Countdown to "I Do" novel Chapter 5

**Midnight Roads Unseen by George Orwell**
**Chapter 5**

The man’s gaze lingered on Isabella, suspicion etched across his face like a shadow. Adrian, sensing the tension crackling in the air, seized the moment with a calculated boldness. “Go ahead and take Ella if you want,” he declared, his voice steady and commanding. “Isabella and I have wedding dresses to look at tomorrow. We simply don’t have time to waste on you.”

With that, he extended his hand towards Isabella, his tone softening as if to shield her from the looming threat. “Isabella, let’s go.”

A shiver coursed through Isabella, a visceral reaction to the realization that washed over her like a cold wave.

In that instant, clarity struck her like lightning. Adrian was using her as a pawn, a shield against the kidnapper, hoping to divert his attention and secure Ella’s release!

The man’s demeanor shifted, his eyes narrowing as he shoved Ella aside with a rough shove before charging towards Isabella with a primal ferocity.

“You’re the one he really loves!” he growled, a sinister grin stretching across his face as he seized a handful of Isabella’s hair, dragging her back towards the edge of the bridge.

Adrian’s eyes widened in horror, pupils contracting as adrenaline surged through him. He lunged forward, instinctively reaching for Ella first, his voice a desperate whisper. “Ella…”

But in that terrible moment, Isabella was yanked away, and the man hurled her off the bridge!

The world around her dissolved into chaos as the wind screamed in her ears. As the icy river water engulfed her, a faint echo of Adrian’s voice reached her, cold and distant from above.

“Get the kidnapper first. Don’t let him get away.”

“Send him to prison, so there’s no future trouble.”

“We can’t let him hurt Ella again!”

Isabella wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all, but the pain of water flooding her lungs was blinding, and her vision faded to darkness.

Before she slipped into unconsciousness, a profound realization struck her like a thunderclap. In Adrian’s heart, her life was worth less than the life of a kidnapper!

**0.00%**

**12:16**

When Isabella finally stirred awake in the sterile confines of the hospital, the serious tone of a doctor filled her ears.

“Isabella’s health has deteriorated severely over the past few years. Chronic drinking, emotional exhaustion, and old injuries from the drug trials… this fall from the bridge has caused significant damage. She must rest and recover properly from now on, or else…”

Before the doctor could finish his grim warning, Isabella caught sight of Adrian rushing to her bedside, his expression fraught with an unusual tension. “Isabella, you’re awake? How are you feeling? Does anything still hurt?”

She met his gaze, her eyes reflecting a calm that belied the storm of emotions swirling within her.

If he truly cared for her, how could he have prioritized the kidnapper’s capture over her own safety without a moment’s hesitation?

Noticing her silence, Adrian reached out, his fingers brushing against her face, but she instinctively turned her head away, rejecting his touch.

He hesitated, his voice dropping to a low, remorseful tone. “I was careless this time. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

Isabella’s lips twitched in the ghost of a smile, but she remained silent.

Before Isabella could respond, an arm reached from behind, encircling her waist and pulling her into a possessive embrace.

“She’s my fiancée.”

Adrian’s voice was icy, his eyes dark and fierce as he glared at the intruder.

The man’s expression shifted from confidence to alarm, and he quickly mumbled an apology before retreating.

Adrian’s gaze fell upon Isabella, his brow furrowed with concern. “Isabella, that guy was hitting on you. Why didn’t you turn him down?”

With a lightness that belied the tension, she replied, “We’re not married yet.”

Adrian’s fingers grazed her cheek, his tone laced with an undeniable possessiveness. “We’re getting married sooner or later.”

“Who else would you marry besides me?”

He locked eyes with her, each word deliberate and heavy with meaning. “I’m not marrying anyone but you.”

Isabella met his gaze and let out a laugh, the sound tinged with irony.

How absurd.

He didn’t even love her, yet he had the audacity to declare he would marry no one else.