at him.His fin







