Chapter 52
Landon could not bear to see how broken Isla had become. She looked like a woman who had lost her strength, her patience, and her reason all at once. She did not stop drinking. No matter how many times he tried to calm her down or talk sense into her, she refused to listen. The tequila bottle never left her hand. She only kept gulping and swallowing more and more, as if she wanted to drown every thought inside her head.
When she finished the entire bottle of tequila, she lifted her hand and ordered another. Landon’s chest tightened as he watched her. He could not let her go on like that.
Even though he tried to stop her, Isla fought him with a stubbornness that told him she had made up her mind to hurt herself. The waiter arrived and instead of a full bottle, placed a glass of tequila on the table. Before she could lift it to her lips, Landon quickly signaled to the waiter to bring lemon water instead. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ.net
He was grateful when Isla actually drank it. She did not complain or fight him for that moment. She drank the warm lemon water down, and only then did she slump onto the sofa, her body giving way to exhaustion. Within minutes, her eyes closed, and she passed out.
Landon sighed deeply. He pulled his phone from his slacks pocket and scrolled to Gabriel’s number. He pressed the call button and waited. It rang only once before his younger brother picked up.
“Please, come get your wife. She’s in my club,” Landon said, his voice firm and tired. He did not wait for a reply. He ended the call right after.
Gabriel wasted no time. The moment he heard those words, he left everything behind and headed straight for Landon’s club. By the time he arrived, Isla had already fallen into a deep sleep on a sofa. Her body was stretched out, her arm hanging loosely as if she had fought a long battle with herself and lost.
“What happened to her?” Gabriel asked his elder brother.
Landon stood nearby with his hands resting against his waist. He shook his head slowly and answered. “She’s had too much tequila. I already gave her some warm lemon water. It will help lessen the dehydration. And please, take care of her. She is a very strong woman, but right now, she is only breaking herself apart p>
Gabriel nodded. His jaw tightened as he looked at Isla’s delicate face. Without another word, he bent down and picked up her phone, sliding it into her clutch. Then he leaned forward and lifted her from the sofa into his arms. He carried her gently in a bridal way, pressing her close to his chest. Before leaving, he gave Landon a silent nod of gratitude.
He carried Isla to his car and carefully settled her into the passenger seat. He adjusted the seat so she could lie back more comfortably. Then he fastened the seatbelt around her before shutting the door. When he finally got behind the wheel, the car rolled smoothly onto the road.
As Gabriel drove, his eyes never strayed too far from her. Even when the traffic lights flashed before him, his gaze always returned to Isla. His heart was both heavy with worry and light with relief. He had been looking for her. He had been restless, searching, calling, asking where she had gone. Thomas had told him she had not come to him, and none of the maids had seen when she left the house. Gabriel had called her phone many times,
but she never answered.
He had called Magdalene. He had called Sofie. None of them had seen her or heard her voice. Every unanswered call had tightened his chest with fear. But when Landon’s call came, relief washed over him immediately, even
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though the reason for the call pierced his heart.
Gabriel tightened his grip on the wheel. He swore silently to himself, swore with every beat of his heart, that he would never let her go. He knew she hated him now. He could feel it in her distance, in her silence, in the way she turned away from him. Yes, he was sure of it. But even if she hated him, he would do everything in his to make their marriage work.
His mother and Delphine had crossed a line. They could scheme and speak against Isla, but he would not abandon her. He would always stand with his wife. That was his vow.
power
There was only one thing Gabriel promised himself he would never forget: to pay Delphine back for the good she had done for him. Something he had promised never to forget.
But that did not mean that he would give up his marriage. No, he was not that foolish. He would keep his marriage alive at any cost.
From the passenger seat, a soft sound came. “Gabriel…” Isla stirred in her sleep, her voice weak and dreamy.
Gabriel turned his head toward her quickly. He held the steering wheel in one hand and reached out with the other to hold her hand. “Speak to me, love. I’m here with you,” he whispered gently.
But instead of speaking again, Isla let out a soft snore. Her body sank deeper into the seat.
By the time Gabriel parked the car and turned off the engine, he felt his heart heavy with pain. He quickly slid out, walked around, and with carefulness, lifted her out of the car. She was light in his arms, so fragile like glass, and he carried her all the way up to the penthouse through his private elevator.
The moment he entered the penthouse, Magdalene rushed to him. Her eyes widened at the sight of Isla in his
arms.
“What happened to Mrs. Wyndham?” she asked with concern.
“She had too much to drink. That’s all. I will take care of her,” Gabriel replied. He carried Isla straight into his bedroom and laid her gently on his bed. He pulled the covers over her body and sat down beside her.
For a long time, he did not move. He simply sat and watched the rise and fall of her chest, her breath was steady and peaceful. She was sleeping deeply, safe in his bed.
Gabriel’s eyes dropped to her feet. He reached down and began removing her shoes gently, careful not to wake
her up.
Isla slept through the entire night. But Gabriel could not sleep at all. He sat beside her, his eyes locked on her face, afraid that if he closed his eyes even for a moment, she would disappear.
But no man can fight nature forever. By the earliest hours of the morning, exhaustion finally overcame him. His body gave in, and his head sank against the pillow beside her.
Yes, Isla was the one who was hurting, but Gabriel was hurting too. His mother had played with his marriage, and he hated her for that. He had thought carefully about how to tell Isla about Delphine’s pregnancy, how to explain it in a way that would not create chaos. But his mother had destroyed his plans. She had ruined his chance of peace.
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Now, one question haunted him: if he told Isla the truth– that he was not the father of Delphine’s unborn child -would she believe him?
Florence
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.