Chapter 1

IsabellaI used to believe silence meant peace. That gentle quiet that tucked you in at night, soft as a blanket, where even the ticking clock felt like a lullaby.But in this house—glass walls, marble floors, ceilings so high they swallowed sound—silence didn’t soothe. It suffocated.My fork scraped against porcelain, sharp in the cavernous dining room. Across from me, a plate of untouched food cooled, just like it had the past three nights. Gabriel wasn’t coming home. Again.I shouldn’t have been surprised. After five years of marriage, I’d learned billion-dollar deals and boardroom wars were the only things that held his attention. Not anniversaries. Not birthdays. Not me.I lifted my glass of wine—Chardonnay, not the expensive red he preferred. Why waste it on dinners I always ate alone? The bitterness lingered on my tongue, heavier than the alcohol.“Mrs. Thorne?”I looked up. Ana, one of the staff, hovered in the doorway, hands knotted in front of her, eyes flicking nervously be

Last Updated : 2025-11-26

Chapter 2

IsabellaThe house was quiet when the front door unlocked. Midnight, maybe later—I’d stopped checking the clock hours ago.I was curled up in the sitting room armchair, blanket wrapped tight around me, legs tucked beneath me. The lamp glowed faintly beside me, throwing soft pools of light onto the rug, but the corners of the room swallowed the rest in shadow. On the coffee table, the papers waited like an accusation. I hadn’t planned on waiting for him, but something in me—stubborn, desperate—wanted to see his face when he realized what I’d done.The lock clicked, then the familiar sounds: the rustle of his suit jacket sliding from his shoulders, the metallic clink of keys in the dish, a weary sigh that filled the silence before his footsteps did.And then Gabriel walked in.Tall. Broad-shouldered. Untouchable. Even disheveled—tie loose, shirt undone, hair mussed from his restless hands—he carried that aura of command the world worshipped. The kind of presence that made entire boardro

Last Updated : 2025-11-26

Chapter 3

IsabellaThe first week after moving out, I thought I’d drown in silence.But the condo was different from the mansion. The quiet here didn’t press down on me like a suffocating weight—it was lighter, freer. It was mine.I could leave the TV on all night if I wanted, the static hum filling the background. I could sing off-key in the shower without worrying about staff overhearing. I could burn toast at two in the morning and laugh about it without James, the butler, appearing with that disapproving tilt of his head.The condo wasn’t big—just two bedrooms, a living room that opened to a small balcony, a kitchen with countertops worn from use. The building wasn’t new, but I liked that. The creaks in the pipes, the hum of neighbors through the walls—it made me feel less alone.Still, freedom had its price.Some nights the silence turned sharp, like glass cutting through me. I would crawl into bed, stare at the ceiling, and find myself listening for sounds that weren’t there. Gabriel’s fo

Last Updated : 2025-11-26

Chapter 4

IsabellaI reread the headline until the letters blurred.Thorne International Expands Into Luxury Wines: New Acquisition Plans in California.The article was sleek, efficient. Numbers. Contracts. Growth projections. A world I knew too well—one I had left behind.But all I saw was his name.Gabriel Thorne.And beneath it, the vineyard. My vineyard.The screen burned my eyes, but I couldn’t look away. His empire was already in everything—hotels, resorts, luxury developments—but wine? No. That wasn’t his world. That was mine. Mine and my aunt’s before me.So why now?I forced myself to scroll, each word a stab.Strategic purchase. Prime location. Exclusive distribution contracts overseas.My chest constricted. It didn’t say the vineyard’s name, not outright, but the description was too precise. Location, acreage, reputation. They were circling here. My inheritance. My lifeline.My hands trembled as I fumbled for my phone. It had slipped to the floor earlier when I’d first read the artic

Last Updated : 2025-11-26

All Chapters of After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back: Chapter 1 - Chapter 4

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4