Chapter 49

That night, she claimed she wasn't feeling well and slept alone in the guest room.

She was afraid that if she stayed one more second, she would vomit.

The night was deep and dark.

A biting cold wind cut through the air.

Tears soaked her pillow.

The next day, she went to Massachusetts General Hospital for a full gynecological exam.

Fortunately, everything was normal.

From that day on, she deliberately avoided Ethan Roscente's touch.

And he didn't even notice.

Then again, why would he notice the home fires had gone cold when he was well-fed elsewhere?

"You disgust me," Sophia Sullivan said. "Stay away from me."

Ethan's breath hitched. His throat tightened. He couldn't look her in the eye.

So she knew...

A light drizzle began to fall again.

The wind wailed, cold and piercing.

Ethan stood in the rain, letting it soak him completely. He stared like a stone statue at Sophia's retreating back.

Isabella Langley rushed into the downpour. Seeing his pale lips and chilled body, she cried out, "Ethan, don't do this to yourself! You'll get sick!"

She was also soaked and shivering. "You're standing out here, but does Sophia even care? I'm the one who loves you! I don't want to break up. Please, let me stay!"

Ethan ignored her, his eyes red as he pushed her away. "Get lost!"

"If you won't leave, then I'll stay with you!" Isabella gritted her teeth, determined.

Ethan didn't care what she said or did.

He stubbornly stared in that direction, hoping she would look back.

But she left without a single glance.

Drunkenness and cold overwhelmed him. Ethan finally collapsed in the rain.

Isabella panicked. "Ethan! Ethan! Don't scare me..."

She rushed to the roadside and hailed a cab. The female driver helped her carry Ethan into the car.

Back at the Beverly Hills mansion, her first priority was changing him into dry clothes and drying his hair. She ignored her own soaked state.

The family doctor arrived to administer an IV. His complexion didn't improve until midnight.

Exhausted, Isabella drifted in and out of sleep. She heard the man's muddled dreams. Leaning closer, she made out the name "Sophia."

Remembering his cold proposal to break up that day, her worst fear had come true.

But she refused to accept it. She had worked so hard to get close to him, to finally push his ex away. How could she let go now?

Isabella looked at the sleeping man in the bed, her eyes growing dark.

She made a decision.

She took off her clothes. She rummaged through the closet and put on the nightgown Sophia had left behind.

Then she carefully lay on top of Ethan.

Ethan felt a soft touch. He smelled a familiar scent. He forced his eyes open.

In his blurry vision, he saw Sophia!

She had come back!

Wearing that sexy nightgown. Her breath was warm. She was enchanting.

This time, he wouldn't let her go.

He flipped over, pinning her beneath him. He kissed her urgently. "Sophia... Sophia..."

You've finally forgiven me.

...

A night of passion lasted until the early hours.

The man, satisfied, fell into a deep sleep.

Ethan woke the next morning, rubbing his throbbing temples.

His elbow brushed against a warm body. He froze.

He turned his head and saw Isabella lying beside him.

They were both naked, under the same blanket.

Red marks dotted the girl's neck. Her cheeks were flushed. Clearly, she had been thoroughly loved.

Ethan shook his head. The erotic memories of last night slowly came into focus.

He smacked his forehead in frustration. How could he have been so foolish?

Isabella had been awake for a while. She felt him stir and slowly opened her eyes, feigning a sleepy, innocent look. She seemed startled, then blushed.

She shyly pressed her lips together and hugged Ethan from behind. "Baby, you hurt me last night. I kept saying no, but you wouldn't stop..."

Ethan frowned. "What happened last night?"

He only remembered watching Sophia walk away without looking back from her building...

How he got home, how he ended up in bed with Isabella—he couldn't remember any of it.

Isabella saw his dark expression. Her eyes darted away. Two seconds later, tears fell. "You passed out in the rain yesterday. I got a cab and brought you home to take care of you. I was going to leave, but you held me and wouldn't let me go. You pinned me to the bed... I kept crying that it hurt, but you ignored me. And then... this happened."

She bit her lip and looked up, her eyelashes fluttering pitifully. "Last night was my first time. You're my first love. My first man. I just like you. I went to find you because I wanted to stay by your side."

"If you really want to break up, I'll leave now..."

She threw off the covers, picked up her clothes, and began dressing while crying.

Ethan's headache worsened.

As the girl bowed her head, the love bites on her neck silently accused him.

Isabella's hands trembled so much she couldn't fasten her bra. After several failed attempts, she shivered like a drenched kitten.

Forget it.

Ethan's heart softened in the end. "Let's not talk about breaking up for now. We'll leave things as they are."

"Get dressed. I'll take a shower and then drive you back to school."

The bathroom door closed. Isabella immediately dropped the pitiful act. A smug smile played on her lips.

That nightgown of Sophia's had already been quietly returned to the closet.

She hadn't expected "the other woman's clothes" to work so well.

If you're going to play, play for keeps.