Chapter 32

Samuel slowly set down his fork, his gaze fixed on the servers. With a firm voice, he declared, "She is my wife."

For a moment, the servers were taken aback, staring blankly at them. Suddenly uncertain, they were unable to speak. Isabella choked back a sob. Before she knew it, a glass of warm water appeared before her. Looking up, she met Samuel's concerned gaze. His sharp brows were knitted together as he gently said, "Take your time."

She nodded, accepting the water. "Thank you," Isabella said, immediately regretting it. Ignoring her embarrassment, she gulped down a few sips to ease the burning sensation in her throat. Once composed, she placed the cup down and served Samuel some food from the grill. "Try this. It tastes pretty good," she said.

Just as she finished, a wave of regret washed over her. She remembered Megan's warning about Samuel's severe cleanliness issues—he never ate food someone else had served him, not even his parents.

While Isabella fretted, Samuel casually looked at the food on his plate and slowly picked up a piece with his fork. Isabella's eyelashes fluttered; before she could react, he had eaten it.

Isabella's eyes widened. Megan had been so serious, but Samuel's action made her wonder if she had imagined it.

"Why are you staring at me?" Samuel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Aren't you particular about cleanliness?" Isabella finally asked.

Samuel glanced at her casually. "I've kissed you. Remember?"

Isabella froze, realizing his meaning. Her cheeks flushed crimson.

Samuel smiled, continuing to serve her food. "Just eat," he said.

In the end, Samuel didn't eat much. Isabella, however, once her embarrassment faded, ate happily. It had been ages since she'd had a barbecue, and she felt completely full. Samuel kept insisting she eat more because she was too thin, making her feel perpetually underfed.

As they left, Isabella felt the servers' envious stares following them. This time, they didn't linger, heading straight home. But when they arrived, Samuel didn't get out of the car. Instead, he turned to Isabella and said, "I still have some work to take care of. You head back first."

Isabella blinked, surprised he'd spent time with her despite his busy schedule. She stared at him and couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so nice to me?"

Samuel paused, meeting her gaze. "I won't upset my wife. It's what a husband should do."

Isabella paused, thinking, "He's just fulfilling his duties as a husband?" A sense of relief washed over her. "Okay, I get it. Just remember to balance work and rest," she said.

Samuel pressed his lips together, noting her relaxed demeanor. She hadn't truly considered her role as his wife. Unaware of this, Isabella shut the car door, and Samuel sped off.

Two days passed. Since Samuel had dropped Isabella off after dinner, he hadn't returned home. Isabella assumed he was busy and didn't think much of it.

Just then, Isabella walked out of the largest shop in the Southern Medicine Market, scanning the bustling surroundings. Vendors pushed carts loaded with packages of medicine, rushing back and forth. A faint smile touched her lips; she had gathered all the necessary materials.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed, and her expression turned cold. 'Another call from Molly?' she thought.

Isabella hung up immediately, but the phone rang insistently. Eventually, she answered.

Before she could speak, Molly's choked voice filled the line. "Bella, your dad's suddenly fallen seriously ill and is bedridden. Come back and see him."

Isabella's heart sank. "What do you mean?" She tightened her grip on her phone, quickening her pace as she headed outside.

Molly's voice thickened with tears. "If you wait too long" Her words trailed off as she burst into loud sobs, clearly feigning devastation.

Isabella's heart plummeted. 'How could Hudson suddenly fall ill? Just days ago, he'd been pressuring me to marry Dominic's son, and now he's bedridden?' she thought.

"What did the doctor say?" Isabella asked.

Molly and Ivana noticed the shift in Isabella's tone. "The doctor said he had a stroke. What are Ivana and I going to do?" Molly's voice wavered.

Isabella frowned. 'Since Molly and Ivana are still thinking of their own interests, this is probably true. Wait! Just a few days ago, Hudson had a checkup and was perfectly fine. How could this happen?'

With an icy tone, Isabella pressed, "If he's sick, call the doctor. What does it have to do with me?"

Molly's face froze before she resumed her dramatic sobbing. "What are you saying? He's your dad! Bella, no matter what grudge you hold against him, he's still family!"

Isabella's worry deepened. In the past, she might have analyzed that if something serious happened, Molly wouldn't have the energy to call her. But now…

Before Isabella could think further, Molly's voice, earnest and firm, came through. "Just now he was calling your name, saying he regretted everything and shouldn't have treated you that way. Bella, he just wants to see you one last time. If you don't come back, won't you regret it?"

Isabella's anxiety escalated. This time, she didn't hesitate; she hung up and rushed toward the parking lot. Meanwhile, Molly smirked coldly, saying, "With this level of intelligence, there's no way she can outwit me!" Ivana chimed in excitedly, "Good thing she's coming back. Otherwise, I'll end up marrying into the Lane family."

"Not a chance I'd let that happen!" Molly sneered, putting down her phone to look at Ivana. "You're my precious treasure." Ivana smiled and opened Twitter, saying with a sinister tone, "Let's just wait for her to walk right into our trap!"

An hour later, Isabella parked her car at the Stout residence and hurried inside. However, her expression darkened the moment she saw two people lounging on the leather sofa, laughing and scrolling through their phones. Frowning deeply, she asked in a serious tone, "Where's Father?"