Jeremy broke the silence after a while. “Ethan, I’m going to get back to work.”
Ethan nodded. “Go ahead. I’ll be on a business trip in a couple of days, so the company’s yours for about a week. While I’m gone, keep an eye on Isabella for me.”
“If she runs into any trouble, you don’t have to check with me. Just help her out, okay?”
Jeremy responded right away. “You don’t have to say that. If Isabella needs anything, we’ll always be there for her.”
Truth was, Isabella almost never asked them for help. These days, she had Harold at her side anyway.
Jeremy hesitated, then offered, “How about you let me go on the trip instead? You can stay here.”
Ethan shook his head. “No, I’ll go. Maybe some distance will help us both calm down. Every time I’m in Cabinda, I can’t stop myself from getting involved with Isabella. The more I try to hold on, the more she pushes me away.”
He let out a long sigh. “Grandma told me I need to give her some breathing room. If I keep crowding her, she’ll only resent me. But if I back off, Harold might make a move.”
“Luckily, she’s not interested in romance right now. So I still have a shot.”
He paused, then added, “And keep an eye on Natalie too.”
Jeremy’s expression tightened. “Ethan, are you still taking her side? If she needs something, she should go to her husband. Stop getting involved. She’s not your responsibility anymore.”
Ethan shook his head. “That’s not what I mean. Just watch her so she doesn’t start anything with Isabella.”
“I’m already moving on. I’m not going to keep helping her or giving in to her. Honestly, Jeremy, I’m just realizing that letting go of my feelings for Natalie isn’t hard at all.”
Jeremy gave him a look. “Of course it’s not hard. If you’d listened to us before, you wouldn’t have lost Isabella in the first place. But at least you still have a chance with her. You got this. We’re rooting for you.”
Ethan managed a tired smile but didn’t say anything.


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