Chapter 860 Something About Him Is Off

Chapter 860 Something About Him Is Off

The thought of what might happen in the future gripped Michael with a fear sharper than anything he had ever felt.

One Bianca had already pushed them to the brink of divorce. If, one day, a careless rumor tied his name to another woman because of work or social obligations, he could already predict Isabella's reaction.

She would believe him. But she would pull away.

She would not argue with him as she once had, would not confront him, would not demand explanations.

This contract was less about giving Isabella a sense of security than it was about giving Michael one himself.

He would let no one get close enough to tempt fate, and he would not fear the schemes of those who might try.

He was certain of one thing: in this lifetime, there would be no one else for him but Isabella.

But he was afraid her love might fade.

She had choices. Too many, in fact. Men who wanted to care for her, men whose charm and capability could match or even surpass his own.

And he was still a man with a fractured mind.

The real reason he had never told Isabella about his condition was simple—he was terrified of losing the flawless image she had of him. He feared she might one day look at him with disgust.

Even if she didn't care at first, time had a way of wearing people down. What if, someday, she decided that living with him was exhausting, a burden too heavy to carry?

What if all she had left for him was pity, not love?

Michael would never allow that to happen.

He would do whatever it took to make Isabella feel the weight of his commitment, to keep her from ever suggesting they part ways again.

Drawing a deep breath, Michael turned his gaze toward Atticus, his eyes dark and steady.

"Atticus, I know this puts Isabella in a difficult position, but I promise you, this is something I've thought through carefully. It's not a decision made in the heat of the moment."

Then he turned to Isabella, his hands slowly closing around hers, his voice low, tight with suppressed tension.

"Isabella, I know this is selfish. Maybe you think I'm using this contract, using the Brown Group shares, to bind you to me in a way you can never escape.

"I know you want love without conditions, without anything tainting it. But I don't have any other way.

"There are too many things that could happen in the future. I can't promise you'll stay by my side forever. If there's any way to tie our lives closer together, I'll take it without hesitation."

His words stunned everyone in the room.

Even Isabella was caught off guard—not just by what he said, but by the faint tremor she felt in his hands.

He was nervous.

Or maybe... afraid.

These were emotions she had rarely seen in him, and she didn't understand them.

But she knew this—Michael's emotions were unraveling, and that meant his illness could surface at any moment. She could not let her uncles see that.

For now, the only solution was to steady him.

She fixed her eyes on him, speaking softly so her uncles couldn't hear. "Michael, are you feeling unwell again? Let me take you upstairs to rest."

She started to rise, intending to explain to Atticus and the others, but Michael's grip tightened suddenly.

She looked down and met his tortured gaze.

Her heart clenched.

She didn't know what had brought him to this state today, but she understood his fear. If she refused to sign this contract, he would spiral.

This was not the moment to provoke him.

With her uncles watching, if Michael lost control here, the fallout would be impossible to contain.

She pressed her lips together, her mind already made up.

Patting his hand lightly, she gave him a small, calm smile. "You want me to sign this contract, right?"

Michael said nothing, but the flicker in his eyes betrayed him.

"Fine," she said. "I'll sign it. But not right now. Michael, I need to talk to you. If your answer is what I need to hear, I'll give you what you want. Understand?"

The others in the room looked puzzled, but Michael understood.

This time, he didn't hesitate. He nodded. "Alright."

Relief loosened the knot in her chest. Without wasting a second, she turned to Atticus. "Atticus, I need to use your study for a moment."

Atticus didn't understand their unspoken exchange, but he was on Isabella's side. Who knew if Michael offering the Brown Group shares so suddenly was part of some deeper scheme?

"Go ahead," he said. "I support you. No one can force you into something you don't want."

"Thank you, Atticus."

The two of them left under the gaze of everyone present.

Once inside the study, Isabella locked the door.

With only the two of them in the room, she dropped all pretense. "Michael, why did you push me to sign this contract in front of my uncles? What are you afraid of?"

Her arms folded across her chest, her eyes fixed on him.

She wasn't worried he was trying to trap her. Michael wasn't capable of that kind of malice.

She was worried about his state of mind.

Something about him had been off.

Michael had calmed somewhat, bolstered by her promise to sign.

All he needed now was to speak his truth.

But he hesitated, unsure where to begin.

Isabella saw it. She took his hand and led him to the sofa by the window, sitting beside him to give him comfort and safety.

"I think I can guess what's on your mind," she said. "But I don't understand why you're suddenly so fixated on this. You know me — I just want to be your wife, not drag our relationship into a mess of money and politics."

Michael listened in silence, then nodded slowly.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low and rough. "I know, Bella. I'm just afraid that one day you'll meet someone better than me. I'm afraid I'll make a mistake, and you'll leave me. Again."

Isabella froze.

Again? What did he mean by that? Leave him for someone else?

Her brow furrowed as she asked, "Why would you think that? We have a child now. We have a home. Why would I ever leave you?"