After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 442

Laura grinned. “Alright. When we’re both free, let’s go to Eldoria together. Summer is too packed and way too hot. We’ll wait for fall. By then, work should have calmed down for both of us.”

Isabella looked at her, her eyes shining with gratitude. “Thank you, Laura. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.”

When things got tough, at least she had someone she could trust to talk to. When she felt lost, she always had a friend to rely on.

“Come on, don’t get all mushy on me. If you keep saying stuff like that, I’ll be mad,” Laura teased. “We’ve been friends forever. You don’t need to thank me for anything.”

Laura’s gaze drifted to the trash can and the invitation inside. “Who sent you an invite?”

“Catherine. It’s for her birthday,” Isabella said. “She’s really close with Natalie, but she and I barely know each other. The invitation just showed up out of nowhere. Honestly, it feels like a setup. I really don’t want to go.”

“Then don’t. Seriously.”

Natalie had a reputation, and Laura doubted her best friend was any better.

Isabella’s phone lit up with a call. She glanced at the screen, surprised. “It’s Linda,” she told Laura.

Linda was always busy. After investing in Isabella’s short drama project, she never checked in or tried to control anything. If the project made money, she’d quietly accept her share. If it lost money, she’d never complain. Sometimes she’d even call just to tell Isabella not to stress about it. That was business, she’d say. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. The market was unpredictable—smooth one day, stormy the next.

Usually, Isabella was the one reaching out. Linda almost never called first.

“Go on, answer it. Maybe something’s up,” Laura urged.

Isabella had only ever seen Douglas from a distance. Honestly, he wasn’t quite as good-looking as Ethan, but she had no idea what the rest of the White brothers looked like. She’d never met them.

“Linda, have a seat,” Isabella said, gesturing toward a chair. Laura brought over a glass of warm water for her.

Linda caught their nervousness and laughed. “Relax. I just came by to see the place. No need to be so tense. We’re partners here, equals. Don’t let me scare you.”

“It’s just that you’re hardly ever here, and we haven’t really spent much time together. I guess we’re not used to it,” Isabella admitted with a smile. “We should get together more when you have time.”

Linda grinned. “That’s on me. I’ve just been swamped lately. Things finally eased up, and today’s the first day I’ve had to myself. Actually, I heard a bit of gossip and wanted to come ask you about it directly, since you’re right at the center of it.”