After I Stopped Loving Him novel Chapter 1196

There was a time when Natalie had been the center of Ethan's universe. He had cherished her, spoiled her, and put her on a pedestal.

Because of that, Susan had always treated Natalie with the utmost respect.

And correspondingly, she had been incredibly cold to Isabella...

Thinking back on it now, Susan wanted to slap herself.

Isabella had walked away without a single ounce of hesitation because her heart had been completely shattered.

Ethan hadn't truly loved her, the staff hadn't respected her, and the Adams family had never fully accepted her.

Under those crushing circumstances, it was no wonder she had cut ties so ruthlessly. She hadn't been heartless; she had simply endured enough pain to kill her hope.

Stephanie remained silent for a long moment before letting out a quiet sigh. She didn't say a word.

How had everything fallen apart so spectacularly?

No one really knew.

It was impossible to explain.

Of course, Stephanie was secretly thrilled. she had spent years trying to pry Ethan away from Natalie's toxic grip. As long as that woman was in the picture, her grandson was destined for misery.

This outcome was for the best.

"What should I do with all these?" Susan asked, lifting the bags. "Mr. Adams insists he doesn't want them."

"Then get rid of them."

"The Adams family isn't exactly short on wellness hampers."

Susan gasped softly. "But they're so expensive. Should I really throw them in the trash?"

"If you think it's a waste, split the items with the rest of the staff. Take them home," Stephanie instructed. "Just don't bring them inside. Keep them out of his sight, or you'll ruin his mood."

"He needs a calm environment to heal, and that's the only way he'll recover."

Susan looked down at the expensive items and nodded, relieved she didn't have to throw them away. "I'll share them with the staff then."

"What is it?"

"Jeremy just called. Barbara has been kidnapped. The Carter family locked down the press, so only networks as deep as ours caught wind of it."

"I've already had Jeremy mobilize our people to help with the search," she continued. "The kidnappers are demanding tens of millions of dollars in cash. They warned that if the cops get involved, they'll sell her to an overseas syndicate."

Ethan's blood ran cold. "When did this happen?"

"Very recently. Jeremy called me the second he found out, and I came straight back."

"You and Harold used to be incredibly close, and Barbara is Isabella's best friend. We need to step up and help."

There was strength in numbers.

If the top families in Cabinda combined their resources, they could tear the city apart and rescue Barbara in record time.

"Of course we're helping," Ethan said, reaching for his phone. "Harold and I might be romantic rivals now, but we aren't enemies. When it comes to something like this, we stand together."

He dialed Harold's number immediately, determined to find out what else he could do.