All Chapters of THE TRUTH FINALLY MADE HIM BREAK : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Isabella’s POVMy gaze falls on the single red rose resting against the white pillow, its soft petals impossibly perfect. Beside it lies a small note, the familiar sharp, elegant strokes of Charlie's handwriting immediately catching my eye.Stay in the house today.Nothing more. No explanation. No hint of warmth. Yet somehow, the rose feels like an unspoken truce in the quiet war we've been fighting. I pick it up carefully, bringing it to my nose as its sweet fragrance fills the air. For one foolish, fleeting moment, I allow myself to imagine a different reality. One where this simple gesture comes from genuine affection. One where the man who leaves it behind actually cares about me.The mansion is unusually quiet by the time I get dressed. I slip into a soft cream sweater and a flowing skirt, choosing something simple that feels like me instead of another reminder of Evelyn. My body still carries the lingering ache from last night, an intimate reminder of how effortlessly I keep sur

Isabella’s POVThe hallway alcove still smelled like Charlie’s cologne and the faint trace of our desperate encounter. My legs were still shaky as I straightened my dress, trying to ignore the slickness between my thighs and the fresh marks he’d left on my neck. Charlie had already disappeared down the corridor without a backward glance, leaving me to pull myself together like always.I needed air. Space. Anything but these suffocating walls that seemed to close in tighter every day.I slipped toward the servants’ entrance near the kitchen, hoping for a quiet moment in the garden. But as I passed the open doorway, I froze at the sound of hushed voices.Two maids were whispering urgently while polishing silver.“…heard from the driver this morning. Evelyn Reed is back in the States. Landed in New York two days ago.”My blood turned to ice. Evelyn. My stepsister. The woman whose life they'd said I’d supposedly destroyed. The ghost

Isabella’s POVVictoria stood on the mansion steps like a queen waiting for her subjects, her cream silk robe glowing under the porch lights. The knowing smile on her face sent ice sliding down my spine. She knew. Somehow, she already knew what had just happened in the car… or at least suspected enough to enjoy my shame.Charlie’s hand was still gripping my wrist as we approached, his grip bruising from the rough way he had taken me just minutes ago. I could feel his release slowly dripping down my thighs beneath the ruined dress. Every step was a humiliating reminder.“Well, well,” Victoria purred as we reached the top step. Her sharp eyes raked over my disheveled appearance—wrinkled dress, messy hair, swollen lips, and the faint bite marks on my neck that I hadn’t had time to hide. “Look what the cat dragged in. Or should I say… what my son just finished using.”Charlie’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t release me. “Mother. It’s late.”

Isabella’s POVThe front door opened, and Evelyn walked into the mansion as though she had never been gone.Her blonde hair fell in soft waves down her back, and the flowing white dress she wore moved gracefully with every step. She looked radiant—healthy, confident, and breathtakingly beautiful. The wheelchair that had once defined her life was gone. In its place was a woman standing tall on her own two feet, carrying herself with the quiet confidence of someone who knew exactly what her presence could do to everyone in the room.Her eyes searched the foyer until they found Charlie."Charlie..." she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.For a brief second, he simply stared at her, as if afraid she would disappear if he blinked. Then he crossed the room in long strides. "Evelyn..." His voice cracked. "You're really here."She smiled through watery eyes before stepping into his open arms.Charlie held her tightly,

Isabella’s POVThe silence after Evelyn’s voice echoed down the hall was heavier than any door slam. Charlie stood frozen in my doorway, caught between two worlds—the woman he had married out of revenge and the one he had loved for years. His eyes met mine, filled with a storm of conflict, guilt, and something dangerously close to longing.“Charlie?” Evelyn called again, her voice soft but insistent. “I’ve waited so long to talk to you properly.”He hesitated for one painful second longer, his hand still gripping the doorframe. Then, with a low curse under his breath, he stepped back.“We’ll talk tomorrow,” he told me quietly, voice rough. “Stay in your room tonight.”The door closed behind him with a soft click that felt like the final nail in my coffin. I sank onto the bed, pressing a hand to my stomach as fresh tears burned my eyes. The notification on my phone still glowed on the screen: Pregnancy symptoms detected. Test str