Chapter 106

ISABELLA

The doctor’s words replayed in my head as I lay back in bed, surrounded by pillows. Rest. Avoid stress. No overexertion. It all sounded so simple, but it was driving me crazy. I wasn’t made for this, being stuck in bed while life went on around me. Asher, Knox, and Jax had turned into protective watchdogs, watching my every move, even when I so much as tried to stand.

"Here," Jax said, gently placing a tray of food on my lap as if I was incapable of doing anything myself. "You need to eat."

I smiled at him, appreciating his care, but inside, I felt the edges of frustration pricking at me. It was sweet how worried they were, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit... useless.

With the vote fast approaching and the brothers busy preparing for the future—one that could change everything—I wanted to be involved. I wanted to help. But instead, here I was, lying in bed, relegated to resting while they handled everything. I didn’t blame them, of course. I knew they were doing what was best for me and the baby, but still… I felt like I was missing out.

Asher had been overseeing the transition of Black Enterprises, preparing to hand over the day-to-day operations to new managing directors. I overheard him talking to Jax about it last night—the company would still be accountable to them, but they’d only be involved in major strategic decisions from now on. It was all so carefully planned, so methodical. The boys were positioning themselves for the vote, and I just wished I could do more to support them.

I sighed as I poked at my food. The boys meant well, but being treated like I was fragile was wearing on me.

“Everything okay?” a voice came from the door. I looked up to see Spencer standing there, leaning casually against the frame, his arms crossed. He’d become something of a permanent fixture in the penthouse, and honestly, I didn’t mind. Despite his serious nature, he had a calming presence that I’d come to appreciate.

“I’m fine,” I said, my voice betraying my frustration. “Just going a little stir-crazy.”

He raised an eyebrow and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. "I heard about the doctor’s orders," he said, his tone understanding. "But I get it. You want to be more involved, right?"

I nodded, grateful that he understood without me having to explain. "Yeah. I feel like I should be doing more for Asher, Knox, and Jax. They’re working so hard, and I’m just… lying here. It’s frustrating."

Spencer gave me a small smile. "You’re doing more than you think, Isa. They need you healthy, and staying in bed is helping them in its own way. Trust me, they’d fall apart if anything happened to you or the baby. You’re the heart of this."

His words hit me unexpectedly, and I felt a lump form in my throat. I hadn’t thought about it that way. I had been so focused on what I couldn’t do that I hadn’t considered how much I already meant to them—just by being here.

"You really think so?" I asked, my voice quieter now.

"I know so," he said, his eyes steady on mine. "And as for the business stuff, you don’t need to be running around to be useful. Your support—your presence—it’s what grounds them."

I let out a slow breath, feeling some of the tension release from my chest. "I just… I don’t know. I’ve never been good at sitting on the sidelines."

Spencer chuckled. "I can see that about you. But you’re not on the sidelines. You’re in the center of all of this. The boys are trying to secure a future, not just for the pack or the throne, but for you and the baby. You’re everything to them."

His words made me pause, and I found myself really thinking about what he was saying. He was right. I wasn’t useless. I was doing the most important thing—keeping our child safe, and by extension, our future.

I smiled at him, feeling lighter than I had in days. "Thanks, Spencer. I don’t know what I’d do without you."

He waved a hand dismissively, but I could see the faint hint of a smile on his usually serious face. "Just doing my job. Besides, you’re good company."

We sat there for a while, talking about the baby, about the future, and about mundane things like the movie we’d watched together the other day. I realized, as we talked, that a genuine friendship had formed between us. Spencer had been my rock in a way I hadn’t expected, and I found comfort in his presence.

After a while, Spencer stood up, giving me a nod. "Rest. I’ll make sure no one bothers you."

I smiled, feeling reassured. "You’re becoming just as overprotective as they are."

"Can’t help it," he replied with a smirk. "I’m part of the team now."

As he left the room, I leaned back against the pillows, feeling more at peace. Maybe resting wasn’t so bad. If I was honest with myself, I needed it, and it was for the best. I just had to trust that everything would work out—and with the boys and Spencer looking out for me, I knew I wasn’t alone.

“I brought reinforcements!” Alex announced as he burst into the penthouse, his arms filled with bags of chips, candy, and soda. He kicked the door shut behind him with his foot, looking way too proud of himself.

I laughed from where I lay in bed, already half-buried in pillows. “Junk food for the soul, huh?”

He dropped the bags onto the bed with a flourish. “Exactly. If we’re going to do this, we’re doing it right.”

I couldn’t help but smile. Alex always knew how to lift my spirits, especially when I was feeling cooped up. Between the boys and Spencer hovering around me like nervous hawks, I needed a break. And there was no better break than an afternoon with Alex.

He plopped down beside me and started pulling snacks from the bags. Chips, chocolate bars, a whole bag of gummy bears... he wasn’t kidding about reinforcements.

“Alright, what’s on the agenda?” he asked, grabbing the remote.

“Something dumb,” I said with a grin. “Something that will drive Jax crazy if he finds out.”

Alex raised an eyebrow, mischievousness sparkling in his eyes. “You mean like that terrible reality show we both hate-watch?”

“You know the one,” I replied, leaning back as he flicked through the streaming service to find it.

As soon as the over-the-top theme music started playing, we both burst into laughter. It was the kind of show that had no real plot, just a bunch of ridiculous, dramatic moments that were so bad they were good.

“This is so going to annoy Jax,” Alex said, his eyes twinkling as he tore open a bag of chips. “I can already see him rolling his eyes.”

I laughed, imagining the look of horror on his face if he walked in on us glued to the TV, covered in crumbs, and watching some pointless drama. “He’s going to have an aneurysm.”

We settled in, munching on chips and giggling every few minutes at the show’s ridiculousness. One of the contestants was sobbing because someone had stolen their favorite lip gloss, and Alex nearly choked on his soda.

“She’s seriously crying over lip gloss?!” Alex howled, his laughter contagious.

I shook my head, trying to catch my breath between fits of giggles. “The drama! The betrayal! This is peak entertainment.”

We spent the next hour half-watching the show, half-gossiping and laughing about anything and everything. The bed was now littered with half-empty bags of snacks, and I was pretty sure we’d both eaten our weight in junk food.

“You know Jax is going to freak out when he sees this, right?” Alex said, glancing around at the snack carnage we’d left behind.

“Let him,” I said, grinning mischievously. “It’s worth it.”

As if on cue, my phone buzzed with a text. I grabbed it and smirked.

Jax:

What are you two up to?

I showed Alex the message, and he snorted. “He knows something’s up.”

I quickly typed back:

Me: Just relaxing with Alex. Nothing to worry about.

Alex gave me a knowing look. “Oh, he’s definitely worried now.”

We both dissolved into giggles again, imagining Jax pacing around, trying to figure out what chaos we were causing.

A few minutes later, another message popped up.

Jax:

Define ‘relaxing.’

I rolled my eyes and sent back a picture of the pile of junk food wrappers on the bed, along with the TV screen showing the absurd reality show.

A moment later, his response came back, and we burst into laughter.

Jax:

You’re killing me.

I looked at Alex, grinning. “Mission accomplished.”

He high-fived me, and we went back to our snacks and mindless TV. It was exactly what I needed—a break from everything. The worry, the stress, even the pregnancy... just a couple of hours to be silly and laugh with my best friend.

Alex leaned over, grabbing a handful of gummy bears. “You know, it’s kind of hilarious that we’re giving Jax a hard time, considering how protective he is.”

“He’s just trying to look out for me,” I said, smiling. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun with it.”

We both settled back into the pillows, content and happy. It was moments like this that made me feel grounded—surrounded by people who loved me, even when they were driving me crazy.

“Alright,” Alex said, turning his attention back to the screen. “Next episode?”

“Absolutely,” I said, reaching for more popcorn. “Let’s see how much more ridiculous this can get.”

And as we laughed together, I realized that sometimes, the best moments were the ones that had nothing to do with the big things—the throne, the baby, or even the boys. Sometimes, it was just an afternoon spent eating junk food and watching bad TV with your best friend.