After I Stopped Loving Him novel Chapter 281

After Natalie’s miscarriage, Ethan and Isabella went back home for a visit, bringing Natalie all sorts of supplements and gifts to help her recover.

Ethan didn’t actually see Natalie. He figured it wouldn’t be right to walk into her room while she was still healing, so he kept his distance. Instead, he called her to offer some comforting words and checked in with Jordan a few times. That was pretty much it. Unlike last time, he didn’t feel the urge to hover over Natalie every second.

Lately, Isabella noticed Ethan hanging around her studio more than usual. Ever since he found out she’d had dinner with Harold and Barbara a couple of weekends ago, he seemed to be popping in all the time.

No matter how nice Ethan acted, Isabella kept reminding herself not to get swept away. He hadn’t really moved on from Natalie. Part of his heart was still stuck in the past.

When Cynthia finally came back from her trip, Isabella went to the airport to pick her up. As she was about to leave, she bumped into Ethan, who seemed to have way too much free time these days. When he heard she was heading to the airport, he shamelessly tagged along.

“Ethan, is The Adams Group about to go under or something?” Isabella asked, glancing at him in the passenger seat as she drove.

“Not a chance. The Adams Group is stronger than ever. It’ll be around for decades,” Ethan replied.

“So you’re not the CEO anymore?”

“I’ve always been the heir. That was set in stone when I was a kid. Who would I even hand things over to? The moment anybody mentions taking over, my cousins disappear or pretend to be sick. They act like the job is cursed. Even if I wanted to step down, there’s no one willing to take my place.”

“If you’re still the CEO, shouldn’t you be super busy? You always used to be, but now you seem to have a ton of free time.”

Her words danced between honesty and sarcasm, making it impossible for Ethan to figure out what she really meant. He clenched his jaw, lips pressed together in frustration.

After a while, he spoke quietly. “Even if this is just a marriage on paper, I don’t want you cheating on me.”

“I’ve already told you, as long as we’re married, I’m not going to cheat,” Isabella replied.

If she ever went looking for another man, it would be after the divorce. She had zero interest in cheating. Honestly, even if they split up, she might not even bother getting married again. There was nothing wrong with enjoying life on her own.

Ethan wanted to tell her to stay away from Harold, but they saw each other so rarely that saying something would only earn him a sharp comeback from Isabella. And when it came to arguing, Isabella was a force to be reckoned with.