Chapter 862 Consideration

Chapter 862 Consideration

Isabella had no words for the moment unfolding before her.

She knew that Michael's state was, in part, shaped by the shadows of his own mind, yet she was willing to shoulder the weight of those emotions. If it was a sense of safety he needed, she would give it to him.

Her hand came to rest lightly against his back. Beneath her palm, she felt the man who had always worn armor in front of the world, yet here, with her, let it fall away. He was showing her the side of himself no one else had seen—the side that bled quietly.

And now she understood.

She understood why he had said what he did moments ago. The Michael standing before her was, in a way, the person she used to be—someone who, once they gave their heart, couldn't help but lean closer, unable to stop.

What he was trying to tell her was that he didn't need to change in order to love her well. He loved her as he was—deeply, fiercely, enough to discipline himself, enough to never let anyone else diminish what he felt for her.

But her reaction was not what it once would have been. She used to love recklessly, without thought for the cost. Now, after everything, she understood what love truly meant. She was content. She was grateful. And she believed the life they had now was enough.

Michael saw it differently.

He remembered clearly the way she had once loved him. He knew—though their relationship had been steady since the engagement—that something inside her had pulled back. The love was still there, but it no longer burned as it once had.

At first, he told himself it was only because they had been apart too long, that she just needed time to adjust. Then he saw that message.

That was when the doubt began.

He started to wonder if she had accepted his proposal out of a fleeting rush of emotion. The truth was, the cracks between them had never been fully mended. He wasn't blind. He could feel it—whether Isabella loved him with her whole heart, or whether she kept a part of herself locked away, a quiet escape route.

And he knew, with a sharp certainty, that if the wrong person or the wrong circumstance appeared again, she would walk away—just as she had before.

He would never allow that possibility.

He had thought about how to bring it up, but before he could speak, the weight of his own emotions broke him down. What he feared even more was her discovering the truth about his condition.

But in the end, he hadn't been able to hide it.

When Isabella found him, panic had gripped him. He thought this would be the end—that she wouldn't give him another chance to explain. But she hadn't walked away. She had only looked at him with that quiet, aching tenderness and told him she would stay, no matter what.

The more you care, the more you fear the day you might lose it.

Michael still kept one thing from her: the message. In his mind, as long as he was here, Isabella would always be his wife, and no one would take her from him. He would not give them the chance. He would not let history repeat itself.

They stood in silence for a long time, holding on to each other, until Isabella finally sighed.

"Michael, why didn't you tell me this sooner? You know how I feel. If I agreed to marry you, I wasn't going to walk away easily. You didn't have to make things so hard on yourself."

She shook her head slightly. "The shares—this isn't a small matter. The Brown Group's board would never approve it. And more importantly, I don't care about such things. I thought you understood that about me."

Michael's gaze flickered, and he lowered his voice against her shoulder.

"I understand you too well. That's exactly why I made this decision. As for the shares, I've wanted to do this for a long time—long before now."

He had decided back when Isabella had helped him reclaim the Brown Group and defeat the Adri Family. But before he could act on it, she had walked away.

It had been Aiden who first suggested the transfer. Aiden had seen through the Taylor Family's true nature, but because of a promise to Isabella, he couldn't reveal her real identity to Michael. In anger, he had taken the reserve funds meant for the couple and transferred them all to Isabella right in front of Michael.

Aiden had told him then: Isabella was his wife, the woman who would be by his side for the rest of his life. If he didn't cherish her, one day he would regret it.

At the time, Michael hadn't listened. Only after tasting the bitterness of loss did he finally understand. He realized Aiden had been warning him all along—don't wait until the most important person is gone to realize what you had.

Isabella heard the unspoken meaning behind Michael's words and tried to soothe him.

"Michael, I don't think we need something like this to prove anything. Living our life well together is enough. You know me—transferring shares won't give me any real sense of security. I love you, not what you own. As long as you're here, nothing else matters."

She meant every word. She had no intention of accepting the contract. This was her line.

But Michael wasn't ready to let it go.

"Bella, don't you see? That's exactly why I need this. You're too gentle with me now. Since we got back together, you've never brought up the past, never shown me any anger or impatience. It's like you're testing how long my love will last."

He exhaled shakily. "I know it's wrong to think that way, but you feel unreal to me now. I'm afraid that if we ever fight, you'll be gone the next day. I can't let you walk away."

It was the first time Michael had ever laid his heart bare like this. Before, he had thought it made him weak, unrecognizable to himself. But now that it was out, he felt lighter.

Isabella could see it—his emotions were too raw. No matter what she said, he found a way to circle back to his fear. The conversation had to end here.

She promised to think about the contract and give him an answer within three days. Only then did Michael finally let it rest.

Perhaps to spare her any awkwardness, they stepped out of the study into a room that had all but emptied, leaving only Atticus and Olivia behind.

Isabella asked Atticus to bring Michelle downstairs, and while he was gone, she turned to them both.

"Atticus, Olivia, Michelle and I will be heading home. Thank you for taking care of us this past month. If it weren't for you bringing her from the hospital and looking after her, I can't imagine how worried I would have been when I woke up."

Her gratitude was quiet, but it was real.