Chapter 431
In the ward, Michael slowly opened his eyes, and the first person he saw was Isabella.
His mind was instantly flooded with the dangerous scene of her rolling down the hill, and he immediately became anxious. "Isabella, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
The pain in his body made every word feel like a stab, but he didn't care. He just wanted to know if she was injured and how serious it was.
Seeing Michael in such a state, the first thing he did upon waking was to ask about her condition. Isabella couldn't help but feel touched. But she had more questions and had to suppress her emotions for now.
"The test results came back, and I'm fine. You're the one who's seriously hurt. Don't you care about your own condition?"
Michael felt relieved hearing she was okay and lay back on the bed, breathing heavily. "What's a little injury? I'll be fine in a few days."
Compared to Isabella's injuries, his pain was nothing. She had just gone through a miscarriage and was in a fragile state. She couldn't afford any more harm. Otherwise, he would never forgive himself.
"What do you mean, 'a little injury'?" Isabella frowned at his dismissive tone. "The doctor said you had a head injury that almost caused a severe concussion, and your bones..."
"It's nothing." Before Isabella could finish, Michael interrupted her, waving his hand dismissively. "I know my body. These injuries are no big deal. You don't need to worry about me."
Isabella was frustrated with his irresponsible attitude. "If you don't want any lasting effects, you'd better take some time to rest and recover."
"Okay, fine." Michael agreed verbally, but anyone could tell he didn't mean it and wouldn't take it to heart. It wasn't that he didn't want to rest, but the Brown Group was facing too many issues lately. The Adri Family was watching him like a hawk, waiting for any slip-up to pounce and slowly take over the Brown Group. In such a situation, how could he rest?
But he couldn't let Isabella know about this. Their families were closely connected, and he wasn't sure if Nolan really intended to introduce her to his grandfather. He didn't want to take that risk. Her life was peaceful and happy now, and that was enough.
"Michael, why did you save me?" Isabella's eyes were fixed on him, demanding an answer. Since he woke up, besides asking about her condition, he had been avoiding her, even becoming cold and impatient. If he really hated her so much, why did he choose to save her?
Michael was stunned by her question and instinctively looked up, only to meet Isabella's piercing gaze. At that moment, Michael felt like Isabella had seen right through him. For the first time, he avoided her eyes, looking down and not answering her question directly. Instead, he sincerely apologized.
"Isabella, I've wronged you all these years. Whether you accept it or not, I owe you an apology."
Three years of marriage, from her initial warmth and kindness to her eventual coldness and numbness, it was all because of him. If he hadn't allowed Bianca to pick on her, if he hadn't let his family ignore her, if he hadn't constantly neglected her, Isabella wouldn't have become like this.
When she asked for a divorce, he was angry and resentful, but there wasn't much love.
But as he spent more time with her, he was forced to understand her, to uncover the side of her he never knew.
He found himself becoming obsessed with her, thinking about her all the time.
He realized he was truly in love with her, perhaps it was inevitable.
He started caring about her actions, where she went, who she met.
Until Nolan's return made him lose his mind completely.
It was then he truly understood that loving someone wasn't about being domineering and controlling, but about mutual understanding and respect.
But by then, Isabella was no longer willing to forgive him.
Isabella bit her lip.
Memories of the past flashed through her mind, and she controlled her emotions to keep from crying.
Maybe Michael didn't understand why she insisted on the divorce.
It was because she had a grudge in her heart.
As long as that grudge remained, she could never reconcile with him.
He knew better than anyone what kind of life she had in the Brown Family.
But she never cared about that; she only cared about him.
But he forgot that she was the wife he married.
He didn't have to love her, but he couldn't humiliate her, especially by teaming up with Bianca, whom she hated the most, to mess with her.
She believed she had given him enough face as his wife, but he wouldn't even touch her.
She just wanted a child, a child of their own.
For that, she even lowered herself to beg him, but he told her to get out.
One thing after another piled up, how could she forget?
If he had treated her a little better back then, they wouldn't have so much resentment between them.
Now, they had reached the end of their marriage.
But he showed up at this moment, risking his life to protect her, and personally apologized for the past three years.
Isabella felt a void in her heart.
So much time had passed, and the grudge had settled deep in her heart, but his simple apology felt like a cloud drifting in front of her.
It was so light, yet it weighed her down, making it hard to breathe.
He was like a potent poison; once touched, it was impossible to get rid of.
And she had been deeply entangled for years.
The apology that came three years late made all her pent-up resentment seem to dissipate in the wind.
Isabella's emotions suddenly became unusually calm.
She clearly felt that the suppressed emotions in her heart seemed to start beating again.
Whether it was because she couldn't truly let go of this relationship or still had hopes for Michael, she accepted it all.
But she needed to know the real reason.
"Michael, I accept your apology. It's what I deserve."
She tried hard to control her emotions. "But since it's all in the past, let's not bring it up again. Our current situation was destined from the start."
She just wanted to know one thing. "I just want to ask you, why were you at Graceful Haven Church today? Why did you follow me and Emilio, and why did you risk your life to save me when I fell?"
Her fall was purely accidental.
Even Emilio, who was right beside her, couldn't react in time.
How did Michael see her in trouble and rush to catch her at the bottom?