After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 1209

Barbara thought back to the terrifying ride. "I only heard four distinct voices, so yeah, I think it was just them."

"Do you think they had been watching you for a while?" Linda asked. "They grabbed you the second you stepped out of the car. That takes coordination."

"Probably." Barbara remembered the kidnapper's chilling words. They had claimed her sister-in-law had offended the wrong person, and taking her was just collateral damage. It meant they had planned this meticulously. She had walked right into a trap without a shred of suspicion.

"There's something else Douglas mentioned," Linda lowered her voice, leaning in. "It's not officially confirmed yet, but she's definitely involved. Have your parents heard anything about Natalie Gates?"

"What about her?" Barbara frowned. "My family is treating me like spun glass right now. If they know anything, they aren't telling me."

"Douglas found out that Natalie was heavily involved," Linda revealed. "Those four kidnappers were trying to skip town, and they got pulled over at a police checkpoint. Guess whose car they were in?"

Barbara's eyes widened.

"Natalie's," Linda confirmed. "She lied to the cops, claimed she was just a ride-share driver, and tried to cover for them. She actually thought the police wouldn't recognize her." Linda scoffed. "She forgot she made herself famous when she threw that massive tantrum at Isabella's coffee shop. The clip was trending online for days. The cops recognized her immediately."

Linda leaned back, crossing her arms. "She's at the station being interrogated right now. She has no beef with you, Barbara. The only reason she targeted you is because of Isabella. We're close to Isabella, and Natalie despises her. She's green with envy over Isabella's success."

Linda's information was rarely wrong, especially when it came from Douglas. He had eyes everywhere in the city.

"It all boils down to jealousy," Linda said in disgust. "She's the reason Ethan and Isabella's marriage imploded, yet she has the audacity to resent Isabella. She just can't stand seeing her happy. Now that Isabella has an incredible guy like Harold, and even Ethan is desperately trying to win her back, Natalie is losing her mind."

Linda rolled her eyes. "She's incredibly selfish and possessive. She's used to Ethan treating her like a goddess. To her, Ethan belongs to her, period. The moment he started having feelings for someone else, she snapped. She couldn't handle it."

In the upper echelons of Cabinda's society, Linda despised the women of the Gates family more than anyone. They were incredibly fake—playing the elegant, harmless victims in public while scheming in the shadows. It was thoroughly exhausting.