Jayden's POV

It wasn't easy to control my rage when I saw that bunny-looking boy pecking my wife on her forehead after hugging her petite body to his.

I didn't want to interrupt the moment because I wanted to see Isabella's reaction but she fucking allowed him.

She allowed him to have access to her body and it fucking pissed me off. I couldn't wait any longer.

She pushed him away and asked him to leave.

Isabella and I stand watching each other till she finally looks up to meet my intense gaze.

Chuckling nervously, she asks. "How was your trip?"

Instead of scolding her for what she has just done, I look down. I won't stoop so low to do that. As much as I want to show my anger, I can't.

"Where is your hotel?" I ask calmly, lifting my head.

I know this is her hotel but I want to remind her of the courtesy of inviting a guest into your place. Alejandro had told me the hotel name and I know it.

I have been here once during a business summit that lasted for two days.

"Oh, here. Let's go", she leads the way while I trudge behind her. The driver comes down from the car to bring out my suitcase and he follows.

We continue to walk for a while till we get to the lobby and Isabella suggests we take the elevator to her floor. We both get into the elevator and the driver does the same.

Thankfully, Alejandro didn't come with me. If he had come with me here, is this how he would have seen my wife being kissed by a random guy from nowhere?

The elevator takes off and after a minute, it stops and the door dings open. With my hands in my pocket, I wait for her to go out first to lead the way before following.

Her room is the third in line. She opens it with trembling hands and leaves the door ajar for me to enter.

I venture in and she follows. The driver drops the suitcase and Isabella picks it up immediately.

He bows and goes out after I give him a slight nod.

There is a couch near the bed, I flop into it heavily, from the exhaustion of the plane. I couldn't sleep a wink throughout the night. I kept thinking of what I would do in Italy and about my decision of coming if it was right for me to just appear after a week that she has been here.

Now that I am here and I have seen here with that guy, I don't regret coming. Coming here was the right thing to do.

"Are you tired? Should I get you breakfast from downstairs?"

I hoist my head to stare at her face. She clasps her hands behind her, biting softly on her lower lips and avoiding my gaze.

This is a face I haven't seen in a week which has gotten me reeled up yet another man has been seeing this same face and pecking her all over.

I can't believe Isabella is doing this. I feel cheated. It feels like she is cheating on me.

On second thought, I feel she isn't at fault because this is the essence of coming here after all but I expected so much from her.

First, it was in public where anyone could have seen her. Secondly, we are still married and we have a few more months to go before the expiration of our contract. She would be free then. She doesn't need to be in a rush to get out of this sham. I am tired of it as much as she is.

"Jayden, I'm really sorry…"

"Why are you apologizing?" I cut her short and she gulps loudly before looking again.

I examine her dress. She is wearing nothing but a sleepwear and a flip-flop. Her shape is evident in the wear and it makes me want to shout at her again.

"Who was the guy?" I ask calmly with my arms propped on my jaw.

She glances up and fumbles with her fingers. "He is just a friend."

"Just a friend?" I ask her, with my brows creased.

"Yes", she replies, nodding her head. "He is just my friend."

"Romeo?" I frown. So this is the same guy who was making her laugh so heartily last night? He isn't good-looking. What is attractive about him?

"Yes", she bites her lips more aggressively, making me shift my gaze away from it. The way she does that makes me think of stupid things.

"I'm sorry…"

"Stop apologizing", I shout, shooting to my feet and startling her. "Don't you dare apologize to me again? You knew what you were doing when you were letting him have access to your body like some…" I trail off.

A sob escapes her mouth instantly. "He didn't have access to my body, Jayden!" She shouts. "What do you take me for?"

I am not here to make her cry.

Why am I even here? I ask myself, confusion clouding my mind.

"He is just a friend. It was just a friendly gesture and nothing more. How could you say such a thing to me?!" She cries out and guilt tugs at my heart, compelling me to wrap my hand around her in consolation.

I didn't mean to make her cry. I am just pissed up with all of this.

"Isabella, stop making me feel like a bad person here. You were practically cheating on me", I say calmly, moving closer to touch her but she flinches.

"I am not cheating on you! Even if I actually kissed him or have sex with him, I didn't cheat. We are not real, remember?"

That reminder rings a bell in my ears but I am going to pay deaf ears to it.

This is the first time Isabella will raise her voice at me. Is this what I get for coming to see her simply because I miss her?

"I thought you have changed but I was wrong. I keep telling people that you are not the person I thought you were…"

"People like your friend, Juliet, and your grandma who you told all sorts of bad things about me to?"

A tear rolls down her eyes. She wipes it off immediately with the back of her arm.

"I think it will be better if you secure another room for yourself", she says and tries to walk past me but I am quick to grab her. "Let go of me. Stop making me feel like I have no right to make decisions on my own. This is my life and I can decide to do whatever I want to do."

"Decisions like dating a broke ass nigga like that bunny-looking dude?"

"Yes!" She shouts. "If he loves me and I love him too, then yes. I don't f***ing care if he is a broke ass or a rich arrogant ass like you!"

My jaws drop.

She did not only defend him, she is also insulting me.

I close my mouth, gulping down the insult like a dose of medicine, the guilt intensifying. I didn't come here for this but I just couldn't help my anger. I want her to realize that what she did was wrong and against our contract.

"Why are you even bothered about who I fall in love with? You shouldn't be bothered because I mean nothing to you but an object to be used and tossed after a year", she yells in my face.

"Used?"

"Yes, aren't you using me? You are making me do all sorts of things…"

"You got paid, Isabella", I say, feeling a pang of disappointment at the change of topic. I never knew she would bring such a topic up, the topic of how little I offered her compared to my mother's.

Is she already thinking of going to take the offer from my mother?

She wiggles her hands but I hold her more firmly. "Listen to me, Isabella."

"No", she shakes her head, more tears spilling from her eyes. "Let me go, please."

"Listen to me!"

"I will not! I can't even be with a man that yells at me, so why shouldn't I date someone who is gentle and who understands me like Romeo? You are selfish so let me be."

"What?!" The more she compares me with that guy, the angrier I become.

"You don't love me and I don't, so why shouldn't I find someone else I can be with after you are done using me?"

I agree but I am not using her. I care for her and I am concerned about her safety. If I am not, I won't be here. I will still be in New York, probably closing some important deals by noon.

I left all of that to come here for a week.

Wow! Stupid me!

Feeling pathetic, I drop her hand, expecting her to walk away into the next room which looks like a dining room. Two rooms are connected to each other and I wonder why she got this place instead of one room.

Did Romeo ever spend the night with her?

When I blink, I see her still standing, watching me with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry." We say simultaneously.

Another sob escapes her mouth and I pull her into an embrace.

Despite everything, she is still apologizing. I should be the one apologizing. I have done more bad to her than good. I have done more harm.

I did not only call her a whore but I accused her of cheating when it is obvious that she does not like the guy in the way that I think. When he pecked her, her hands were beside her and it can't be something to expect of a woman who admires a man who is showing her such love.

I'm sure she hasn't fallen for him yet.

But she might end up falling in love with him. He is no good for her and I shouldn't allow that to happen.

Isabella is a great woman. I shouldn't allow her to fall into the trap of that bunny-looking jerk.

She releases herself from the hug and our eyes interlock. Unconsciously, my eyes shift to her lips and she bites her lower lip again.

Without thinking, I crash my lips on hers.

****

There you have the chapter 70😅😂

COMMENT and VOTE.

See you tomorrow.

💓