After I Stopped Loving Him novel Chapter 14

“Isabella, has Ethan been treating you well these days? How’s his family been with you?” Natalie asked, her tone all sweet concern as she sat up a little straighter.

“If Ethan ever gives you trouble, just come to me. I’ll handle it for you. He and I grew up together, and trust me, he listens to me the most.”

Isabella just wanted to roll her eyes. Here we go again. Natalie playing the perfect friend, but always looking for a way to stir things up.

On the outside, Isabella kept her smile soft and grateful. “Thank you, Natalie. If Ethan ever dares to mess with me, I’ll come running straight to you. You’ll have to yell at him for me.”

“Absolutely,” Natalie replied, her smile never slipping. Inside though, she was frowning. Why wasn’t Isabella getting annoyed? Or maybe Ethan really had been good to her lately…

“But honestly, Ethan’s been wonderful,” Isabella continued, leaning into him and letting herself settle into his arms.

She felt Ethan tense up at her touch. Not missing a beat, she gave him a quick, hard pinch. He flinched, trying to keep quiet, and shot her a look. She just winked, telling him to go along with her and not leave her hanging out to dry.

Ethan’s expression darkened a bit, but he got the message and pulled her in closer. “You’re my wife. Of course I’m going to treat you well.”

Isabella gave him a shy, glowing smile. “Babe, I feel so lucky with you.”

The truth was, Jordan was still upset about Ethan marrying his stepsister. The Adams family was insanely rich, and he thought Ethan’s background was just too much for Isabella. He’d tried to split them up, but it hadn’t worked. So, even though today was Isabella’s first visit home as a married woman, he’d dragged his father off to the office anyway. It had taken a bunch of messages from Natalie before he finally agreed to come back.

But whether he liked it or not, Ethan and Isabella were married now, and everyone in Cabinda knew she’d joined the Adams family.

Jackson spoke up quietly, “Isabella’s called you ‘brother’ for almost twenty years. She married Ethan, your childhood friend. You two have decades of history. You can’t just skip out on their homecoming. Don’t make them feel like you have a problem with them.”

Jordan fell silent for a moment, then said in a low, cold voice, “I do have a problem with them being together. A big one. I have no idea what Isabella did to get Ethan so wrapped around her finger, but in just a few months, he married her. She’s not good enough for him.”