All Chapters of Seven Proposals Too Late: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

A young-looking man stood by the desk, hurriedly fastening his white coat as they entered. A patch of dark tattooing showed above his wrist.He introduced himself as Dr. Travis Reed. Something about him felt wrong to Isabella.She suppressed the thought and began discussing Owen's condition. She didn't notice that Owen, who had fought her every step of the way, stopped struggling as soon as he recognized the doctor.Half an hour later, Isabella stood waiting for the specialist's assessment. Her hands clenched at her sides.She wasn't even sure what she hoped he'd say.When he confirmed that Owen suffered from severe, worsening episodes of mania, the small hope she hadn't admitted to herself died.Had she imagined her suspicions? Had Owen really been afraid of taking medication all along?"Bella, we've seen the doctor," Owen complained. "Can we finally go to the amusement park?"She returned to the present, ashamed of herself."Of course. And Owen... I'm sorry about earlier."

Elise's stride faltered. "Which mall? Where was security? Did you report their inadequate fire precautions afterward?"Her sudden anger startled Gabriel. When their eyes met, he saw worry and unmistakable concern beneath it.He looked away. "Westgate Galleria. I don't know where security was. I had other things to deal with, so I never filed a complaint.""I see."She nodded and said nothing more.The X-ray brought good news. "The fracture hasn't shifted," she told him, smiling again. "I'll treat the swelling and put on a fresh dressing. Give it another two weeks of rest."She picked up a bandage and noticed how pale he was."This might hurt a little," she warned gently. "I'll be careful, I promise."Something tightened in Gabriel's chest.He had always been unusually sensitive to pain. An injury others called minor could hurt him twice as badly. But when he'd cried as a child, people accused him of exaggerating. Over time he'd learned to bear it quietly, hiding the fear that

Isabella shut the doors and curtains, leaving her bedroom completely dark.Her phone rang repeatedly from somewhere on the bed. She couldn't summon the energy to look at it. Whoever was calling seemed determined to outlast her.Finally, she picked it up. Her mother.Isabella knew exactly what she'd say: Owen's parents saved your life. Don't be ungrateful. Why aren't you looking after him?She rejected the call and switched off her phone.Silence returned.She lay staring at the ceiling, seeing Gabriel everywhere in her mind, until another furious knocking sound interrupted her."Go away!" she shouted."Isabella! Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Her mother's voice came through the door. "Something's happened at the company. Open up!"Victoria forced the issue, breathless with anger."Paparazzi photographed you leaving Owen at the amusement park. The picture's everywhere. People are calling you an ungrateful heiress who abandoned the child of her rescuers. McCarthy Holding

Isabella hurried home, only to find both her parents waiting on the living-room sofa, their faces thunderous."What's going on?"Her mother spoke first. "We heard you had Owen sent to a psychiatric hospital."Isabella knew an interrogation when she saw one."Yes," she said."You ungrateful child!" Richard hurled his glass to the floor. "I told you to get Owen to clear up the rumors, and you had him committed? Are you trying to destroy the company?"The glass shattered. Isabella looked at her furious parents and began to laugh, the sound sharp and bitter."Dad, even someone accused of a terrible crime gets a chance to defend themselves. Why do you always condemn me on someone else's word?"I know you think I'm full of faults, but I'm not stupid. I know the company is in trouble. Can't you trust me just once?"The words she'd swallowed all her life finally spilled out."When I got into fights as a child, other parents would defend their kids. You'd scold me before asking what h

Isabella didn't close her eyes during the twelve-hour flight.She'd packed gifts: Gabriel's favorite chocolates, a perfume he'd once complimented, and photographs showing what had become of Owen.Most importantly, she carried the documents they'd need to get married at last.She touched the new diamond ring she'd bought. She would bring Gabriel home. She had to.Once in Valmora, she drove straight to the school a private investigator had tracked him to. Every passing street made her heart beat faster.She'd imagined their reunion a thousand different ways.None of them resembled what she saw outside the school gates.Gabriel stood holding hands with a woman in a blue shirt. They laughed together with the easy intimacy of a couple deeply in love.The woman said something. Gabriel kissed the corner of her mouth.Sunlight caught his hair. His smile was bright and uninhibited.Isabella couldn't remember the last time he'd looked so alive.At the beginning of their relationship,