Natalie looked annoyed, though Isabella was secretly thrilled. She kept her excitement hidden, acting as if nothing was wrong.
Deborah had once said that when she married into the Lane family, she’d make sure to put the fake, dramatic Natalie in her place. Isabella couldn’t wait to watch Deborah stir things up. The whole family would be in chaos. Honestly, Isabella could turn their drama into a short web series. Viewers would eat it up.
Natalie didn’t linger. After about ten minutes, she stood to leave. Ethan just stood there, not moving, so Natalie tried again. “Isabella, Ethan, I should get going.”
Isabella replied, “Take care.” She stayed where she was, propped up in bed, playing the injured patient.
Ethan added, “It’s pretty late, so drive safe. The hospital isn’t that far from your place anyway. Should only take you ten minutes or so.”
Natalie had clearly hoped Ethan would offer to walk her out. Instead, he just stood by Isabella’s bedside, not budging. He seemed completely oblivious.
Natalie felt a mix of disappointment and irritation. She grabbed her bag, stood up, and left without looking back.
Isabella poked Ethan, catching his attention. She lowered her voice and said, “Natalie’s leaving. Aren’t you going to walk her out? At least see her to the parking lot.”
Before Ethan could respond, Natalie’s voice called out from the hallway, “Ow!”
“Natalie, what happened?” In an instant, Ethan, who had been glued to Isabella’s side, rushed out to check on her.
Isabella rolled her eyes. “So much for acting uninterested. That’s the real you.”
Natalie was on the floor, clutching her left ankle and wincing. When Ethan came over, she looked up at him with a pained expression. “Ethan, I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much.”

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