After I Stopped Loving Him novel Chapter 998

When it came to Natalie, there was no contest. She had always been Isabella’s biggest rival while Isabella was alive.

Stephanie couldn’t shake the feeling that Isabella’s killer was a woman. The way everything had played out felt too personal, too calculated. Only Natalie and Sophia had ever openly wanted Isabella gone.

“I just hope Sophia had nothing to do with this,” Stephanie murmured, worry creeping in. The way Sophia had gone quiet these past few days unsettled her. She couldn’t shake the fear that her own granddaughter might have gotten involved.

Sophia’s silence was no accident. The day Ethan and Isabella’s divorce was finalized, Natalie had texted her, asking if the split was for real. Sophia confirmed it was done, the divorce papers were signed, everything official. She even told Natalie that Isabella had packed a small suitcase and left Ethan’s villa—she’d watched her leave with her own eyes.

She was pretty sure she knew where Isabella was headed. With her marriage over and not a dollar to her name, Isabella had nowhere else to go except to Laura, her best friend. Sure, Isabella technically still had her mom, but she and Natalie were sworn enemies. Returning to the Lane family just wasn’t an option.

That was exactly what Sophia told Natalie.

Then came the news. On her way to Laura’s place, Isabella was kidnapped. The kidnappers ruined her face, violated her, and in the end, killed her. Sophia was numb with shock when she first found out. After the panic faded, suspicion gnawed at her—she couldn’t help thinking of Natalie. Sophia kept quiet, terrified of the possibility that Natalie could really have arranged everything. She didn’t even dare admit to anyone that Natalie had messaged her on the day of the divorce.

The thought made her skin crawl. If Natalie was behind it, Sophia’s own words might have handed her the perfect moment to strike. She had told Natalie exactly when and where Isabella would be, and the kidnappers could not have timed it better without that information.

Sophia tried to push those thoughts away before they swallowed her.

Meanwhile, everything at the Lane family home seemed eerily calm. After Cynthia died, Jackson told everyone he needed time to recover, left the family business to his son, and left on a trip. Jordan kept up his regular routine. His stepmother and stepsister were gone—people he’d never really cared for. He didn’t bother pretending to be upset because there was no point.

Natalie also seemed to be carrying on like nothing had happened. The only real change was that every single servant at the Lane house had quit. The butler explained that after Cynthia’s death, the staff couldn’t handle being there anymore. Fear and bad memories drove them out, every one of them.