After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 163

He was impossible to figure out. Sometimes he acted like he didn’t care at all, but then he’d turn around and protect her, stepping in just when she needed it most. If he hadn’t been there, Jordan probably would have beaten her to death by now. But honestly, every bit of pain she felt seemed to have started with him.

“I’m just glad you’re alright. The look on Mr. Adams’s face when he pulled you away was scary. I was worried he might take it out on you when you got home.”

“That’s just how he is. Once Natalie’s involved, he completely loses it.” Isabella hesitated, then said quietly, “They’ve been childhood friends for over twenty years.”

A lot of people thought Natalie was trouble, but in Ethan’s eyes, she was perfect. He saw all her flaws, but he chose to ignore them. He always made excuses for her, no matter what. Honestly, he was just biased, plain and simple.

“So what did Natalie say to you after I left? How did things get so bad between you two?”

“It’s complicated,” Isabella said. “I’ll tell you another time.” She still wasn’t close enough to Barbara to spill everything.

Barbara nodded, understanding. “It’s okay. As long as you’re alright. Let’s have dinner together soon.”

“Actually, I’ll come by your office tomorrow to sign the contract. Don’t forget. We’ll have lunch, my treat. You pick the place.” Isabella wanted to make sure the deal got done. The contract wasn’t signed yet, and anything could happen. Even after signing, people could still back out. Since both Barbara and Linda wanted to invest, Isabella needed to move fast to lock it in. Once their money came through, the partnership would be solid.

After the call, Barbara turned to Harold. “Mr. Adams didn’t do anything to Isabella. I talked to her for a bit, and I could tell she was fine. Nothing seemed to bother her.”

Ethan’s blatant favoritism, the way he called her out in front of everyone, how he forced her to apologize—none of it made Isabella angry. Maybe she just had a big heart. Or maybe she’d been hurt so many times that she didn’t even feel it anymore. Barbara was pretty sure it was the second one.

“Good to know. Ethan’s always like that. As soon as something involves Natalie, he loses his mind. He acts like she’s the only person who matters. What’s the point of protecting someone else’s wife?” Harold muttered. “He doesn’t even look out for his own. I really don’t get what’s going on in his head.”

“Barbara, why are you staring at me like that?” Harold fidgeted a little, feeling exposed under her curious gaze.