After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 331

“Ethan went home?” Jordan asked.

“Yeah, he’s gone.” Natalie crossed the room and slipped her arms around him, pressing her cheek to his chest.

Jordan hugged her back. For a while, neither of them spoke. When he finally let go, he looked at her, regret in his eyes. “Natalie, I know I’ve made you worry these past couple of days. I promise, it won’t happen again.”

“My future is all tied up with you, Jordan. I need you to be the best man you can be.” She didn’t want to regret marrying him. That much was clear in her voice.

Jordan gave a crooked smile. “I want that too. I really do. But if I’m honest, I’m not sure I’ve got what it takes. I’m nowhere near Harold or Jesse, and Douglas and Ethan are on another level entirely.” He knew his own strengths and his limits, and he wasn’t afraid to admit it. Even Jackson had told him he needed to accept who he was, to stop comparing himself to Ethan. Ethan always had a knack for business that he just couldn’t match.

“Did Ethan say anything else?” Jordan asked.

Natalie shrugged. “Nothing new. He told me to look out for you, and to take care of myself. When I found out about Dad’s affair, I went to see him the very next day. I wanted him to talk some sense into Dad, maybe convince Cynthia to stay. You know what he said? He said he supported Cynthia’s decision to leave, and that thirty million wasn’t enough. He said Dad should give her at least three hundred million.”

“He’s already on Isabella’s side, though I doubt he even realizes it,” Jordan said. “When he turned down my offer to work together and gave The Mason Group a shot instead, I knew he wasn’t with us anymore.”

Natalie sighed. “Counting on other people never works out. We’ll just have to look out for ourselves. As for Ethan, we’ll take whatever help we can get. If we can’t… well, I think he’ll still care, for old times’ sake. Because of you.”

Natalie laughed, shaking her head. “You? Jealous? I’m your wife. You and I are in this for life.”

Jordan grinned. “Yeah, you’re right. Ever since we were little, my dad always compared me to Ethan. I was never quite good enough. Except for one thing. I won you.”

He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, his voice soft. “Thank you for choosing me, Natalie.”

When he’d confessed to her, he’d told Ethan right away, pretending not to know that Ethan loved her too. After that, he’d lied and told Ethan that Natalie had already said yes. He’d used their friendship to make sure Ethan never got the chance to confess his own feelings. Not long after, Natalie agreed to be with him. To everyone else, it just seemed like a natural step, two best friends falling in love.