On the eve of Isabelle Darroch's wedding to Matteo Norkett, paparazzi caught him hanging out with an intern from his company late at night.

In a fit of rage, Isabelle bought a plane ticket, trying to get away for a bit.

But when she opened her eyes again, she found herself five years in the future.

Panicked, she tried calling her parents, only to find that their numbers no longer worked.

When a message appeared on her computer saying "This identity has been deregistered due to death," it nearly knocked the wind out of her.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto her phone screen.

The screen lit up, revealing her wallpaper—a wedding photo of her and Matteo.

Isabelle finally realized who she could turn to.

She quickly unlocked her phone and called Matteo.

She held her breath, counting each "beep" from the receiver.

Then, a familiar voice came through. "Hello?"

The worry in Isabelle's heart suddenly lifted, and all her frustration and confusion spilled out at once.

"Honey, something weird just happened... I'm really scared. Can you come get me?"

After a moment of silence, Matteo calmly replied, "Okay."

***

It wasn't until Isabelle stepped into the familiar office that she finally felt like things were real again.

She threw herself into Matteo's arms and cried her heart out.

After what felt like forever, Matteo frowned and gently pulled her away.

"Wait, are you saying you traveled through time?"

Isabelle nodded quickly, but Matteo let out a cold sneer.

"You really think I'm going to buy that? Five years ago, you never showed up at our wedding, and now, you come up with this ridiculous story."

"You don't believe me?"

Just a few days ago, they had taken their wedding photos together. But right now, the guy in front of her felt completely unfamiliar.

"How can I believe any of this?

"Five years ago, you vanished without a trace. Our engagement turned into a joke. And your parents died in a car accident after searching for you for days without sleeping a wink."

Isabelle shut her eyes tight, feeling a wave of pain wash over her as she tried to calm her shaking body.

After a while, she finally managed to find her voice.

"What about you? Did you even try to look for me these past five years?"

Matteo didn't reply, just giving her a cold stare.

Just then, a soft voice sounded as the door creaked open.

"Honey, I brought you some coffee..."

Isabelle froze, and the blood in her veins seemed to have turned to ice.

She couldn't bring herself to turn around, but she could feel someone getting closer step by step.

Matteo reached out and put his arm around the person's shoulders, his voice softening.

"As you can see, I'm married. This is my wife, Brianna Tarne."

The person who came into Isabelle's view was the very same intern photographed with Matteo five years ago.

Brianna had her hair casually pulled back in a bun, and she wore a friendly smile.

"Hey there!"

Isabelle's mind reeled.

In just one night, she'd lost not only her parents but also the love of her life.

She turned around, her steps shaky as she tried to walk out.

"Isabelle," Matteo piped up, his voice calm as ever. "You don't have anywhere to go right now.

"For old times' sake, why don't you stay in our home for a bit? We'll figure things out together."

Brianna stepped up, took Isabelle's hand, and said softly, "Yeah, I don't know what's going on. But you look really upset. You must be dealing with something tough. Why not come back with us for now?"

Isabelle felt like her heart had been torn apart; a dull ache spread through her chest.

Once, home had meant the place that belonged only to her and Matteo.

But now, the "home" he talked about was one he shared with another woman.

Just like that, Isabelle found herself being led to the underground parking lot.

Matteo smoothly opened the front passenger door, and without thinking much about it, Isabelle got in.

Matteo frowned a bit but didn't say anything. Instead, he gently helped Brianna into the back seat.

Isabelle clenched her fists, cringing with embarrassment after she realized how rude she had been.

Once, the passenger seat of Matteo's car had been hers alone. But now, Brianna was his wife.

The car started up, and the stereo that used to blare the jazz and drum beats Isabelle loved now played soft music.

The car drove along the route she remembered so well, finally pulling up in front of the familiar villa. This place had once been where she and Matteo would live after they got married.

Every little detail inside and out had been designed by Matteo to suit her taste.

But now? It looked completely unfamiliar.

Isabelle was shown to the guest room on the first floor. Before she could even sit down, a few maids rushed in.

"Ms. Darroch, right? Mrs. Norkett is pregnant, so we need to check if you've brought anything dangerous with you."

The word "pregnant" hit Isabelle like a punch to the gut, making her vision blur.

So they were expecting a baby now?

She should've been the one marrying Matteo five years ago. But now, she felt like an outsider who didn't belong here.

Not getting any response, the maids went straight for her bag.

"Ms. Darroch, please don't take offense."

Isabelle dug her nails into her palms; that little bit of pain helped clear her head just enough.

Once, she had been the lady of this house. Now, she was treated like a threat. They even wanted to go through her bag right in front of everyone.

She looked up at the maids, her voice getting a bit sharper. "Is this Matteo's idea?"

One of them nodded. "Yes, he told us to make sure Mrs. Norkett is safe."

"If that's what he wants, then tell him to come search my bag himself!"

As soon as she said that, the maids seemed to chicken out. After exchanging looks, they quickly left the room.

Finally alone in the room, Isabelle felt that familiar wave of abandonment wash over her once more.

She slid down the door and plopped onto the floor, hugging her knees with both hands and crying so hard she could barely breathe.

Through blurry eyes, she noticed her unzipped bag on the ground—and a corner of a plane ticket sticking out.

She stopped crying and reached for the ticket.

The printed words made her heart skip a beat.

The date clearly read, "Return to September 30, 2020, in seven days."

Isabelle's heart was racing in her chest.

In just seven days, she could head back to 2020, and everything could go back to how it used to be.

She jumped up quickly and tucked the plane ticket under her pillow.

As night fell, Isabelle lay awake for what felt like forever.

Every time she shut her eyes, all she could picture was Matteo holding Brianna while she slept peacefully.

Suddenly feeling thirsty, she instinctively reached for the bedside table.

In the past, Matteo would make her a cup of warm water every night. But now, the bedside table was totally empty.

Isabelle had no choice but to get up and head to the living room. She had just filled a glass with water and turned around when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

Matteo was in dark loungewear, his face still looking pretty indifferent.

As he walked past her, he didn't even glance her way for a second, like she wasn't even there.

Isabelle tightened her grip on the glass of water and decided to break the silence.

"It's really late. Haven't you gone to bed yet?"

"Hmm," Matteo kept walking without stopping. "Anna's in her first trimester. She gets hungry at night pretty easily. I'm just going to warm up some milk for her."

That one sentence made all the words she wanted to say stick in her throat.

She nodded bitterly. "Then I'll head back first."

"Wait," Matteo suddenly called out to her. "Can you give me back that emerald pendant?"

He frowned a bit and nodded toward the necklace around Isabelle's neck.

Isabelle froze, reaching up to touch the emerald pendant.

It was a family heirloom that had been passed down through the Norkett family for generations. Matteo had put it on her himself when he proposed. He'd said, "With this pendant, let our hearts be united forever."

But now he wanted it back. Was he planning to give it to Brianna?

Isabelle fought back tears, unclasped the pendant, and placed it on the nearby dining table. Then she turned around and headed back to her room.

After shutting the door, Isabelle didn't bother turning on the light. A bitter ache spread from her throat down into her chest.

It really seemed like he loved Brianna deeply.

Darkness wrapped around Isabelle as her fingers slowly moved down to rest on her belly.

"What about our baby?"

When she first found out she was pregnant, she had been trying to figure out how to break the news to Matteo.

But then came those paparazzi photos that changed everything.

Was it work? Or just a business dinner?

She would have believed him no matter what he said.

But he didn't even give her a decent explanation, so she acted on impulse and hopped on that plane.

And that was how she ended up time-traveling, landing in this strange five-year jump.

Isabelle lay in the dark until almost dawn before she finally drifted into a light sleep.

When she woke up, her head was pounding.

Stepping out of her room, she spotted Matteo and Brianna already at the dining table having breakfast.

Isabelle found a corner seat and plopped down.

A maid set the breakfast down in front of her. With the soft clink of porcelain plates, Brianna smiled warmly.

"Belle, don't be so formal; just treat this like your own place."

But Matteo jumped in with a cold reminder. "This is just a temporary stay. This house has only one woman, and that's Anna."

He then glanced at Isabelle's breakfast. "It's still your usual order. I hope your taste hasn't changed."

Isabelle looked up, catching the mockery in Matteo's eyes.

He still didn't believe her. He still thought she'd run away from their wedding five years ago. So now he was using her food preferences to tease her about that change of heart she had back then.

Brianna lightly tapped Matteo's arm, pretending to be annoyed.

"You're so mean. Why are you being so tough on Belle?"

Matteo's furrowed brows relaxed a bit. He reached over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I've got to head to the office this morning. Just stay in today; I've asked a doctor to come by and check on you."

Brianna puffed out her cheeks playfully. "But staying home all day is super boring! I want to get some fresh air."

"Just behave for now. I'll take you for a walk in the garden later this afternoon."

Isabelle held the spoon in her hand, but inside she felt cold as ice.

She thought, "Matteo, you're really harsh. You're making me watch you love someone else, the same way you once loved me."

She took a deep breath, forced down a few spoonfuls of food, and got ready to head back to her room.

"Isabelle," Matteo suddenly said. "The driver will take you to your parents' graves."

Isabelle's eyes flickered a bit, but Matteo seemed to have seen it coming, his tone getting a little chilly.

"Don't get me wrong.

"I'm only doing this because of the old friendship between the Norkett and Darroch families. Don't get any crazy ideas or let your imagination run wild about anything else."

"Hmm," Isabelle replied, her voice sounding a bit rough. "Thanks."

Back in her room, Isabelle stared at her small suitcase, feeling lost in thought.

When she had jumped on the plane in a fit of anger, she'd just thrown in two changes of clothes. She didn't even have anything decent to wear to the cemetery.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Belle, can I come in?"

Before Isabelle could say anything, the door was gently pushed open.

Brianna walked in first, followed by two maids carrying a bunch of matching outfits.

"I noticed you didn't bring many clothes with you. These were all picked out by Matt for me, and I haven't worn any of them yet. Since you're heading to the cemetery to see your parents, you should dress appropriately."

Isabelle looked down and started fidgeting with her fingers.

There was a time when Matteo treated her just as well.

Whenever there were new styles from her favorite brand, he'd have the right sizes hung in her walk-in closet right away.

Noticing that Isabelle wasn't reacting, Brianna signaled for the maids to hang all the clothes in the wardrobe.

"Alright, Belle, you can pick whatever you like. Matt is still waiting for me."

A shy smile suddenly appeared on her face, and there was a bit of boasting in her voice.

"He's so clumsy. He can never tie his tie properly! He won't go out unless I do it for him."

As the sound of footsteps faded away, Isabelle stared at the clothes in the wardrobe, her eyes welling up with tears.

She thought, "Is this what their married life is like every day?

"But why was there never any sweetness between us in those eight years?"

In the end, Isabelle still put on her own clothes.

When she got into the car Matteo had arranged for her, she was surprised to see a familiar face in the rearview mirror.

"Robert?"

Robert turned around, looking really shocked. "Ms. Darroch? When did you get back?"

Isabelle didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure how to explain her crazy time-travel experience again.

But once Robert started talking, he seemed to open up.

"You won't believe it. After you ran off from the wedding, Mr. Norkett replaced all the maids in the house. Even though I stayed on, I wasn't allowed to mention anything about you.

"Half a year after you left, Mr. Norkett married Ms. Tarne. He treats her even better than he treated you back then..."

Noticing that Isabelle looked really down, Robert realized he had probably said too much. He cleared his throat a bit and went quiet.

Honestly, she didn't need him to say anything more. She could see it all too clearly.

Matteo cared about Brianna way more than he ever did about her back in the day. Maybe those late-night date photos snapped by the paparazzi already gave that away.

The rest of the trip was silent.

Isabelle sat at the foot of her parents' tombstone, leaning against it for a long time as tears quietly fell onto the stone surface.

"Only six days left..." she whispered softly. "Mom, Dad, can you please wait for me? When I get back, you'll be okay."

When she got back to the villa from the cemetery and opened the door, Brianna rushed over to greet her right away.

"Belle! The doctor prescribed me some herbal medicine. Why don't you join me?"

Then she dropped her smile and said slowly, "After all, you're pregnant too."

Isabelle suddenly looked up, her eyes locking onto the hostility in Brianna's stare.

How could she possibly know?

A wave of nausea hit Isabelle hard; she quickly covered her mouth and dashed to the bathroom, bending over to throw up as tears streamed down her face.

Afterward, she splashed cold water on her face to calm herself.

When she stepped out, Brianna had already switched to a concerned look.

"Are you okay? I can ask the kitchen to whip something up for you. We can't let your baby go hungry."

Before Isabelle could say anything, Matteo swung the door open and walked in right then.

Brianna turned around with a grin.

"I told you Belle is pregnant. You lost the bet! So as punishment, you can't tell our baby a story tonight."

When he heard that, Matteo suddenly looked at Isabelle, his dark eyes swirling with emotions.

"Are you really pregnant?"

Isabelle was taken aback for a moment.

How could they even bet on whether she was pregnant?

Before she could say anything, Matteo stepped in and grabbed her wrist.

"Isabelle, you're really something else. Five years ago, you ran away from our wedding, and now you're back with another guy's kid. Are you expecting me to take responsibility for that?"

His tone was icy, and his eyes were full of sarcasm.

"You act all clueless, but did you really think I wouldn't have gotten married by now?

"I don't care what your game is coming back this time, but if you try to hurt Brianna or the baby she's carrying..."

Matteo paused, his expression darkening even more.

"I won't let you get away with it."

Isabelle saw the distrust in his eyes and fought to hold back her tears.

"What if I tell you that he's your kid?"

The moment those words slipped out, Brianna's cup fell from her hand and smashed on the floor. Her eyes started turning red as she looked at Matteo.

Matteo quickly shook off Isabelle's hand, rushed over to Brianna in a few quick steps, and checked her over carefully.

"Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"

When she shook her head, he let out a sigh of relief and gently picked her up in his arms. The glance he shot at Isabelle was now icy cold.

"Have you lost your mind? It's been five years since we last saw each other. How could there be a kid between us? Or do you think I'm that easy to trick? Listen, if you ever try to mess with Brianna and me again, I won't go easy on you."

Brianna buried her face in Matteo's neck, her voice tinged with frustration.

"Don't blame Belle. I get that she's desperate, which is why she said all that. I believe you."

Hearing this, Matteo's eyes softened with warmth. He hugged her tightly and headed upstairs without a second thought.

Isabelle stood frozen in place, forcing a self-deprecating smile.

The maids rushed over to clean up the shattered glass, whispering among themselves.

"Can she really be out of her mind? Mr. and Mrs. Norkett have been married for years, and he's never spent a night away from home! No matter how busy work gets, he always comes back for meals with Mrs. Norkett. How could he possibly have a kid with someone else?"

"She must've watched too many soap operas or something! She got pregnant by some random guy and had the nerve to come here asking for money or whatever! Either she wants Mrs. Norkett's life or she's just after money."

Neither of them came downstairs for dinner that night. The maids lined up, watching Isabelle as she ate.

Seeing her questioning gaze, one of the maids explained, "Mr. Norkett is worried that Mrs. Norkett might get upset if she sees you. So starting today, he won't be having meals with you anymore.

"Also, to make sure you don't harm Mrs. Norkett or her baby, all food sent upstairs has to be checked by the family doctor. Plus, we'll need to keep a close eye on everything you do."

Isabelle's fingertips pressed hard into her palm, and her throat felt dry and tight.

After a lot of struggle, she managed to finish the meal while being watched, then went back to her room and pulled out the time-travel plane ticket from under her pillow.

"Matteo," she whispered into the empty room, "don't worry. In six days, I won't be bothering you anymore."

In the middle of the night, an awful stomachache hit Isabelle all of a sudden.

The pain got worse by the second.

Worried about her baby's safety, she bit down on her lip, rolled off the bed, and tried to crawl to the living room.

Every move felt like her insides were being ripped apart.

"Help... please save my baby..." Her weak plea echoed sharply in the quiet night.

The maids heard the noise and all got up to see what was going on.

When they found her lying on the floor with a pale face, they rushed over.

"Ms. Darroch, what's wrong?"

"Go get... get Matteo..." Isabelle grabbed onto one of the maid's pants, her breathing shaky.

The maid dashed upstairs but came back down in just a few minutes.

"Ms. Darroch, Mr. Norkett said, you need to stop pretending. He won't believe anything you say anymore."

A sharp pain shot through Isabelle's heart, and even though she felt physical pain too, it was nothing compared to the sting of disappointment.

Then she remembered the asparagus in the soup at dinner.

Every time she ate asparagus, it made her stomach hurt. A long time ago, Matteo had told the maids to keep it away from her. But now Brianna was running things. Nobody knew about her food issue anymore.

Isabelle was breathing heavily and asked the maid, "Could you please... get me a glass of warm water? Thanks."

The maid paused for a second, but then poured her a glass of warm water and handed it over.

Isabelle took small sips. As the warm water went down, she felt her stomach pain ease up just a bit.

She leaned back against the couch, trying to hold on until dawn.

Her sweat-soaked clothes eventually dried from her body heat as the pain slowly faded.

Her face looked very haggard, and her legs felt weak and wobbly. But she was really worried about the baby, so she decided to head to the hospital by herself.

Just as she got to the entrance hall, Matteo came slowly down from upstairs with an icy tone.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the hospital," Isabelle replied softly.

But Matteo scoffed. "Do you really care that much about that man's child you're carrying?"

He paused for a moment, then asked again, "Who is that guy?

"You ditched our wedding for him, and now you're back to confront me with his kid. Does he even know about any of this?"

The sadness and hurt in Isabelle slowly faded away. She turned around and looked Matteo straight in the eye.

"Since you've never believed me from the beginning, my life is none of your business."

Matteo's face darkened right away.

He stepped closer, grabbed Isabelle's arm, and questioned her while trying to hold back his anger.

"None of my business? Isabelle, who do you think you are to say that?

"We were together for eight years! But you vanished without a word the day before our wedding. Did you ever give me an explanation during these five years? Did it ever cross your mind to feel even a little guilty toward me?

"Not only did you not care at all, but then out of nowhere, you showed up to mess with our lives when Brianna and I were finally doing okay!"

Isabelle's eyes were getting red from all his questions.

She yanked her hand out of his grip with everything she had and took a step back to create some space.

"I did explain. It's you who wouldn't believe me.

"Yeah, I got on that plane. But have you ever thought about it? If the paparazzi hadn't sent me those photos of you and Brianna on that late-night date, would I have left in such a rage? Would I really have ended up five years in the future without even knowing my own parents were gone?

"I was about to marry you! It was Brianna who jumped into our relationship first. But now I'm the one being called the homewrecker!

"You're the one who betrayed me first!"

Matteo looked into Isabelle's angry eyes, and for a moment, he felt a flicker of doubt.

But then, out of nowhere, a scream echoed from the staircase.

Matteo quickly turned around and saw Brianna tumbling down the steps from the second floor.

In that instant, all his doubts vanished. He rushed forward in panic and scooped her up into his arms.

"Anna! Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

Brianna leaned against him, tears filling her eyes almost immediately.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to listen in on your talk...

"It's my fault, really. I'm the one who messed things up between you two. I'm the real homewrecker."

Her hand slowly moved to her lower belly as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"This baby... it shouldn't have happened either..."

"No way, that's not true at all." Matteo was so flustered that he stumbled over his words.

"I'll take you to the hospital. I won't let anything happen to you or the baby."

As he rushed past her, his arm bumped hard against Isabelle's shoulder.

Isabelle held onto the entrance cabinet tightly to keep from falling. She had never seen Matteo look this panicked before.

Watching Matteo hurry away, the light in Isabelle's eyes slowly faded.

Isabelle still went to the hospital.

It wasn't until she heard the doctor say her baby was safe and sound that she finally let out a sigh of relief.

As she walked out of the consultation room, she noticed every pregnant woman had her husband by her side.

The doctor's words kept ringing in her ears.

"You look really pale. It's totally normal to have mood swings during pregnancy, but your situation... seems like it could be prenatal depression. Where's the baby's dad?

"His presence is very important at this stage. Make sure he spends more time with you, just chatting or going for walks together..."

Isabelle took a deep breath, trying hard not to look so lonely. But just then, she felt a little flutter from the baby.

"Little one, you want daddy around too?" she whispered softly.

Suddenly, Matteo's words to her while they were lying in bed came rushing back.

"A daughter who is just like you would be great.

"And a son would be awesome too. As long as you're the one bringing them into this world, I'll love them all."

But now it seemed the only child he cared about was Brianna's, right?

Just then, two nurses walked by Isabelle. Their voices were just right—not too loud, not too soft—and she caught bits of their chat.

"Hey, isn't that the woman from the photo? She ditched her wedding back then, and now she's pregnant and coming back to ask her ex-fiancé for help. How shameless."

"It totally is her. Check out that mole at the corner of her eye; it matches perfectly. Didn't you hear? She disappeared without a word to avoid getting married, and while her parents were out looking for her... they got into an accident and died on the spot."

"No way! Oh my god, so she's basically the murderer who killed her own parents?"

The word "murderer" hit Isabelle like a punch to the gut.

She quickly pulled out her phone, and sure enough, there was a trending topic with her name blowing up.

"Only Daughter of the Darroch Family Runs Away from Wedding, Returns Five Years Later Pregnant and Seeking Ex-Fiancé's Help"

Right after that came her photos.

Comments were pouring in nonstop, and the flood of insults almost drowned her.

"What an ungrateful loser! How does someone like her even deserve to be alive?"

"Seriously, what could be so important that she'd ditch the parents who raised her for decades?"

"Mr. Norkett is really innocent to have gone through this mess. He was with a woman like her for eight years! Now that he's happily married to someone else, she must be so jealous. How dare she show up at his door again?"

Isabelle struggled to keep it together as she dialed Matteo's number.

The first post had come from a media outlet linked to the Norkett Group. There was no way they would've known about her pregnancy without his say-so!

As soon as the call connected, she asked in a shaky voice, "Why?"

Matteo's voice came through cold and sharp. "Listen, if you try to hurt Anna, I won't let you get away with it.

"You'd better hope nothing happens to Anna or the baby. If it does, you won't like what comes next."

Then the call ended suddenly, leaving just the annoying beep of a busy line.

Isabelle knew that when Matteo was angry, he would go all out.

Once at a company dinner, a business partner had forced her to down a shot of vodka. Matteo didn't think twice about paying a huge penalty and medical bills just to break that guy's hand.

But now, the person he was ready to fight for no matter what was Brianna.

Rain had started falling at some point, though Isabelle couldn't tell when.

She walked in the rain for a long time, each step taking her closer to her parents' gravestone.

Looking at the small black-and-white photo on the stone, she knelt down heavily on both knees.

"I'm so sorry, Mom, Dad. It's all my fault you're gone."

Fear began to creep in—fear that even if she made it back to 2020 in five days, she still wouldn't be able to stop her parents' car accident.

And an even bigger fear that if Brianna lost her baby, Matteo would take his anger out on her and keep her from catching that flight on time.

If that happened, she'd never get back. Her parents' deaths would become something she could never change.

"I don't want anything anymore. His love, his care, who he goes out with late at night... I don't care about any of it. I just want you both to be alive."

Isabelle whispered into the pouring rain as thunder rumbled around her.

The next day, Isabelle was all set to leave with her plane ticket when a maid stepped in her path.

"Sorry, Ms. Darroch. Mr. Norkett said you can't leave until Mrs. Norkett wakes up."

With no other options, she decided to head over to the hospital and brought along a pot of soup she had made herself.

At the door of the ward, another bodyguard stopped her again.

"Sorry, Ms. Darroch. It was difficult saving Mrs. Norkett's baby, so we can't let you disturb her again."

Through the glass on the ward door, she caught sight of Brianna lying there looking pale as ever.

It was obvious Matteo hadn't slept at all as his eyes were filled with worry.

Hearing some noise at the door, he frowned and stepped out.

As soon as he saw Isabelle, his face darkened. "What are you doing here?"

Isabelle held up the thermos. "I just wanted to apologize."

Matteo was struggling to keep his cool. "That's enough. I'm not giving you any more chances to hurt Anna..."

Before he could finish, Brianna's weak voice came from inside the room.

"Is that Belle? Let her in."

A flicker of surprise crossed Matteo's face, and he had no choice but to step aside.

Isabelle walked into the room, trying hard to sound gentle.

"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said those things the other day, and I shouldn't have barged in on your lives like this."

As she spoke, she reached for the thermos lid, but Matteo grabbed her wrist.

"What are you up to now?"

Brianna gently stopped him. "I really don't think Belle would hurt me. Plus, I'm actually a bit hungry.

"Honey, could you step out for a minute? I want to talk with Belle alone."

Matteo had no choice but to turn and walk away.

Isabelle held back her frustration and personally fed the woman who took her husband.

Brianna sipped the soup slowly, and a sly smile suddenly appeared on her face.

"What if I pretend to have a stomachache right now? Do you think Matteo would believe you put something in this soup?

"Five years ago, I got the paparazzi to snap those photos and send them your way. I knew you'd storm off in anger, and guess what? I was right.

"Don't you want to know what really happened that night?"

"It doesn't matter anymore."

Isabelle took the spoon back, looked up with a calm face, and said, "I'm leaving. I hope you and Matteo have a long and happy life together."

"Too late for that."

Brianna's smile vanished. "You said you shouldn't have messed with our lives, but here we are. You were gone for five years while I worked my butt off to become more important to him. But the second you show up, he wants to take you home. Why is that? I'm his wife! I'm supposed to be the woman of this family!"

"He said it was just because of the friendship between our families..."

"Doesn't matter what the reason is. It's not happening!" Brianna's emotions flared up. "I won't let you get close to him, and I definitely won't let you take him away just because of your eight-year relationship!"

With a quick swipe of her hand, she knocked over the water cup on the bedside table.

Hot water splashed onto Isabelle's arm, quickly leaving a big red burn mark. The stinging pain made Isabelle gasp without thinking.

Matteo heard the noise and pushed the door open.

When he saw the wound on Isabelle's arm, a flicker of concern crossed his face.

Brianna spoke up, sounding upset, "I didn't remind Belle that the water cup was super hot in time..."

Matteo quickly tried to reassure her, "It's not your fault. Did you get burned?"

He didn't even look at Isabelle; he just coldly told her to leave.

"Get out. Don't try to act all pitiful. Your pain doesn't matter to me at all."

Isabelle held her arm and slowly turned away.

So this was how deeply he could care for someone, enough to buy into such a clumsy excuse.

In that moment, all her hopes and hesitations completely faded away.

As soon as she stepped outside, Isabelle didn't notice that the plane ticket in her pocket had slipped out onto the ground.

Seeing it fall, the bodyguard picked it up and said, "Ms. Darroch, here's your plane ticket."

At this point, Matteo suddenly turned around when he heard this, asking sharply, "What plane ticket?"

Isabelle didn't care that moving around would tug at her wound. She reached out, grabbed the plane ticket back, and hugged it close.

"It's not a plane ticket. He got it wrong."

Matteo's eyes landed on Isabelle's arm. Because of her quick movement, the wound had opened up again and was starting to bleed.

He frowned, his impatience clear. "Get her to the treatment room to take care of that wound."

Matteo watched as she walked away with the bodyguard. Fresh blood dripped from her fingers onto the floor, and suddenly, he felt a wave of emotion wash over him.

After getting her wound taken care of, Isabelle headed straight to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department.

She walked confidently into the consultation room.

"Doctor, I want to end this pregnancy—as soon as possible."

The doctor explained that since she was only a few weeks along, she could take some medication if she was sure about her decision.

Isabelle nodded calmly without any second thoughts.

Back at the villa, she sat on the edge of her bed and swallowed the pill without hesitation.

In her dream, she saw Brianna stab a dagger into her stomach. The pain was sharp and overwhelming. She fought desperately but only felt herself sinking into a pool of bright red.

Then she noticed a huge hand reaching down from the darkness toward her...

It was Matteo.

He yanked her off the bed in anger. "Didn't I warn you? Or do you simply not care what happens next?"

Isabelle blinked hard to clear her blurry vision, finally able to see what was on the phone that Matteo was holding up in front of her.

"Matt, by the time you read this, I'll already be gone. Belle told me she's lost her parents and can't bear to lose you too. Even though it breaks my heart to leave, she said that if I don't go, our baby won't make it safely. I'm really thankful for the five years we've had together, but now it's time for me to hand you back over to Belle."

"I never said that..."

"Then why would she choose to leave when her pregnancy is so shaky?"

Matteo pressed his palm against Isabelle's wound without thinking, applying pressure.

Fresh blood quickly soaked through the gauze and spread into a dark red stain.

Isabelle let out a sharp hiss from the pain, but she stubbornly kept looking him in the eye.

"I really didn't."

Matteo just wouldn't buy it. He was sure she had made Brianna leave.

What he didn't notice, though, was the bright red spreading between Isabelle's legs. That was their kid, too.

He pulled her into the basement, his teeth gritted as he said, "You're not going anywhere until I find Anna! If anything happens to her, you'll regret it.

"Someone get her water and food on time and no electricity!"

Isabelle was really struggling with her claustrophobia. The fear hit her hard, and she couldn't help but burst into tears.

"No... Please don't!"

But the door still slammed shut with a loud bang. The tight space made it hard for her to breathe.

The cramping pain and the wetness from below left her hunched over, unable to stand up straight.

She craned her neck to catch a breath while dealing with the sharp pain in her lower belly.

She knew deep down the baby was slipping away from her bit by bit through the pain.

Matteo knew exactly how much she struggled with being in small spaces, yet he still chose to punish her like this.

Isabelle never thought he could love Brianna this much.

It felt like something was choking her, wrapping around her throat like a vine. She kept pinching the wound on her arm, using the pain to stay awake and not pass out.

Over and over in her mind, she prayed that Matteo would find Brianna soon. Only then would he let her go early.

She couldn't afford to miss the flight in three days.

On the first day, Matteo didn't show up. Every breath she took felt like a million thorns stabbing into her chest.

On the second day, still no sign of him. Uncontrollable visions of suffocation started dancing before her eyes.

By the third day, time was running out for that plane ticket. She pounded on the door, begging to be let out.

Just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, the basement door swung wide open.

The light hit her eyes hard, but she didn't care about anything else. She stumbled forward and rushed out.

She heard the maids whispering behind her.

Actually, Matteo had found Brianna on the first day. But he totally forgot to let her out.

Feeling dizzy, Isabelle stumbled and hit her head, making it bleed. But she didn't dare stop. She kept running down the road.

She fell right in front of a taxi and then rushed to the airport.

When she got to the airport, Isabelle shoved all the cash she had into the driver's hand and sprinted toward the terminal building.

Only when the wings folded back and the plane began to move along the runway did her tense body finally relax.

Leaning against the window, Isabelle looked out at the endless sea of white clouds ahead of her as tears quietly rolled down her cheeks.

In just a few hours, she'd be back in 2020.

This time, she promised herself she'd never again gamble her parents' lives on a single photo.

Isabelle closed her eyes and whispered in her heart, "Dad, Mom, wait for me."

The plane flew into thick fog.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit Isabelle again, so she shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep.