The Tycoon's Secret Wife's Escape novel Chapter 45

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19.41 Sal, 12 API

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

“Isabella…” Gabriel murmured, his voice hesitant. His eyes met mine, filled with questions he didn’t say out loud.

I kept my expression neutral, unwilling to give him any clues.

“Do you need something from me, Gabriel?”

He forced a smile. “Congratulations! What are your plans now? Getting an award like that means bigger opportunities must be lining up for you.”

I offered a slight nod.

He stepped closer, grasping both of my arms gently but firmly.

“What are you doing?” I hissed under my breath, glancing around. “We’re in public,” I reminded firmly in a low voice.

“Just tell me we’re okay.” His voice conveyed desperation, but I could see the cracks forming in his confidence.

I held his gaze without flinching. Gabriel was beginning to notice my change, though it confused him. He couldn’t understand why I had stopped reaching out–why the calls he used to expect had suddenly stopped, leaving him to question what had happened.

“Gabriel!” Sabrina’s voice broke the moment as she approached, seamlessly linking her arm with his. “Isabella, congratulations! That award has been coming for a long time. You must be thrilled,” she said with a hint of mockery, as if implying that I had been acting for too long and it was only now that I had finally achieved something.

“Thank you,” I replied, my expression carefully neutral.

Gabriel tried to pull away from Sabrina, but she swayed and stumbled, landing on the floor with a theatrical gasp.

“I suddenly feel so dizzy, Gabriel,” she said, pressing a hand to her forehead. “I think my dress is too tight. Could you take me home, please?”

Gabriel glanced at me, his eyes silently pleading for my approval.

“I’m leaving,” I said flatly, turning on my heel and walking away without a second thought.

By now, Gabriel should have realized–I stopped caring about him or his plans long ago, especially since I’m no longer a part of them.

When I spotted Grayson’s car parked nearby, a smile broke through my composed exterior.

My handsome hubby was waiting.

As soon as I slipped into the back seat, I leaned in and wrapped my arms around him, holding him close. At that moment, there was no room in my heart or my life for anyone else.

***

Gabriel’s message the following day caught me off guard: “I’ve already explained to Sabrina that we’ll be reducing our interactions, even the work–related meetings. I’m having Leo handle any issues she brings up.”

I raised an eyebrow. At this point, I no longer cared whether Gabriel explained himself to Sabrina or whether he met with her. But curiosity still gnawed at me. I was certain Sabrina wouldn’t agree to Gabriel’s plan, especially since he was her primary source of work.

After winning the Best Supporting Actress award, I was offered many audition roles. Several interviews were also lined up,

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Chapter 45

offering more opportunities to build my public profile.

“This is everything you’ve been waiting for, Isabella,” Sophia said as we sat in my office.

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“I’ll admit I’ve grown to love acting, but my goal is to work behind the scenes right now. I’ll take this interview because I need to promote Pulse Five and Bloomify. It’ll help us both.”

Sophia shrugged. I had many plans, and acting in another series or movie wasn’t at the top of my list for now.

But just twenty–four hours later, my name exploded across social media for all the wrong reasons.

Sabrina was rushed to the hospital for depression, and somehow, I was being blamed for it.

An anonymous user posted a photo of Gabriel and me from the awards night. In the picture, Gabriel had both hands on my arms, and from the angle, it looked like he was hugging me.

The comments were filled with venom, accusing me of being the cause of Sabrina and Gabriel’s relationship troubles.

“You! Stay away from Gabriel! He’s only for Sabrina!”

“Because of you, Sabrina is now depressed.”

“She just won a supporting award, and she dares to seduce someone else’s boyfriend!”

I could only shake my head at the hateful words being hurled at me. Despite it all, people still defend me–my fans, who stood by me.

“Leave Isabella alone. In the end, it might be your Sabrina who steals her man. Didn’t you see the news about Gabriel and Isabella’s wedding planning weeks ago?”

A reply to that comment read: “If Gabriel and Isabella are really getting married, it means they’ve been cheating on Sabrina this whole time! They’ve been cheating behind her back, and that’s why our idol is so depressed now.‘

“Isabella, you bitch! Explain yourself! What’s with that photo?”

“You are seducing our Gabriel!”

Fans are clashing in the comment sections. I pieced it together.

Just the other day, Gabriel messaged me saying he was distancing himself with Sabrina and that he’d already explained his situation to her. It seemed Gabriel was serious about this, but she couldn’t accept it. Now, she was doing whatever she could to get his attention back.

“Isabella, it’s time!” A staff member peeked into the dressing room, ready to escort me.

I chose to ignore the social media drama with Sabrina for now. I had an exclusive interview with an entertainment host, and it was time to head to the stage.