Lahat ng Kabanata ng After The Divorce: He Wanted Me Back: Kabanata 91 - Kabanata 100

Isabella I woke up with the dull ache already sitting behind my eyes.For a moment, I lay still, staring at the ceiling, trying to decide if it was just exhaustion or something worse. My throat felt scratchy. My head felt heavy. When I swallowed, there was a faint burn—unmistakable, unwelcome.Great.I pushed myself upright anyway, the room tilting slightly before settling. The air felt too warm against my skin, my body sluggish in a way I didn’t recognize as just lack of sleep. I pressed the back of my hand to my forehead.Warm. Not alarming. Yet.I glanced at the clock on my nightstand and exhaled. One more day. Weekend after this. I could rest then.I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, waiting for the faint dizziness to pass. It did—slowly, reluctantly—like my body was negotiating terms.In the kitchen, the smell of coffee hit me first. Mia was already up, hair tied back, moving quietly between the counter and the stove.“You look awful,” she said without turning ar

Isabella I woke up feeling… lighter.Not okay. Not well. But no longer like my body was actively rebelling against me. The pounding in my head had faded into a dull, manageable ache, and when I swallowed, the burn in my throat was less aggressive—more warning than threat.I sat up slowly, testing my balance.Steady.The curtain shifted as the nurse stepped in, clipboard tucked under her arm. She studied me for a moment, the way people do when they’re deciding how much they’re willing to allow.“Fever’s down,” she said. “Not gone. But down.”“I can work,” I said before she could finish.She sighed, unimpressed. “I figured you’d say that.”She checked my vitals again, methodical, unhurried. I stayed still, resisting the urge to rush her, knowing better than to push too hard too soon.“I’ll clear you,” she finally said, lifting her eyes to meet mine, “but under conditions.”I waited.“No heavy work. No site inspections that require climbing, lifting, or extended exposure under the sun.

Isabella The bag was exactly where Gabriel said it would be.Tucked beneath the long table inside the hub, half-hidden by rolled plans and a forgotten vest. I reached for it immediately, relief loosening the tight coil in my chest.“Good thing you came back,” Gabriel said behind me. “Those files looked… important.”“They are,” I replied, checking the zipper, fingers moving on instinct. “I would’ve been in real trouble tomorrow.”I straightened and slung the strap over my shoulder. “Thanks. Really.”He nodded once. “Of course.”We had just stepped out of the hub when the lights died.Not a flicker. Not a warning.Just—dark.The hum of the generators cut off mid-breath, plunging the site into a sudden, heavy silence. The floodlights vanished, leaving only distant pinpricks of light far down the perimeter.My body reacted before my brain did.I grabbed him.Hard.“Isa—” Gabriel started, surprised.“I—” My fingers tightened around his arm, my pulse roaring in my ears. “Sorry. I—”“It’s o

Isabella The rain didn’t let up.If anything, it grew heavier—fat drops splashing against the gravel, soaking through my hair, my clothes, my defenses. I should’ve pulled my hand away.I didn’t.Gabriel laughed suddenly, a real one—unrestrained, surprised, like it slipped out before he could stop it. “God, you still make that face.”“What face?” I asked, blinking rain out of my eyes.“That one.” He tilted his head, studying me openly now. “Like you’re halfway between panicking and pretending you’re not enjoying yourself.”“I am not enjoying this,” I said, even as I splashed forward, nearly slipping.He caught me by the waist instinctively. “Liar.”I gasped, gripping his shirt. “Gabriel—!”“You used to do that,” he said, grinning. “Deny everything while already soaked.”“I was younger,” I shot back. “And smarter.”He snorted. “Debatable.”I tried to pull away, but he kept hold of me, spinning us slightly as rain splattered everywhere. “You remember that night near the old bridge?” he

Gabriel The rain had already softened to a mist by the time I pulled onto the main road.Wipers dragged across the windshield in steady rhythm, but my mind was nowhere near the drive.It was still back there.Under the rain.With her.My fingers tightened slightly around the steering wheel.She kissed me first.That detail replayed in relentless clarity.The way she’d looked up at me.The hesitation in my voice.The split second where I thought I’d imagined it.Then her lips on mine.I exhaled slowly.I should’ve stopped it.I should’ve been the responsible one.She had just told me it meant nothing.You’re allowed to forget it.I almost laughed under my breath.Forget?I shifted in my seat, adjusting the rearview mirror though it didn’t need adjusting. My reflection stared back—wet hair, tired eyes, a man who had just crossed a line he promised himself he wouldn’t.She said it didn’t mean anything.But she held my shirt like she was afraid I’d disappear.She stepped into the rain wi