Isabella looked at the photo of her husband Cassian and Melody, and she felt like she couldn't breathe. Melody had been Cassian's assistant—and Isabella's trusted friend, the one she had shared everything with.
Pain and betrayal flashed across Isabella's face as the shocking truth dawned on her.
Seeing her on the verge of breaking down, Cassian asked, "What happened?"
She quickly hid her phone behind her back and said nothing, only muttering that it was just a message from a friend.
Cassian nodded, pulled her into a brief hug, kissed her, and said, "I have a lot of work, so I need to leave now."
She nodded in stunned silence. He hurried out without even glancing back at her.
Isabella collapsed onto the bed, unable to hold herself together any longer.
Just then, Chloe called her, "Hello, Isabella." Isabella's body tensed up instantly.
Hearing Isabella's lifeless voice, Chloe asked urgently, "Did you find out?"
Through her tears, Isabella sobbed, "Yes, Chloe. I saw it with my own eyes."
Chloe pressed, "What did you see?"
Isabella replied in a broken voice, "In that hotel room… he was being intimate with Melody."
Chloe paused, then asked carefully, "Melody—as in the only good friend you have in Cassian's company?"
Isabella whispered, "Yes."
"If I were his wife, I'd beat them both to death!" Chloe exploded, disgust twisting her face as she imagined the betrayal.
Isabella's voice broke as she whispered, "I always thought he truly loved me… but I was so wrong."
Chloe slammed her words like a hammer: "That's enough, Isabella. Divorce him. End this before he destroys you."
Isabella's heart raced, panic bubbling up as she cried out, "No, Chloe! Please—I can't leave him. I just… can't."
Chloe's voice rose in a frustrated growl. "Why can't you see what he's doing to you?"
Fighting back tears, Isabella choked out, "Because since I was little, I've always been alone. My parents never loved me. My sister tormented me, and everyone supported her. Only Cassian ever stood by me… those were the happiest days of my life."
"So you're going to sacrifice your entire life for him?" Chloe demanded angrily.
"No, Chloe," Isabella replied softly but firmly. "I just want to give him seven chances… because during my darkest times, he stood by me seven times."
Chloe fell silent for a moment, remembering how gently Cassian used to look at Isabella, how he'd even risked his life for her once.
"Fine," Chloe said reluctantly. "But if he doesn't change, promise me you'll divorce him after those seven chances."
Isabella nodded quietly. They ended the call.
She sank onto the bed, lost in a storm of thoughts, until sleep finally pulled her under.
The morning sun streamed through the window, casting a brilliant golden light across the room.
Slowly waking, Isabella felt a large arm wrapped around her waist. She blinked open her eyes and saw the man lying beside her.
As she studied his face up close, memories of their first meeting flooded her mind—how she'd been captivated by his stunning looks, how her heart had fluttered for him even then, though he always seemed to carry a cold, distant aura.
Without thinking, her fingers reached up to lightly touch his face.
His eyes fluttered open, and he looked at her with a lazy softness. "Good morning, wife," he murmured.
She replied softly, "Good morning."
He slipped off the bed, pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, and hurried toward the bathroom to shower.
Left alone, she sat up and stared at their wedding photo, her heart heavy with unspoken questions.
Two years ago…
"You have to marry him!" Seraphina's voice cracked like a whip across the quiet room, her eyes glinting with fierce determination.
Isabella looked at her mother in shock, voice trembling. "But Mother… how can I marry the man who was supposed to marry my sister?"
Seraphina's chest rose and fell as she struggled to contain her anger. "Do you think I don't know that?" she snapped. "Your sister locked herself in her bedroom, refusing food and water for days—just to stop this wedding from happening!"
Isabella's breath caught painfully in her chest. Her mind spun as she pictured her delicate sister wasting away behind a locked door, all because she couldn't face the man chosen for her.
Seraphina's voice lowered to a bitter whisper. "She's too fragile, Isabella. She can't handle his world, his temper. But you… you are stronger."
Tears welled in Isabella's eyes. "But Mother… if you force me to marry him, I'll suffer too. I'll be the one paying the price for everyone's fears."
Seraphina's eyes hardened like stone as she stepped forward. "You can bear it," she said coldly. "And your sister cannot. If this family is to survive, you must do this."
Isabella stared at her mother's unfeeling face, heart splintering. This wasn't a choice—it was a command, an ultimatum she could not refuse.
Present…
"Isa…" Cassian's deep voice broke the silence of her thoughts, snapping her back to the present.
She looked up at him, eyes wide and haunted.
"I'll go get breakfast ready," he said softly. "Freshen up and come down soon."
She nodded faintly, mind still reeling.
He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, a tender gesture that felt like a cruel echo of a promise he'd never truly made. Then he turned and walked out, leaving her alone with the ghosts of her past.
Isabella watched his retreating figure, unable to stop wondering how he could act so normal when he was clearly cheating on her with Melody.
She pushed those torturous thoughts aside, took a quick shower, and made her way downstairs for breakfast.
There, she saw Cassian in his crisp white shirt tucked into black trousers, the fabric hugging his lean, muscular frame. A soft, boyish smile played on his lips as he moved gracefully around the kitchen, a pale pink apron tied around his waist.
He looked up at her, eyes crinkling. "Hey baby, just five more minutes, and breakfast will be ready," he said warmly.
She smiled weakly and stepped closer, her heart pounding. "Cassian… do you really love me?" she asked softly, her voice shaking.
He didn't even glance her way as he flipped a pancake, only saying casually, "Why wouldn't I?"
She stared at the man who had once sworn to cherish her, fighting back the rising wave of pain. How could he lie so easily?