Chapter 15
Isabella had no choice but to steady her breathing and tentatively said, “Hello?”
Samuel’s cool voice came through the phone, distant yet magnetic. “What are you doing?”
Perhaps it was the distance of the call, but his voice sounded particularly pleasant to Isabella–low, deep, and rich, making her heart flutter involuntarily, especially since she had a soft spot for good voices.
Gripping her fork a bit tighter, she tried to respond calmly, I’m having dinner.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized how flat they sounded, so she quickly added, “Have you eaten?”
Samuel’s reply was short. “I have
For a moment, Isabella was at a loss for words. He called, but wasn’t saying much–what exactly did he want?‘ A sense of unease crept over her.
Yet he didn’t hang up, and neither did she. The awkward silence between them lingered, thick with tension. Eventually, Isabella forced herself to ask, “Is there… something you need from me?
She half–expected him to say, “No,” but to her surprise, Samuel responded quietly, “Yes.”
His tone was unreadable, mysterious even, and in that instant, Isabella felt an intense pressure, uncertain about what Samuel was about to say.
The next moment, Isabella suddenly thought of what had happened at the hospital yesterday, and she froze for a second.. Given Samuel’s influence and his swift and decisive actions, it made sense that he had already received the news.
Since they were now married, she felt it was necessary to avoid some misunderstandings. She then softly said, “Jayden and 1 have broken up. There’s no way anything could happen between us. Don’t overthink it…
Before she could finish her sentence, Samuel’s voice came through the phone. ‘I didn’t expect my wife to be Queenie. However, it was hard to discern any emotion from his tone.
Isabella was stunned, her eyes filled with surprise. She hadn’t expected that to be what he wanted to talk about.
After a brief pause, she gently explained, “I have no influence or background. You have to believe me, I won’t cause any negative impact on you.”
She just wanted to do what she liked. If Samuel intervened too forcefully, it would put her in a difficult position. After all, she had seen the strict rules and expectations of the wealthiest families.
Hearing her methodical explanation, Samuel let out a light chuckle with a hint of indulgence. His tone softened as he reassured her. “I don’t think you’re causing any negative impact on me.”
Isabella’s hand paused slightly. She was surprised that he didn’t mind it.
She unconsciously tightened her grip on the phone, feeling a surge of emotion, and couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you.”
Samuel’s words made her happy. But right after she expressed her gratitude, she sensed a sudden chill through the phone. The next moment, Samuel’s icy voice reached her ears, “I don’t want to hear words like that again.”
Isabella paused. Is he… angry?‘
She cleared her throat awkwardly and quickly said, “T… I might not be used to it yet. I won’t say it again, okay?”
Perhaps Isabella didn’t even realize that her tone had softened, with a hint of coquettishness.
Samuel raised an eyebrow, a faint smile appearing on his face. “T’ll come back two days earlier.”
Isabella’s hand, which had just reached for her food, paused in surprise. “Huh? Didn’t you say you’d be gone for seven days?”
Samuel organized the files on his desk and then explained, “I can finish the work earlier. Besides, I need to take you to the Howerton residence.”
The fork that Isabella had been holding tightly suddenly slipped into her bowl with a loud clink. Feeling a wave of nervousness, she quickly picked up the fork.
Chapter 15
Although she knew this day would come, she hadn’t expected it to be so soon. She stammered, “I–I’m not ready yet.”
Her nervousness was evident, even to Samuel on the other end of the phone. Imagining her current expression, Samuel couldn’t help but laugh. “My mom already knows about you, and she’s very nice. You don’t need to worry. Just be yourself.”
Despite Samuel’s reassurance, Isabella’s anxiety didn’t case at all. After all, meeting Samuel’s parents was a big deal.
She responded to Samuel in a casual tone, “Oh, okay.”
Samuel sighed. Her reply sounded perfunctory, making it clear she hadn’t really absorbed his reassurances.
At that moment, Isabella was already preoccupied, thinking about what gift to bring when meeting Samuel’s parents.
Samuel, knowing that more words would be useless, gently said, “Finish your meal first. I’ll be back soon.
ཧཱུཾ ཞེ ཛ ཆ ཇ བ
They exchanged a few more brief words before hanging up
Isabella barely touched her food, rushing to the sofa with her phone in hand, curling up as she began scouring various Q&A platforms. She posted a question: [First time meeting my husband’s parents–what gifts should I bring?]
However, none of the online answers were helpful. Feeling a bit deflated, she sat there, not knowing what to do.
Ivana returned to the Stout residence. Her room was decked out in pink decor, with a white vanity covered in various cosmetics. Everything in the room was princess–themed in soft shades of pink.
At that moment, Ivana lay on her floral pink bed, her head buried under a pillow.
A knock on the door echoed, but before Ivana could say anything, the doorknob had already turned. Molly entered, carrying at plate of fresh fruit, which she set down on the bedside table
She looked at Ivana, who was lying face down, and gently said, “Sweetheart, you didn’t eat much tonight. Aren’t you hungry?”
Ivana didn’t respond, her state clearly off. Concerned, Molly walked over and pulled the pillow off Ivana’s head, her face filled. with worry. “What’s wrong with you?”
Ivana sat up and threw her arms around Molly, choking back sobs. “Mom, I’m afraid Jayden doesn’t want me anymore.”
Molly furrowed her brows, gripping Ivana’s shoulders and gently pushing her back to look at her. She asked seriously, “What happened?”
མད་ཆ་ཆ།
Her mood sank as well. ‘If Jayden was really thinking of leaving Ivana, then…”
Ivana’s sobbing grew louder, and between sniffles, she recounted everything that had happened the day before. Molly’s eyes widened in shock, unable to believe what she was hearing.
Ivana wiped her tears with a tissue, her swollen eyes gazing helplessly at Molly as she rasped, “Mom, what should I do?”
At that moment, Molly panicked, too. She slammed her fist into the bed, her eyes burning with malice as she gritted her teeth and spat, “I can’t believe that bitch Isabella had this up her sleeve all along!”
But what Molly found even more impossible to believe was that Isabella had turned out to be Queenie Lovett.
Anyone can be Queenie, but why does it have to be her? If I had known this earlier, I would’ve killed that little bitch. Now, she’s turned into such a huge problem!‘ Molly thought to herself.
