After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 383

Ethan definitely had influence at the grand hotel.

When Cynthia heard that Ethan was taking Isabella back to The Adams Estate, her whole face brightened. “Don’t worry about us,” she said, smiling. “Laura and I can just find something to eat. You two should get going.”

“It’s kind of a trek to your estate from the city, you know.”

The Adams Estate was huge, so it had to be out in the suburbs, a ways from downtown.

“Mom, I…” Isabella started, but Ethan took her hand and gently stopped her.

“We’ll head out, Mom,” Ethan said, looking at Cynthia.

“Go ahead,” Cynthia replied, watching them leave with a soft, satisfied look.

After Ethan’s luxury car was out of sight, Cynthia spoke up, half to Laura and half to herself. “It was always Isabella giving everything, while Ethan’s affection just felt like an act, just for appearances.”

“But now,” she added, “it finally looks like his feelings are real.”

Laura tilted her head, studying Cynthia. “Did you ever realize back then that Ethan wasn’t truly into her?”

Cynthia paused, then shook her head. “It’s not that he didn’t care at all. He really did want to marry her. Isabella loved him so much, she was over the moon when she married him. I didn’t know what to say. And honestly, anything I said would have gone in one ear and out the other.”

“She was just completely obsessed with Ethan.”

They walked to Cynthia’s car, and Laura offered to drive. Once they were both inside, Laura suddenly turned to her.

“Cynthia, do you know why Ethan really married Isabella?”

Cynthia didn’t answer right away, so Laura went on. “Ethan never really loved Isabella. He married her so it would be easier to see the woman he actually loves—Natalie.”

“Isabella never told you about it. She always thought you sided more with Jordan, so she kept quiet.”

“From start to finish, Ethan was pretending. He never loved Isabella. He’s been in love with Natalie for over ten years, but Natalie married your son. Jordan even talked to Ethan about it, asking him to stay away from her.”

“He loved Natalie so much that not being able to see her was unbearable. So he came up with this twisted solution. He pretended to go after Isabella and married her, just so that whenever Isabella went back to the Lane family, he could show up and see Natalie, and no one would question it.”