Stuck in The Marriage Pact
Chapter 49: Their plan

Chapter 49: Their plan

Isabella paced back and forth in front of the main door of the penthouse, occasionally glancing at her watch, which showed one in the morning, making her even more anxious. She tried calling Hunter again, but his number was always unreachable.

"Carol... What if something happened to him?" she asked, looking at Carol who was sitting on the sofa.

"I’m sure he’ll be fine," Carol replied, standing up. "After all, he’s with Colin, and he’s not exactly helpless, so he can protect himself," she continued.

Isabella let out a frustrated sigh, staring blankly as she imagined Hunter’s face.

"But why hasn’t he come back yet? What if his mother doesn’t like his decision and prevents him from returning to me?" she wondered, imagining Hunter being locked up by his mother with the help of the security guards. The thought terrified her, making her miss him and long for their sweet moments together.

"He’s not a little boy without strength; he’s a grown man... He can stand up to anyone, even his mother," Carol approached Isabella and gently patted her shoulder. "You should sit down, I’ll make you some warm tea."

Isabella remained silent until Carol left for the kitchen. But within seconds, the door suddenly opened, and she quickly turned to see Hunter.

"Hunter!" She rushed towards him and embraced him. "I missed you so much!"

Hunter remained silent, slowly setting down his cane.

"Why were you gone for so long?" Isabella released her embrace, looking up at Hunter with worry. "What happened there? Did you fight with your mother, or did she lock you up so you couldn’t come back right away?"

"I was only there for about 20 minutes, then I left and met a friend," Hunter replied calmly, though sadness was evident in his eyes. He took his phone out of the pocket of his black leather jacket and turned it on.

In silence, Isabella watched as Hunter’s phone, which had been turned off, powered up, explaining why she couldn’t reach him, making her feel both upset and relieved that he had returned safely.

"To prove that I talked to my mother, I recorded our entire conversation here," Hunter said, handing his phone to Isabella. "You can listen to it... I didn’t edit anything out," he continued.

Isabella looked down at Hunter’s black phone, which showed the voice recorder app, and then her husband pressed the play button.

"I have to fast forward a few minutes because I turned on the recorder when I was still in the car," Hunter said.

Isabella stayed quiet and took the phone, listening as Juliana’s voice greeted Hunter.

"I need to wash my face," Hunter said, then immediately walked away.

Isabella let Hunter leave as she focused on listening to the recording. As the argument began, her heart pounded, imagining the situation there.

"Oh God... He was so harsh on his mother, and all that was for me? I don’t even deserve him because I’ve lied... His mother dislikes me even more now because I lied to all of them..."

"Ma’am..."

Carol’s voice broke Isabella’s thoughts. She looked up to see her assistant bringing a cup of warm tea on a small plate.

"Just put it on the table," she said, then hurriedly walked toward the bedroom.

Carol frowned, watching as Isabella slowly disappeared from view before turning back toward the door to find Colin entering.

"What happened?" she asked as she approached the man.

"I don’t know," Colin shrugged. "He asked me to wait outside, so I don’t know what happened inside his family’s mansion. But we didn’t stay long, then he asked me to go to the lake... and then we came back here," he explained casually, raising his eyebrows.

Carol paused, imagining the situation Hunter faced.

"This was meant for Isabella, wasn’t it?" Colin asked, taking the tea from Carol’s hands and sipping it.

"It was, but she doesn’t seem interested anymore," Carol said, walking toward Hunter and Isabella’s bedroom.

...

Arriving in the bedroom, Isabella found Hunter, freshly washed and having taken off his leather jacket, now only wearing a black T-shirt and gray pants.

"Do you realize what you’ve done?" she asked as she approached him.

"Did you listen to everything?" Hunter asked in return.

Isabella nodded.

"You only meant to state your intention to void our marriage contract, but why did you threaten her as well? You even spoke so harshly to her!" Isabella looked at Hunter, frustrated. "This is insane as if I’m the one who’s made you so cruel to your mother... I’m the bad one, now I’m the villain!"

Hunter shook his head.

"You’re not the villain," he whispered, gazing deeply into Isabella’s tearful green eyes. "I did what I had to do for the good of all of us. If you’ve listened to everything, you’ll understand... It’s for all of our sakes," he continued calmly.

"But..."

"It’s okay..." Hunter cupped Isabella’s face. "She got what she wanted—the company assets—and I got you. Okay? And if she wants me to leave you, I’ll confess everything to Grandpa, so she won’t get anything. It’s only fair."

"Yes... But..." Isabella looked down.

"I still respect her as my mother, I love her... and besides, what I did wasn’t anything that hurt her. She’s not suffering because of us, right? By letting us be together, it means none of us will disappoint Grandpa and Grandma or even ourselves. I was just firm with her so she wouldn’t hurt you when I’m not around," Hunter reassured her, making Isabella look into his blue eyes. "This is all for us... OK?"

Isabella remained silent and slowly nodded.

Hunter smiled and gently kissed Isabella’s lips for a moment. He took her hand, continuing to gaze into her eyes, his smile never fading.

"That means from now on, we’re truly husband and wife out of love, not because of a contract, right?" He raised his eyebrows as he confirmed.

Isabella frowned but nodded. "But... That means I need to meet Joe and ask him to stay away from me," she said.

Hunter stayed silent, frowning.

"I don’t think it’s polite to end our relationship over the phone, so... I need to meet him," Isabella added.

"You’re going to ask him to come here?" Hunter asked.

"He’s coming in a few days."

"I think waiting a few days is too long, you should go to him."

"Go to him? You mean to Seattle?" Isabella asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes..." Hunter nodded and smiled. "Maybe we can stop by your house... Stay there for a few days."

"Hunter..." Isabella shook her head, smiling faintly. "Why would we go there? My house isn’t nice... You’d be miserable staying even for an hour, let alone a few days. It’s hot, there’s no AC, no nice sofas... Even my room isn’t..."

"Shhh!" Hunter placed his finger on Isabella’s lips. "I’ll love it as long as you’re there. I’ll be happy to stay at my wife’s house for a few days... my wife..."

Isabella was stunned, Hunter’s gaze holding her captive.

"And I also want to visit your father’s grave... I need to ask for his blessing," Hunter whispered, kissing Isabella briefly. "We’ll be together forever... you’re my wife... my wife forever!" he added, kissing her again.

Isabella closed her eyes, returning the kiss softly, but she couldn’t fully enjoy it as her mind was occupied with thoughts of Joe, who might be devastated by her decision.