After I Stopped Loving Him novel Chapter 1099

They also shared a secret—one no one else knew. Harold was dying to uncover the whole truth, but since Isabella wasn't ready to share it, he refused to pry. A secret wasn't a secret if you forced it out of someone.

What mattered was that she was his girlfriend now. Both families fully approved, and even when Ethan fully recovered, he wouldn't be able to steal her away. Isabella might still harbor a shred of basic human concern for Ethan, but she would never go back to him. Harold was absolutely certain of that.

They had known each other since they were children and had shared a marriage. Isabella was a kind person; how could she not care when Ethan nearly died? Hell, even Harold himself had been concerned about the man.

Because of that, Harold no longer felt a burning jealousy toward Ethan. If anything, Ethan was the one drowning in jealousy now, because Harold was the man standing by Isabella's side.

Isabella offered a graceful smile. "Harold and I are both swamped with work right now, so we aren't rushing into marriage just yet. But it's definitely in our future."

"And you're going to live a long, healthy life. You will absolutely be there to see us get married."

The rest of the family quickly chimed in with their agreements, skillfully steering the conversation away from Salome's morbid comments. If Harold and Isabella tied the knot before the end of the year, Salome would undoubtedly be there. But if they waited a couple of years? Given her rapidly declining health, it was truly a toss-up.

Right on cue, Harold's uncles—Samantha's brothers—arrived with their wives.

Since Isabella had already secured the approval of the Carter elders, Samantha's family played their parts perfectly. Even if any of them still harbored private doubts about Isabella's worthiness, they buried them deep. Instead, they greeted her with overwhelming warmth and enthusiasm.

"My second uncle's family lives in the villa right next door, and my youngest uncle's family takes the villa on the far edge. We each have our own private yards. To the outside world, we're one massive household, but inside the gates, we all have our own space."

Harold guided her out of his family's private courtyard—which, despite his casual description, was massive in its own right.

"I'll take you over toward their side of the estate. Whenever Barbara invites you over, you always stay in our wing. I know she hasn't had the time to give you a proper tour."

Isabella nodded. It was true; whenever she visited at Barbara's invitation, she remained squarely in the main house. They usually met to discuss business, and the moment their meetings wrapped, Isabella would leave. It wasn't that Barbara didn't want to show her around; both of them were just incredibly busy.