Chapter 236 Chapter 236.

Chapter 236 Chapter 236.
Isabella. 

I woke up to a silence that did not feel peaceful. For a few seconds, I stayed still on the bed, staring at the ceiling as if it would somehow give me answers, as if it would tell me how everything had gone so wrong in such a short time. The sheets were cold on his side, untouched, perfectly smooth, and that alone was enough to twist something deep inside me.

Luca had not come back to bed.

Not even once.

Not even for a moment.

I pushed myself up slowly, my body aching from a night of turning and tossing, my knee protesting sharply as my feet touched the floor. I let out a quiet breath and forced myself to stand properly, refusing to let the pain show, even though there was no one in the room to see it.

My fingers moved automatically as I fixed the bed, smoothing out every crease, adjusting the pillows like everything was normal, like this was just another morning and not one where my chest felt like it had been hollowed out.

“I have no idea what I am doing,” I whispered under my breath, my voice sounding small even to my own ears.

And that was the truth.

I had never been here before.

I had never been the one trying to fix something this broken.

I yawned, the exhaustion catching up with me all at once, and rubbed my puffy eyes before taking a deep breath and walking toward the door. My hand lingered on the handle for a second, my heart picking up speed as if I was about to face something far worse than reality.

When I stepped out, the sight in front of me made me freeze for just a fraction of a second.

Luca sat behind his desk, his posture straight, his eyes locked onto his laptop with a focus that looked almost unnatural, like nothing else in the world existed beyond that screen. Jun was sprawled across the couch, one arm thrown over his face, looking like he had absolutely no care in the world.

The contrast between them made the silence heavier.

Awkward did not even begin to describe it.

I cleared my throat softly, forcing my legs to move as I walked toward Luca, my heart pounding harder with every step until I was close enough to reach him. I leaned down slightly and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek, my breath catching when he did not pull away but did not respond either. He stilled under my touch, completely still, like even that small contact had caught him off guard.

I pulled back slowly, searching his face for something, anything.

“Good morning,” I murmured, trying to keep my voice steady even though it felt like it might shake apart. “I am going to the restaurant to get breakfast. Do you want something?”

He shook his head.

Just that.

No words.

Nothing more.

I bit the inside of my lip hard enough to ground myself, forcing a small nod as I stepped back.

“Okay,” I whispered, more to myself than to him.

Don’t let it hurt you.

Don’t let it hurt you.

I turned to Jun, clinging to whatever normalcy I could find. “Do you want to grab breakfast with me?”

He stared at me for a moment, like he was trying to read something deeper than what I was showing, before he nodded and pushed himself off the couch.

As we walked out, his eyes dropped to my leg, and his expression shifted slightly.

“You are limping,” he pointed out, his tone more serious now. “Do you want to go to the hospital?”

I shook my head immediately, a little too quickly. “No. That is ridiculous. I am fine. I will walk properly very soon.”

He studied me for another second before nodding.

“Alright then. Lead the way, pretty.”

A small, grateful smile tugged at my lips despite everything. “Thank you.”

I stepped out into the hallway, but not before I allowed myself one last glance back at Luca.

He was not even looking at me.

That hurt more than anything else.

The walk to the restaurant felt longer than usual, my fingers twisting together as I tried to find the right words.

“Jun, listen,” I started, my voice hesitant.

He did not even let me finish.

“No.”

I stopped for a second, my shoulders dropping. “Jun, please. Do not be like this too. I cannot handle everyone treating me like I am the villain here.”

He let out a short chuckle, shaking his head. “In my opinion, you are a little devil. I asked you something before, remember? I asked if we were a team, and you said yes. You did not hesitate. You said yes, Bella.”

“I meant it,” I insisted quickly, frustration creeping into my voice. “I still mean it. You know I panicked, right? Luca understands that, even if he is angry, and I get why he is angry. But you? You too?”

He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I do get you. I was even trying to explain your side to him, trying to make him see where you were coming from, but running away was too much. That was where it crossed the line. It could have been anything else, but not that.”

“I was not running away like that,” I argued, my voice softer now, almost pleading. “I was going to stay at the vacation house until I gathered enough courage to come back and talk to him properly.”