CHAPTER 113

CHAPTER 113
POV ISABELA

I was nervous.

Very nervous.

It wasn’t a light kind of nervousness… the kind that fades with a deep breath.

It was something deeper.

Heavier.

A constant tightness in my chest, as if something was about to happen—and I had absolutely no control over it.

I was lying in bed.

Still resting.

Surrounded by pillows that tried, unsuccessfully, to make me comfortable.

My body still ached.

My head throbbed from time to time.

But, in that moment…

None of that mattered.

Because what was really consuming me…

Was it the press conference.

Noah’s press conference.

My hands were cold.

Freezing.

Even with the room warm.

I rubbed them together lightly, trying to hide it, but it didn’t help.

My heart was racing.

Fast.

Strong.

Uneven.

As if it were running inside my chest.

Beside me, Alex sat far too relaxed for the situation. Legs crossed, a bowl of popcorn resting on his lap, as if we were about to watch just any movie.

“It's going to be fine, Isa,” he said, tossing a handful of popcorn into his mouth with the ease of someone who wasn’t on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

I let out a short sigh.

“I hope so…”

On the other side of the bed, Isis was quieter.

Much quieter.

Her eyes were fixed on the television, but without the lightness of someone just watching something.

She was tense.

I could tell.

Even without looking directly.

“He seems really determined…” she said after a few seconds.

Her voice is low.

Controlled.

I swallowed hard.

“That's exactly what scares me…”

And it was.

Because I knew Noah.

I knew how impulsive he could be when he was emotionally involved.

I knew how far he would go.

Without measuring consequences.

Without thinking about what came after.

And that…

Could be dangerous.

Very dangerous.

“Isa…" Alex said, now more serious, “It can’t get worse than it already is.”

I let out a weak laugh.

Without humor.

“It can always get worse…”

Silence fell.

Heavy.

The television was still on, but it hadn’t started yet.

Those minutes…

Felt like hours.

I could hear the clock.

The distant sound of a car passing on the street.

My own breathing.

Everything felt too loud.

Until…

The broadcast began.

My entire body went rigid.

Without realizing it, I gripped the bedsheet tightly.

My heart pounded.

And then…

He appeared.

Noah.

Walking into the room.

Cameras everywhere.

Microphones pointed at him.

Bright lights.

Reporters are shifting.

Photographers are clicking nonstop.

And in the middle of all that…

Him.

Serious.

Focused.

But steady.

Confident.

My heart tightened painfully.

He looked…

Determined.

Very determined.

He took a deep breath.

I noticed.

I knew that gesture.

It was how he prepared himself.

How did he organize himself inside.

“Good afternoon, everyone.”

His voice came out clear.

Firm.

And immediately…

The noise stopped.

Silence took over the place.

My heart raced even faster.

“I decided to call this press conference because a lot has been said in the past few days…” he began, “and a large part of it is not true. I shouldn’t be here talking about my personal life, but given all the lies I’ve heard lately, I had no choice.”

I felt my throat go dry.

My hand automatically reached for Isis’s.

And, to my surprise…

She held it back.

Firm.

That made my chest tighten.

“I met Isabela at a difficult moment in her life…” he continued.

My breathing faltered for a second.

“She was emotionally shattered… had just gone through a divorce… the papers were already signed…”

His words were calm.

But heavy.

“And it hadn’t been long since she found out about her husband’s betrayal.”

It felt like someone squeezed my chest.

Hard.

Memories came rushing back.

Fast.

Painful.

But his voice pulled me back.

“From my side…” He paused briefly. “It was love at first sight.”

My heart raced.

For real.

Fast.

Uneven.

I felt it.

Physically.

Beside me, Alex turned toward me with a huge smile.

But I…

I couldn’t react.

I could only feel.

“I had never fallen in love before…” he continued, “but with her… it was different… immediate… intense…” 

My hands began to tremble.

“We got involved without knowing anything about each other… two adults… independent… free…”

The word free echoed inside me.

“Who decided to let themselves feel… for one night?”

My breath caught.

The room felt smaller.

Hotter.

“After that… I couldn’t get her out of my head…”

He smiled slightly.

Almost imperceptibly.

But I saw it.

“And, by coincidence, she was the reporter covering my team… so we started seeing each other more often…”

He paused.

Glanced briefly to the sides.

“Yes, we got involved… but both single… both free… no cheating… no lies.”

My chest tightened more and more.

“And yes…”

Another pause.

“We love each other.”

The tears came.

Immediately.

Warm.

Uncontrollable.

My vision blurred.

I didn’t even try to hold them back.

I couldn’t.

“And no… no one is going to interfere in this relationship.”

The silence on the other side of the screen felt almost tangible.

Heavy.

Tense.

A reporter raised her hand.

“Noah… what about the age difference? Don’t you think that could be a problem?”

My body tensed.

But he didn’t hesitate.

Not for a second.

“No.”

Direct.

Firm.

No room for doubt.

“Age doesn’t define maturity… it doesn’t define character… and it definitely doesn’t define love…”

My breathing trembled.

“We are two adults… aware… independent… and fully capable of deciding our own lives.”

Alex let out a quiet “Yes!” beside me.

But Isis…

Stayed silent.

Only now…

She was squeezing my hand.

Tighter.

Another reporter:

“Don’t you think this could hurt your career?”

Noah took a deep breath.

I knew that look.

“If loving an incredible, strong, intelligent, and brave woman hurts my career…” he said, “then maybe I need to rethink what kind of career I want to have.”

My chest tightened differently.

Warmer.

Fuller.

Another question came:

“There are rumors that this relationship started before the divorce…”

He grew serious.

More serious than before.

“That’s not true.”

His voice is firm.

Almost sharp.

“We only got involved after the divorce was finalized… before that, we never had any kind of personal contact.”

He leaned slightly forward.

“Isabela is an honest, honorable woman… and I will not allow anyone to stain her image with lies.”

The tears kept falling.

I couldn’t stop them anymore.

He was there.

In front of everyone.

Defending me.

Without fear.

Without shame.

Without backing down.

“And her ex-husband?” another reporter asked. “There are comments about conflicts…”

Noah took a deep breath.

Once again.

“I’m not going to talk about personal matters involving third parties…”

He paused.

“But I can say that Isabela has been through a lot… more than she should have…”

My chest tightened.

“And even so… she remained an incredible woman.”

I closed my eyes for a second.

Tears falling.

Nonstop.

The press conference continued for a few more minutes.

Questions.

Answers.

But I wasn’t really listening anymore.

My mind was full.

My heart…

Even more.

Until finally, he said:

“I just hope that, from now on… people respect our story… our choice… and most importantly… respect Isabela.”

He stood up.

And left.

The cameras still followed him.

But for me…

It was already over.

The broadcast ended.

The screen went silent.

And so did the room.

For a few seconds…

No one said anything.

Alex was the first.

“Wow…”

His voice came out in shock.

Isis let out a slow breath.

And discreetly wiped her eyes.

I saw it.

Even though she tried to hide it.

And me…

I didn’t even try anymore.

The tears fell freely.

Because in that moment…

It wasn’t about fear anymore.

It wasn’t about judgment anymore.

It was about something much bigger.

He had exposed himself.

Put himself on the line.

For me.

For us.

I took a deep breath.

With difficulty.

But with a full heart.

I didn’t feel alone.

I knew it.

Absolutely.

He was fighting for me.

And for us.