After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 695

“Are you staying over tonight?” Melissa asked.

“Laura’s drunk and all by herself. I just want to make sure she’s okay, so I’ll stay and look after her,” Jesse replied.

“Melissa, you don’t have to worry. I would never take advantage of her because she’s drunk.” Jesse spoke quickly, wanting her to know he was a decent guy, not the type to do anything inappropriate, even if he wanted nothing more than to be close to Laura.

He’d liked her for six months, but he hadn’t even kissed her. Since she hadn’t said yes to him, he didn’t dare even hold her hand. Love only feels good when both people want it.

Melissa nodded. “I know you’re a good guy. Still, if you spend the night at her place, people might get the wrong idea, even if nothing happens.”

“No one will find out. I’m not telling, and neither is she. I just want to make sure she’s safe. I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight.”

Melissa got to her feet. “Where you sleep is your business, not mine. Anyway, I have to go. My bodyguards are waiting downstairs.”

She stood up and Jesse walked her to the door. He watched until she got into the elevator, then went back inside. He checked on Laura, saw she was sleeping peacefully, and finally let himself relax. The weather was warm, so he didn’t need a blanket. He grabbed a pillow, curled up on the sofa, and drifted off almost right away.

***

In the middle of the night, a blaring siren cut through the silence.

Inside the villa, Isabella slept so deeply she didn’t even stir. Barbara didn’t hear it right away either. The alarm kept going off, loud and insistent, and after a while, she finally woke up. She sat up, hurried to the window, and pulled back the curtains. The yard looked calm and empty.

“Harold, the alarm in Isabella’s backyard just went off. Can you call security and have them check it out? It wouldn’t go off for nothing. I think someone might have broken in.”

“I’ll call security right now,” Harold replied. “Stay with Isabella. Don’t go outside, and lock the door to the roof. If someone’s trying to break in, they might try to come through there.”

“Okay.”

Barbara turned to go back but stopped in her tracks. She saw movement—someone really was trying to climb up to the roof.

She whispered into the phone, “Harold, someone’s climbing up from below. I’ll handle it. Talk later.”