Countdown to "I Do" novel Chapter 12

**Midnight Roads Unseen by George Orwell**
**Chapter 12**

Before Adrian could muster a response, Jared’s voice sliced through the air with an icy edge.

“Adrian, let’s be clear: Isabella has moved on. She’s completely over you. You think you can just waltz back into her life because you prefer Ella? Trust me, Isabella doesn’t need your charity, and frankly, you don’t deserve the kindness she once showed you!”

The sharpness of Jared’s words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding.

“The person you took for granted, I cherish deeply. I hold her in high regard.”

Jared’s eyes bore into Adrian’s, as if daring him to contest the truth of his words.

“Isn’t having Ella enough for you? Why cling to a ghost of the past? Isabella has let you go, so why are you still attempting to weave yourself into her life?”

Adrian fell into a profound silence at that moment. A storm of thoughts churned within him, memories of Isabella flooding his mind. She had been nothing short of wonderful, showering him with love and affection that he had recklessly dismissed.

He was acutely aware of that truth, perhaps more than anyone else could ever comprehend.

Now, she was married to another man, her life no longer intertwined with his. She had moved on, and he understood that she didn’t need him to seek forgiveness for his past mistakes. So why did he feel this gnawing sense of loss? What was it that left him feeling so hollow?

He couldn’t quite grasp it.

What he did know was that the thought of letting Isabella slip away completely terrified him. The idea of living with that regret haunted his every waking moment.

That was the essence of Adrian’s thoughts, and it was the sentiment he voiced, albeit with a heavy heart.

Yet Jared had no intention of getting ensnared in this futile back-and-forth with Adrian.

“If you don’t let her go, I will make you pay for it,” Jared warned, his voice low and menacing.

“Isabella has already let go. If you don’t follow suit, I’m warning you, don’t disrupt our lives again. We’ve found happiness, and we don’t need your interference.”

With that, Jared prepared to end the call, but just then, Adrian’s ears caught the unmistakable sound of Isabella’s voice on the line, calling out to Jared.

“Jared! Didn’t you promise to cook for me?”

Her voice was light, teasing, almost playful.

“I’m so hungry…”

Adrian’s heart sank. Isabella had once reserved that sweet, vulnerable side for him alone. Over time, she had learned to be composed and self-sufficient, gradually shedding her dependence on him.

He found himself momentarily lost in thought, struggling to remember the last time she had looked at him with that same playful neediness.

If Isabella could read his mind right now, she would have explained that her decision to stop being cute and reliant was rooted in the countless disappointments he had dealt her. She had realized that he could abandon her at any moment for Ella, and thus, she dared not lean on him for support.

But Adrian was blissfully unaware of her reasoning. Instead, he felt an intense, throbbing ache in his chest, as if a multitude of needles were piercing through him.

In that moment, he was struck by the harsh reality: Isabella was gone, married to Jared, and no longer a part of his life.

The relentless waves of pain surged through him, pushing him closer to madness.

After what felt like an eternity of suffering, Adrian finally managed to prop himself up, staggering out of bed and fumbling through a drawer in search of the stomach medicine.

“How could it be gone? Isabella always kept the medicine right here…” he muttered, realization dawning slowly.

She was no longer there to care for him, to anticipate his needs.

With a heavy heart, he stumbled out of the room. The butler, noticing his distress, rushed forward to steady him, offering the stomach medicine with a look of genuine concern.

“Sir, no matter how busy you are, you must remember to eat properly. With your stomach issues, you need to be extra careful…”

“Sir, are you feeling any better? Is there something you would like to eat? I can have Mrs. Peterson whip it up right away,” the butler urged, his voice laced with worry.

As the medicine took effect, color gradually returned to Adrian’s face, though the ache in his heart remained.

“I want some Beef Consommé,” he blurted out, the words tumbling from his lips before he could think.

That rich, savory flavor lingered in his memory, a remnant of happier times, now tinged with a bittersweet longing.