After I Stopped Loving Him novel Chapter 31

Isabella Lane instinctively slapped his hand away.

Ethan’s eyes went cold. In one quick move, he caught her wrist and yanked her toward him. She nearly lost her balance and stumbled into his arms, but he pushed her back, making sure that didn’t happen.

“Isabella Lane,” he snapped, holding her tight so she couldn’t break free. “There’s a line, and you just crossed it.”

She looked at him, all innocence. “What are you even talking about, Ethan? I have no idea.” She shrugged. “Sophia brought your fan club over. They all said they’d love to keep you company, so I let them in. You really are lucky. So many gorgeous women adore you. You could pick any one of them and still walk away with your pride intact.”

Ethan shot a glare at Sophia. She froze, intimidated. “It wasn’t me, Ethan, I swear,” she stammered. “Isabella told me to let my friends take care of you. I just came in to watch.”

“Sophia,” Ethan said, his voice icy, “I’m going to count to three. You and your friends need to disappear. If you’re still here after that, don’t blame me for what happens.”

Sophia wanted to argue, but when she saw the storm brewing on Ethan’s face, she lost her nerve. He spoiled her, sure, but when he was angry, nothing could save her from his temper. She decided it was smarter to bail. After all, Isabella was married to Ethan now. There would be plenty of chances to get back at her later.

“One, two—”

“We’re leaving, Ethan! Right now,” Sophia blurted, grabbing her friends and making a quick exit.

“Hey, Sophia, don’t go,” Isabella called after them, her voice dripping with sarcasm as the girls hurried out. “With that kind of courage, how are you ever going to win yourself a handsome guy?”

Ethan felt his anger fade, useless against her indifference. It was like punching a pillow. It didn’t matter anymore. She wasn’t afraid of him.

It used to be so different. One dark look from him, and she’d go pale, scrambling to calm him down. They’d argued before, during their relationship. He didn’t really love her, so sometimes he just couldn’t force himself to do the things she wanted. She’d nag, he’d get annoyed, they’d fight. But every time, as soon as he got serious, she’d give in. It didn’t matter who was right. She’d always be the one to back down, doing whatever it took to make him happy.

She’d cared about him that much, even though he hadn’t chased her for long. Honestly, Ethan suspected she’d liked him for ages, just hiding it well. When he started pursuing her—though she was just a piece in his game—she accepted him with open arms.

“Isabella, I’m really angry right now,” he tried again, hoping to get a reaction.

She just smiled. “Are you? Well, don’t be. Getting angry makes you age faster. You’re already thirty, you know. Maybe it’s time to work on your temper instead of losing it over every little thing.”