Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus) novel Chapter 51

The evening breeze drifted softly around them, lifting the woman’s hair at her temples like playful sprites. The hem of her dress fluttered, caught in the gentle rhythm of the wind.

Victor’s eyes sparkled with a tenderness that was almost imperceptible. He reached out and tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing lightly over her smooth skin.

Isadora couldn’t help but flinch at his touch, feeling her ears grow unbearably warm.

Desperate to hide her embarrassment, she scrambled for a distraction. “So, why is he called Pudding?”

A thoughtful look crossed Victor’s face, his gaze turning liquid and gentle. “The person who first found him had a real sweet tooth—she loved pudding.”

He smiled, lost in the memory. “She loved it so much that, every day while waiting for her at the hospital, I’d always have pudding ready for her. The moment she arrived and saw it in my hands, her eyes would light up. She’d eat, and those bright, dark eyes of hers would shine with happiness. She’d smile, mouth curving up in the cutest way.”

He paused, the nostalgia settling between them. “Until one day, she stopped coming. And the puddings would just melt away, one after another, in my hands.”

Victor gave a wry, almost self-mocking smile. “I even bought the entire company that made that pudding.”

Isadora stared at him, a sudden realization dawning. “So… Pudding isn’t yours? You didn’t find him? Someone else did?”

She couldn’t help her surprise. Victor—the heir to Capitolion, of all people—raising a dog someone else had rescued?

“How long have you been taking care of him?” she asked softly.

“Thirteen years.”

Isadora nodded, understanding now. “This person must have meant a lot to you. That’s why you cherish Pudding so much.”

Victor’s gaze lingered on the dog for a moment before turning to her, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “Yes. She’s very important to me.”

Another ghost from the past, Isadora thought. It seemed every man had one—Magnus certainly did, and now Victor too.

She wasn’t sure what she felt, exactly, but it wasn’t happiness. Maybe it was the shadow Elise had cast over her all those years ago.