CHAPTER 109
CHAPTER 109
POV ISABELA
Noah didn’t leave.
He stayed right there.
Sitting in the armchair beside my bed, holding my hand firmly, as if letting go meant losing me.
The room’s light was dim, soft, almost cozy. The kind of lighting that made the outside world feel distant… as if that space were a bubble, isolated from the chaos.
The silence, this time, didn’t hurt.
It was comforting.
Almost necessary.
Sometimes, he brushed his thumb over my hand in slow, absentminded movements. A simple gesture… but one that grounded me in that moment.
Other times, I just watched.
Watched him.
His face.
His features.
His expression.
Tired.
So tired.
There were shadows under his eyes.
His jaw was relaxed, unlike the constant tension he had carried over the past few hours.
It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since he had played the most important game of his career.
It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since his world—and mine—had exploded.
And even so…
He was there.
With me.
Without complaining.
Without hesitation.
Without leaving.
His eyes started to grow heavy.
I could tell.
With every slower blink.
His head dipped slightly forward, then lifted again.
He was trying to stay awake.
For me.
That tightened my chest.
I smiled faintly.
“Noah…”
“Hm?” he replied, his voice rough with sleep, still trying to keep his eyes open.
“Lie down here with me.”
He blinked a few times, as if trying to process whether he’d heard that right.
“I… I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
He let out a small sigh.
“Isa… I’m already pushing it just by being here, sneaking in… Imagine if they catch me lying in the bed…”
I glanced at the armchair.
Hard.
Narrow.
Uncomfortable.
“You won’t be able to sleep there.”
He gave a half-smile.
“It’s fine… I’ll stay here.”
I crossed my arms, even as my body protested the movement.
“Noah…”
“Isa…”
“Lie down.”
My tone came out firmer.
More stubborn.
He looked at me for a few seconds.
And then…
He smiled.
A defeated smile.
“You’re stubborn.”
“Very.”
After a few seconds of hesitation, he stood up.
Carefully.
As if every movement had to be calculated so he wouldn’t hurt me.
He lay down beside me slowly, adjusting himself with care.
His arm wrapped around me.
Warm.
Safe.
I fight against him automatically.
As if that was exactly where I was meant to be.
His scent surrounded me.
Familiar.
Comforting.
Soothing.
He took a deep breath, resting his face near my neck.
And then…
It didn’t take long.
Within minutes…
He was asleep.
Truly.
Deeply.
His calm, steady breathing brushes lightly against my skin.
I stayed there.
Watching.
His relaxed face.
His slightly messy hair.
The peace he only allowed himself when he wasn’t conscious enough to fight everything.
My chest tightened.
He had come all the way there.
He had faced everyone.
He had fought.
He had put everything at risk.
And even so…
He was there.
With me.
I ran my hand slowly through his hair, carefully, almost like a silent gesture of gratitude.
But I…
I couldn’t sleep.
The night dragged on.
Heavy.
And I stayed awake.
Thinking.
Always circling back to the same place.
Isis.
She hadn’t come.
She hadn’t called.
She hadn’t sent a message.
Nothing.
Her silence screamed louder than any words.
My chest tightened.
Did she really hate me?
Had I lost my daughter?
The tears came again.
Silent.
Subtle.
So I wouldn’t wake him.
And like that…
The night passed.
When daylight began to creep in, the hospital woke with it.
Footsteps in the hallway.
Low voices.
Metal carts are being pushed.
Doors opening and closing.
Life is returning to its usual rhythm.
The door opened.
The doctor walked in.
But he stopped immediately.
His eyes widened when he saw Noah sleeping beside me.
“My God… how did he get in here?”
I raised a finger to my lips.
“Shhh…”
He looked at me, somewhere between surprised and amused.
“He just fell asleep…” I whispered. “Let him rest… he’s very tired…”
The doctor let out a small laugh, shaking his head.
“I don’t know what to do with the two of you…”
But there was a smile there.
He stepped closer, checked me, and looked over the monitors.
“How’s the pain?”
“Better…” I replied.
“That’s a good sign.”
He wrote something down.
Then glanced at Noah again.
“Just this once.”
I nodded, almost conspiratorial.
He left.
Some time later…
Noah stirred.
He breathed more deeply.
Blinking slowly.
“Damn…”
He ran a hand over his face, still a bit disoriented.
“I slept too long…”
He sat up too quickly.
“I wasn’t supposed to fall asleep… I came to take care of you…”
I smiled faintly.
“I’m fine…”
But he studied me.
Attentive.
Detailed.
“You look tired…”
“I did sleep…”
He didn’t seem convinced.
“If the doctor sees me here…”
“He already did.”
Noah’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“But he didn’t say anything.”
He exhaled, relieved.
“Thank God…”
He tried to hide it, but I saw it.
The care.
The concern.
He picked up the breakfast tray.
“Let’s see what we’ve got here…”
And he started feeding me.
Carefully.
Patiently.
As if that were the most important thing in the world.
My heart warmed.
The door opened.
My entire body froze.
Daniel.
And…
Isis.
My eyes went straight to her.
“Isis…”
But before she answered me…
She looked at Noah.
Cold.
Hard.
Emotionless.
“What are you doing here?”
The silence grew heavy.
Noah opened his mouth.
Closed it.
He was holding himself back.
For her.
“Sweetheart,” I said, “be polite…”
She let out a bitter laugh.
“With your lover, right, Mom?”
I closed my eyes for a second.
Daniel stepped forward.
“Didn’t I already tell you to stay away from my wife?”
I saw the bruises on his face.
And without needing to ask…
I understood.
Noah went rigid.
But controlled.
“I came to see Isa…” he said calmly. “I care about her.”
Isis shook her head.
“How touching…”
She looked at me.
“Aren’t you ashamed?”
My chest tightened.
“Isis…”
“You destroyed our family.”
Her voice trembled.
But it still carried anger.
Noah couldn’t take it.
“You don’t know the story.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Don’t talk to my daughter!”
Noah ignored him completely.
“Your mother never cheated on your father.”
The air changed.
Heavy.
Dense.
Impossible to breathe.
“We only got together after the divorce.”
Isis frowned.
Confused.
“Your father is the one who cheated.”
Daniel went pale.
“Stop that…”
But Noah didn’t stop.
“Besides being a cheater, he’s abusive. You have no idea how many times your mother suffered in silence so you could live thinking you had a perfect family.”
The silence fell like a bomb.
Isis slowly turned to me.
“Mom…”
My throat tightened.
“That day…”
“I lied…” I murmured.
My voice broke.
“It was him.”
Tears came.
Uncontrollable.
“He threatened me…”
My breathing shook.
“He said he’d take you away from me…”
Her face changed.
The anger… turned into doubt.
Then shock.
“I only stayed… because of you…”
The tears streamed endlessly.
“Even with you hating me…”
My voice cracked.
“I love you…”
Silence took over.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
Isis took a step back.
Then another.
As if the ground had disappeared beneath her.
As if everything she believed in had been ripped away.
And then…
She ran.
“Isis!” Daniel shouted.
He shot me a look full of hatred.
And went after her.
The door slammed.
And the room…
Fell silent once again.