Loving someone who doesn’t love you back is its own kind of heartbreak. Isabella knew that ache all too well from her past life. Back then, she had loved Ethan, but he’d never returned her feelings. It was unrequited love, pure and simple.
Now, living this life over again, she kept telling herself to let go of Ethan. She tried to keep her distance, and over time, her feelings had faded a bit. But they hadn’t disappeared. Not completely. Whenever she saw him hurting, her heart still twisted with pain. Falling in love was easy, but letting go of someone you truly cared about? That was a whole different story. Anyone who said it was simple had clearly never been in love for real. Moving on took years, or at the very least, months that dragged on and on.
Ethan’s voice was quiet. “The pregnancy is still a secret. Almost no one knows. Jordan only told me because we grew up together. We should go visit and bring some gifts.”
Isabella wanted to say no, but seeing how miserable he looked, she just sighed to herself. “Fine. Did you already get the gifts?”
“They’re in the car.”
“Give me ten minutes. I need to sort out my work before I go.”
He nodded.
Isabella went over to Laura and told her there was something urgent and she needed to step out. She asked Laura to keep an eye on the filming schedule.
Laura didn’t ask questions. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep things running. You go handle your business. If you need anything, just say the word.”
“Thanks, Laura. I owe you.”
Laura grinned. “Please. We’re partners. This is my job too.”
Once everything was settled, Isabella walked back to Ethan. “Alright, let’s go.”
They started down the hall together, but after a few steps, Ethan said, “This afternoon, come with me to East City for a work trip.”
Ethan turned to glare at her, his voice cold and sharp. “I’m telling you, you’re coming with me.”
He didn’t stop there. “Push me any further and I’ll make sure your precious series crashes and burns. You’ll lose everything.”
That was it. The anger in Isabella boiled over. Without thinking, she kicked him hard in the shin. He was so surprised he couldn’t even dodge.
“Isabella, you kicked me!” He stared at her in shock.
For a split second, she wondered if she’d gone too far. But the moment passed. She straightened up, chin held high, voice steady. “Maybe next time, don’t threaten me.”
Ethan’s expression darkened, his eyes fixed on her, but Isabella refused to back down.

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