Chapter 88

POV ISABELA

Being away from Noah was harder than I had imagined.

Much harder.

It wasn’t just missing him.

It was like something essential was gone.

As if a part of me had been ripped out… and I was trying to function anyway.

The days passed.

Slow.

Dragging.

And, contrary to what I expected…

The pain didn’t fade.

It grew.

Silent.

Constant.

Persistent.

It was strange.

Confusing.

Because at the same time that I was hurt… wounded… disappointed…

I also missed him.

A lot.

A kind of longing that came in the most unexpected moments.

In the silence of the house.

At breakfast.

At the end of the day.

Before going to sleep.

I missed his smile.

The way his eyes lit up when he saw me.

The way he seemed to understand me without me needing to explain anything.

As if he could see beyond words.

I missed the peace he brought me.

The sense of safety.

Of being… in the right place.

And that confused me even more.

Because how can someone be, at the same time…

The reason for your pain…

And the person you want most by your side?

A part of me wanted to believe him.

I really did.

I wanted to believe him when he said he didn’t remember.

I wanted to believe him when he said he suspected he had been drugged.

I wanted to believe him when he asked me to look into his eyes.

And I did.

I looked.

I saw it.

I saw sincerity.

I saw desperation.

I saw truth… or something very close to it.

But there was another part of me.

Stronger.

More scarred.

The part that had already been betrayed.

That had already been trusted.

That had already believed in pretty words… and then had to pick up its own pieces.

That part screamed inside me.

Be careful.

Don’t be naive.

You’ve been through this before.

You know how it ends.

And it was that part that held me back.

That restrained me.

That kept me from running to him.

From forgetting everything.

From pretending nothing had happened.

Because if I was wrong…

If he really had slept with Luana…

If that baby was really his…

I didn’t know if I could survive another fall.

I didn’t know if I could rebuild myself… one more time.

And there was something else.

Luana.

From the very beginning…

Something about her bothered me.

It wasn’t rational.

It was instinct.

An unsettling feeling I couldn’t ignore.

From the first day.

At first glance.

I felt it.

Women feel it.

Women recognize it.

And I was never wrong about her.

Never.

I saw it.

In the looks.

In the way she positioned herself.

In the way she was “casually” too close.

I always knew there was something there.

Something that wasn’t just professional.

And now…

There it was.

Pregnant.

With Noah’s child.

Or at least… that’s what she was saying.

I ran a hand over my face, exhausted.

I was in my home office, trying to work.

Trying to write.

Trying to distract myself.

But my mind wasn’t helping.

The cursor blinked on the computer screen.

A steady rhythm.

Hypnotic.

And I couldn’t write a single line.

It was as if all the words had disappeared.

I sighed.

Ran a hand through my hair.

My heart felt heavy.

Tired.

That’s when I heard light footsteps in the hallway.

“Mom?”

I looked up.

Isis.

She walked into the office with that sweet smile that always managed to warm my heart, even on the hardest days.

“Hi, my love.”

She stepped closer, stopping beside me.

“Mom… I wanted to ask you something.”

I forced a small smile.

“What is it?”

Her eyes lit up instantly.

“I really want to go to the game on Saturday.”

My heart gave a small jump.

The game.

The most important one.

His game.

“Can you get me a ticket?”

She looked so excited.

So full of expectation.

So… happy.

My chest tightened.

Hard.

But I couldn’t take that away from her.

Not because of my problems.

“I can,” I answered gently.

Her eyes lit up even more.

“Really?”

I nodded.

“Of course.”

She gave a small, excited jump.

“Oh, Mom, I’m so excited! It’s going to be the most important game!”

My chest tightened again.

But I kept the smile.

“It is.”

She started talking nonstop.

About the team.

About the players.

About how she was counting the days.

And I just listened.

Watching her.

Trying to hold onto that moment.

That lightness.

That innocence.

Trying to forget, for a few seconds, the chaos inside me.

That’s when we heard heavier footsteps.

Stronger.

My body tensed automatically.

Daniel.

He appeared at the door, looking first at Isis.

“What’s going on here?” he asked. “Why all the excitement?”

Isis smiled, still thrilled.

“Mom is going to get me a ticket for Saturday’s game!”

Daniel immediately made a face.

“A game?”

“Yes!” she replied, excited.

He shook his head dismissively.

“That stuff is nonsense.”

My jaw clenched instantly.

“Soccer isn’t even for girls.”

Isis’s smile faltered.

“Dad… I like it.”

He shrugged.

“Even so… it’s a waste of time.”

I saw it.

Clearly.

Her excitement faded from her face.

Like a light being turned off.

My chest tightened.

“It’s not a waste of time…” she murmured, her voice lower.

Daniel let out a half-smile.

Cold.

“There are better things for you to do.”

Silence fell.

Heavy.

Isis lowered her gaze.

“I’m going to my room…”

She left.

Slowly.

Without looking back.

And that cut through me.

I stayed there, watching as she walked away.

Feeling a mix of sadness… and anger.

Daniel walked into the office as if nothing had happened.

“Are you still seeing that boy?”

My stomach tightened.

“No.”

My voice came out firm.

Controlled.

“I haven’t had any contact with him for several days.”

He nodded slowly.

“Good.”

I looked up.

“Why?”

He crossed his arms.

A controlling posture.

Superior.

“Because otherwise you’ll regret it.”

My chest tightened.

The words hung in the air.

Heavy.

Loaded with intention.

But I didn’t respond.

Because deep down…

I was already full of regret.

Regret for many things.

I just didn’t know yet…

If it were not for staying away from him.

Or because, even after everything…

I still couldn’t forget him.