Chapter 102
Gabriel stayed outside her door for over an hour. He knocked. He pleaded. He waited in silence, hoping she would open the door, just once.
But she never did.
Eventually, exhaustion and disappointment weighed him down. He leaned his forehead against the wall for a moment, then turned and walked back to his room.
The moment he entered, the emptiness hit him like a wave. The silence in the room was unbearable. He felt frustrated and small–like a man who had lost everything that truly mattered.
He climbed into bed and lay there staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. His chest tightened as the truth struck him; he hadn’t slept peacefully for days, and now he understood why. Isla had become his calm, his peace, and his shield.
How foolish he had been to ask her to sleep in a separate room. “Her bedroom,” he corrected himself bitterly.
Everything that went wrong was his fault. Every tear she shed, every ounce of pain in her voice, every cold look from her, he deserved them all.
Still, he tried to console himself with one small comfort: she hadn’t left. Isla had stayed. She had even cooked. That meant something. At least, he could hold on to that. There’s hope.
A tired smile curved his lips as he hugged a pillow tightly. Her presence still lingered in the air–her scent, her warmth, the faint reminder that she still belonged in his world.
Maybe, he thought, she just needed time. Isla was gentle and understanding. She always had been. She would come around… right?
With that desperate hope, Gabriel finally drifted to sleep.
But in the next room, Isla couldn’t sleep.
Tears had become her nightly routine since last night. She cried quietly until her pillow grew damp. Lately, she didn’t even recognize herself. She used to be strong and resilient. Now she felt fragile, emotionally and physically drained.
Her heart hurt more than her body. She wanted to forgive him, but the pain wouldn’t let her.
Yes, he had done what she hoped for. He had sought the truth himself. That should have been enough. Yet, something still felt wrong. He should have trusted her from the start. He should have believed her without needing proof.
What hurt most wasn’t his doubt–it was how easily he gave up on her.
She thought about the past, how she had stood by him, defending him when Delphine thought that she could trap him with a fake pregnancy. Another issue she was yet to address. And now, when it was her turn to need him, he faltered.
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Her mind wouldn’t rest. Her head throbbed painfully.
With a quiet sigh, she sat up in bed and leaned against the headboard. She closed her eyes, willing her thoughts to stop, willing peace to return. Slowly, exhaustion took her under, and without realizing it, she fell asleep.
Morning came in a flash.
Isla woke up shivering, her body drenched in sweat. The moment she sat up, her stomach twisted violently. She barely made it to the bathroom before she fell to her knees, vomiting into the toilet.
Her whole body trembled. Her throat burned. This was the first time the morning sickness hit her this hard, and it was unbearable.
Her head pounded. Her vision blurred. The room spun around her.
She tried to steady herself against the sink, but her legs felt too weak to hold her. She wiped her mouth shakily, breathing hard. For original chapters go to.net
She needed help.
She forced herself out of the bathroom and crawled toward the door. Her palms pressed against the cold floor, her heart beating weakly. She felt like life was living her body.
Finally, she reached the door handle and managed to unlock it, and twist it open. But the moment she tried to stand, her strength gave out.
“Gabriel…” she called weakly. Her voice barely left her lips. “Gabriel p>
There was no answer.
“Gabriel, damn it… I need help,” she whispered again, but the words faded before they could reach the next
room.
Her body trembled as the last bit of strength drained from her. Darkness crept into her vision, swallowing the edges of the world.
Her fingers slipped from the doorframe. Her body fell limply to the floor.
And then–nothing.
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.