"W-what did you say?" Adelina's face drained of color. "Natalie, what did you just say? Repeat it!"
Tears welled in Natalie's eyes. "Mom, let's go inside. Back to my room. I'll tell you everything there."
Adelina grabbed her daughter's hand and pulled her into the house.
A few minutes later.
Adelina shut her daughter's bedroom door and locked it from the inside, ensuring no one could interrupt.
She then closed the balcony doors and windows, drawing the heavy curtains. Satisfied that no one could eavesdrop, she finally turned to her daughter.
Natalie sat on the sofa in her room, watching her mother's frantic movements.
"Natalie, tell me what on earth is going on." Adelina sat down next to her. She had regained some of her composure, but the anxiety in her voice was palpable.
She prayed she had misheard her.
Natalie was the heiress to the Gates family and married to the heir of the Lane family. Who would have a death wish and dare to drug her daughter?
Weren't they afraid of retaliation from both families? Even Ethan would demand justice if he found out.
Natalie fell silent for a moment before speaking softly. "Mom, you didn't mishear. Something happened to me a month ago."
In Adelina's eyes, Isabella was the one who should harbor hatred. Ethan had lied and manipulated Isabella, all because of Natalie. Isabella had never actually done anything to her, yet Natalie targeted her at every turn.
Adelina knew Isabella didn't even want to be in the same room as her daughter.
"If Cynthia was still married to your father-in-law, and Isabella was still technically a Lane, I wouldn't have said a word about you trying to push her out. But her mother is already divorced."
"And she divorced Ethan too. So what's your problem? If you really wanted to deal with her, there were a million legal ways to do it. You didn't have to seek out the criminal underworld. Those men are ruthless thugs. They probably have blood on their hands."
"They do horrible things without blinking an eye. Even if they took your money to do your dirty work, they'd still worry you might throw them under the bus. Of course they were going to find a way to control you."
"A beautiful young woman walking into their den alone... Of course they drugged you. Did they... did they take photos too?"

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan)
I will be devastated if Isabella and Ethan will get back together. Please, writer, Isabella deserves Harold....
Author, please get your characters names right. You always messing them up!...
I wish Harold will win Isabella's heart. I was so sad when Isabela was taken for granted coldly and cruelly by her supposed to be husband, and trapped,mocked and humiliated non stop by Natalie. This was so cruel, both don't deserve Isabela' forgiveness I wish for a happy ending between Isabela and Harold, he has the right to be happy after the long wait....
Frankly, the story initially was going quite good and the pacing was just right. unfortunately after Ethan got the dream of his past life, the story has been going in circles. Ethan's spouting the same nonsense every time he sees Isabella, they both have same conversations over and over. The authors monologue too has been the same for almost 400 chapters. Irrespective of which character the writing the just a repetition of what someone had gone through in the past and what made a certain character feel the emotions. York got introduced in 800 chapters yet nothing significant happened till date. Isabella is soft with Harold and kind of disgusted with Ethan, yet it is not entirely clear with whom she might end up. If she stays single i am fine with it but the story is clearly about Isabella and Ethan so almost 1000 chapters without seeing any progress in their relationship is frustrating. Except for being blindly in love and few aggressive instances with Isabella, Ethan actually isnt a bad person so i am fine if he can win her back. Even though Harold is coming off as a good second lead, i am somehow unable to warm upto him. Even the bad people in the story are not really facing any real consequences. I hate Jackson for his hypocrisy. I hate Jordan and Natalie for their self-righteouness and selfishness. I also hate Deborah, except when she is handing it out to Natalie. I am almost on the verge of dropping this story....
Why are they acting like kids 🤣😭...
Ethan is actually not that bad if we take out his blind love for Natalie...