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Chapter 109
Compared to the chaos at the Harding estate, the hospital offered a perfect sanctuary of peace and quiet. Isabella admired the emerald necklace Henry had given her, turning it slowly in Her hands to catch the light. The deep green stones, set in
latinum and surrounded by diamonds, were worth millions of dollars.
“Who says Henry isn’t romantic?” she whispered to herself, holding the necklace against her throat as she gazed into the mirror. The emeralds perfectly complemented her skin tone and hair color.
Nancy observed Isabella’s vanity with calculating eyes. Without being asked, she pulled out her phone and began capturing photos from various angles of Isabella.
“Make sure they’re clear,” Isabella instructed, tilting her head to showcase the necklace. “And capture the Harding family crest on the clasp.”
Nancy nodded, taking several more shots. “These are perfect, Miss Scott. Would you like me to send them to your phone?”
“Of course,” Isabella replied, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. “Why should I enjoy this happiness alone?”
Within minutes, Isabella had selected the most flattering image and posted it online with a simple caption: “Thank you, my love. You’re too good to me.” She didn’t explicitly mention Henry, but she didn’t need to. Everyone following her knew exactly who “my love” referred to.
The response was immediate and polarizing. Comments flooded in:
“OMG! That necklace must be worth millions!”
“Isabella and Henry are FINALLY back together! They were always meant to be!”
“Isn’t he still married? How shameless can she be?”
“That necklace rightfully belongs to his WIFE, not his mistress!”
Isabella scrolled through the comments, reveling in both the admiration and the outrage. Either way, people were talking about her, speculating about her relationship with Henry. This publicity was exactly what she wanted.
At Maple Grove, Henry was completely unaware of the online storm brewing around Isabella’s post. His mind was occupi with Sophia’s strange behavior earlier that day, her outburst and subsequent sedation. The doctor had suggested she needed rest, that the emotional turmoil of recent weeks had finally caught up with her.
James had promised to investigate the connection between Sophia and Harper Davis, but nothing substantive had surfac yet. The mystery gnawed at Henry as he paced the bedroom where Sophia lay sleeping!
His phone vibrated in his pocket, Isabella’s name flashing on the screen.
“What is it?” he asked tersely.
“It’s me, Nancy. Miss Scott is running a fever again,” Nancy reported, her voice laced wit.. deliberately practiced concerr “She’s become quite agitated and won’t let anyone near her. I’m at my wit’s end, Mr. Harding. Could you possibly come
Henry could hear Isabella’s exaggerated coughing in the background.
Chapter 109
Nancy always called at Henty’s most inconvenient moments, and he was growing tired of these disruptions.
He glanced at Sophia lying on the bed. The sedative would keep her under for hours, but leaving her alone in this state seemed wrong somehow. Despite everything that had happened between them, despite her wild accusations and attempts to divorce him, he still felt responsible for her.
“I can’t come right now,” he finally replied. “Sophia isn’t well.”
There was a brief, stunned silence on the other end.
“But sir,” Nancy persisted, “Miss Scott is asking for you specifically. Her condition seems to be worsening.”
In the background, Isabella’s coughing intensified, followed by what sounded like gasping breaths.
“Miss Scott!” Nancy exclaimed, her voice distant as if she’d pulled the phone away. “Are you alright? Should I call a doctor?”
Henry pinched the bridge of his nose, his mood growing increasingly frustrated.
The timing of Isabella’s illness was always so convenient, suspiciously so…
“I’ll send a doctor to check on her,” he said firmly. “I can’t leave right now.”
Before Nancy could say anything more, a loud crash sounded through the phone, followed by what might have been Isabella collapsing. The call abruptly ended.
Henry stared at his phone, momentarily concerned despite his suspicions. Was Isabella truly ill? Was that really the sound of her falling?
To be honest, when he’d first received Nancy’s call, his instinct had been to rush to Isabella’s side.
But tonight, something held him back. The sight of Sophia, pale and vulnerable in their bed, had stopped him from rushing to Isabella’s hospital room.
He approached the bed quietly, looking down at his wife. She lay facing away from him, her breathing shallow but steady. He reached out, placing his palm against her cheek, startled by how cold her skin felt. Concerned, he rubbed his hands together to warm them before gently cradling her face, trying to transfer some warmth to her.
As he sat beside her, Sophia suddenly stirred, murmuring in her sleep.
“Sam…” she whispered, her voice tinged with desperation. “Don’t go! I was wrong, I know I was wrong. Please come back.. please?”
Henry froze, his hand still against her cheek.
Sam.
This wasn’t the first time he’d heard that name fall from Sophias lips during sleep. Who haunted her dreams? What role had he played in Sophia’s life before Henry?
his “Sam,” this man who
As he watched his wife’s face contort with dream–pain, her body curling up, a cold fury built inside him.
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Chapter 109
The woman who had claimed to love him for five years was calling another man’s name in her sleep, begging him to return
to her.
The hypocrisy of it all struck him hard.
“For years, Sophia had accused him of emotional infidelity with Isabella, of keeping his heart sealed away from their marriage. Yet here she was, harboring feelings for someone else all along.
Without a word, Henry stood and walked out of the bedroom. His footsteps echoed through the empty hallway as he descended the stairs and left the mansion. There was no hesitation in his departure, no backward glance toward the woman who had just shattered whatever remained of his trust.
As he left Maple Grove, a cold, dismal rain began to fall. The man didn’t even put on a coat as he started his car and drove away from the villa.
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