All Chapters of HOUSE OF FORBIDDEN DESIRE : Chapter 121 - Chapter 130

Isabella’s POVThe rehearsal dinner wrapped up, but no one seemed ready to leave. The string lights glowed softly over the terrace, and the band kept playing quiet music. Most guests had moved to the beach area with drinks in hand, laughing and chatting like nothing was wrong. I stayed near the railing, trying to disappear into the shadows.Claire found me first. She carried two glasses of sparkling water and handed one to me.“You’re hiding,” she said with a small smile.I took the glass. “I’m not hiding. I’m… surviving.”Claire leaned against the railing beside me. “Surviving is good enough for tonight. Tomorrow is my day, but tonight we can be honest. How are you really feeling?”I looked down at the water in my glass. “Scared. The test is already sent. Results come the day after tomorrow. What if it’s Lucas? What if it’s Alex? What if it’s Ethan? I keep seeing their faces and I don’t know what to say to any of them.”Claire nodded slowly. “I get it. But you don’t have to say anyth

Isabella’s POVThe reception was in full swing. Lights twinkled above the terrace like stars that had fallen to earth. Music floated through the warm night air while guests danced and laughed. Claire and Kelvin moved together in the center, lost in their own world, her white dress glowing under the soft glow. I stood at the edge, a glass of water in my hand, trying to look like I belonged in the celebration.Then the atmosphere shifted.A new car pulled up near the entrance. Heads turned. Whispers started. I felt my stomach drop before I even saw who stepped out.Marcus.He walked in confidently, dressed in a dark tailored suit that made him look older and more powerful than I remembered. His eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on me. A slow smile spread across his face.My heart slammed against my ribs. I set the glass down on a nearby table before I dropped it.Claire noticed him too. She stopped dancing and squeezed Kelvin’s hand. “What is he doing here?”Kelvin frowned. “I di

Isabella’s POVThe morning after Claire’s wedding felt strangely soft and quiet, like the whole house was holding its breath with me. Sunlight slipped through the curtains in warm stripes across my bed, and I lay there staring at the ceiling, one hand resting gently on my belly. My body still carried little echoes from last night’s stolen moment with Marcus in the garden — that rush of heat, the way his hands had felt so sure on my skin, the quiet thrill mixed with a heavy dose of guilt. I whispered to the tiny life inside me, “Today’s the day, little one. We finally find out who your dad is.”A gentle knock pulled me out of my thoughts. Claire poked her head in, already dressed in a breezy white sundress, her hair loose and glowing like she’d had the best sleep of her life. She gave me that warm, sisterly smile that always made me feel a little less alone.“Morning, sleepyhead,” she said, slipping inside and closing the door softly. “How’s my favorite almost-mom feeling today?”I sat

Isabella’s POVThe afternoon sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the garden. I stayed on the bench long after Marcus left, my fingers tracing the edge of the stone, still warm from his touch. My mind spun in circles, his words, his promise, the way his kiss on my hand had lingered. It felt safe. Exciting. But Lucas’s face kept flashing in my thoughts, the way he had held me when the results came in, the quiet strength in his voice when he said he wanted to do this right.I stood up slowly, brushing dirt from my dress, and walked back toward the house. The terrace was quiet now, most guests gone. Claire sat at one of the tables, flipping through a small notebook, making notes for the honeymoon. She looked up when she saw me and smiled.“You disappeared for a while,” she said. “Everything okay?”I sat across from her, my hands folding in my lap. “Marcus found me in the garden. He… he told me he’s ready. That he’s the one who truly loves me. He asked if I love Lucas. I told him

Isabella’s POVI didn’t sleep.I lay on my side, staring at the thin line of light pushing through the curtains, listening to the house breathe around me. Doors opening somewhere far down the hall. Footsteps. Voices that dipped low when they passed my door. The world kept moving, but my body felt stuck between moments.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw their faces.Lucas on the terrace, jaw tight, voice steady even when it hurt.Marcus in the garden, warm, sure, like he had already decided what I meant to him.And me—standing in the middle, saying nothing that actually solved anything.I turned onto my back and pressed my palm against my stomach. A small, quiet reminder of something real.“Okay,” I whispered to the ceiling. “Okay.”A soft knock came at the door, I didn’t answer right away. It came again.“Isabella?”Claire.I pushed myself up slowly. “Come in.”She stepped inside, already dressed, already composed. There was something different about her this morning. Not calm exactl