After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 407

Natalie looked drained, her energy zapped by another night without sleep. She moved slowly, her whole body weighed down by exhaustion. It was easy enough to say she wasn’t feeling well. In some ways, it was even true.

The driver pulled the car right up to the main house. As soon as they stopped, Ethan jumped out and hurried inside. He didn’t even glance back, completely forgetting that Isabella was still in the back seat.

The driver let out a quiet sigh. He doubted Ethan and Isabella would ever make up. Natalie would always come first for Ethan, no matter what.

Isabella didn’t seem to mind. She took her time getting out of the car, pausing at the curb before strolling toward the house.

The housekeeper had just finished locking the front gate when she caught sight of Isabella coming inside. For a second, she was stunned. She hadn’t expected Isabella to show up with Mr. Adams. If Isabella saw Natalie, she’d realize right away that Natalie was faking her illness.

The housekeeper knew Natalie was just pretending to be sick, but she was loyal and would never say a word. Besides, with Mr. Adams here, there was nothing Isabella could do about it, even if she figured it out. The housekeeper decided not to go inside. Natalie could handle the rest on her own.

Inside, Natalie was curled up on the sofa. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she hadn’t bothered with makeup. The lack of sleep left her looking pale and tired, which only made Ethan worry more when he saw her.

He walked straight over to her, leaned down, and pressed his hand to her forehead. After a moment, he touched his own forehead, checking for a fever.

“Ethan, you’re here,” Natalie said softly. “I took some medicine for my fever a little while ago.”

She let out a shaky breath. “I just feel so sleepy now, but I can’t actually sleep. I feel awful.”

“Sure,” Ethan said. “I’ll go make you some porridge right now. Just rest here.” He helped her settle back onto the couch. “Do you want some water? I’ll bring you a glass of warm water first. You should drink more when you have a fever.”

Natalie nodded, and Ethan went to the kitchen to get her some water.

From across the room, Isabella watched them. Her face was calm. She didn’t feel any pain anymore. After hurting so many times, she’d finally gone numb.

Natalie had no idea Isabella was there. When Ethan finally turned toward the kitchen and saw Isabella standing nearby, he was surprised, as if he’d just remembered she was there at all.