Chapter 953 The Unlucky Neighbor
Leon strolled into the bedroom and shot Isabella a cheeky grin. "Guess what? The neighbors dropped by again."
"Ugh, I'm so sorry," Isabella sighed.
Leon, without missing a beat, jumped onto the bed and pinned Isabella down.
"What the heck are you doing?" Isabella yelped.
Leon just put a finger to his lips, signaling her to hush.
That's when it hit Isabella—she needed to keep it down, or the neighbors would be back.
In the next instant, Leon yanked the blanket over their heads.
"Seriously, what are you up to?" Isabella asked, eyebrows knitting together.
"Be quiet," Leon replied, then leaned in to kiss her.
Before long, Isabella melted into his arms.
That night, Leon crashed at Isabella's place again.
The next morning, Isabella struggled to drag herself out of bed.
She was starting to realize how tough it was to be a modern woman. By day, she was hustling at work, competing with the guys, and by night, she was making love with Leon. After just two days, she was already wiped out.
"Hurry up and get ready, breakfast is in five," Leon called from the kitchen.
"Got it," Isabella mumbled, running her fingers through her hair as she headed to the bathroom.
She was in the middle of brushing her teeth and washing her face when she felt someone behind her.
Looking up, she saw Leon in the mirror, fastening a sparkling diamond necklace around her neck.
Seeing the necklace, Isabella frowned. She glanced at Leon's reflection and asked, "Why the sudden fancy gift?"
Leon met her eyes in the mirror, wrapped his arms around her waist, and said, "I thought it would match the earrings I got you, so I bought it when I saw it."
Staring at the carat-sized diamond, Isabella couldn't muster any joy.
They hadn't been together long, and he had already given her diamond earrings and now a necklace. These gifts must've cost a fortune. Isabella suddenly felt like their relationship was more of a transaction.
Even though she knew she shouldn't think that way—after all, no amount of money could buy a high-level exec from Prosperity Group to cook and clean for her every day—something still felt off.
"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Leon asked, confused by her frown.
"It's not that. It's just... you're giving me gifts too often," Isabella said with a weak smile.
Leon frowned. "I thought girls loved getting gifts. How can you complain about too many? Fine, I'll hold off for a bit."
"Okay," Isabella nodded, trying to hide her jumbled thoughts.
"Come on, finish up. Breakfast is ready," Leon said, patting her shoulder before leaving the bathroom.
In Northstar City, the autumn sunlight poured into the room. Isabella sat in a rocking chair, her hand resting on her swollen belly, talking softly to her unborn baby.
"Hey there, little one. In just over two months, you'll be here. I'm sorry you won't have a dad around, but don't worry, I'll give you all my love!" Isabella's eyes held a touch of sadness, but mostly, they were filled with determination.
Isabella's eyes drifted to the jewelry box on the bedside table. Seeing the peony-patterned box, she frowned and reached for it.
When she opened it, a dazzling light spilled out, revealing over a dozen pieces of diamond jewelry.
In the several years she was with Leon, Isabella had received over a dozen gifts from him—almost one every month, and each one a diamond jewelry.
He gave her diamond necklaces, earrings, bracelets, anklets, and brooches, but never a diamond ring. It was clear he never intended to marry her. She was naive to think they’d be together forever.
These beautiful, meticulously crafted diamond pieces now made Isabella sad. She shut the jewelry box and tossed it into the bedside table drawer.
When she broke up with Leon, she wanted to return the diamonds, but she and her kid needed to survive. She had no savings, so she had to keep the jewelry to sell later for support.
She knew it was a hit to her self-respect, but feeding herself and her kid was more important than pride.
It was impossible for Isabella not to resent Leon, but she also knew that the time she spent with him was the happiest of her life.
She had grown up deprived of love, with a father who died early, a sickly mother, a useless brother, and a mean sister-in-law. She had started working early to support herself. Leon gave her warmth and took care of her. But happiness was often fleeting, and maybe he was just momentarily interested in her. He probably never thought about spending his life with her.
Isabella leaned back in the chair, her eyes gazing at the blue sky, white clouds, and garden flowers outside the window. Her mind drifted back to the beautiful yet slightly sorrowful days she spent with Leon.
She remembered how Leon had stubbornly moved into her small apartment. Gradually, his clothes, shoes, and personal items filled her home.
"Can you stop moving all your stuff into my place? My apartment is so small, I can't even fit my things. If you move your stuff in, there won't be any space to walk!" Isabella was about to lose it seeing Leon's things everywhere.
Leon, cooking in the kitchen, replied calmly, "If you think this place is too small, you can move into my house!"
Leon had indeed taken Isabella to his home. He lived in one of the top high-end communities in Maple Valley, in a 2,000-square-foot duplex. The decor, furniture, and appliances were all top imported brands, and there were hourly workers who came to clean regularly.
That kind of scenic view apartment, overlooking half of Maple Valley, was the kind of place Isabella dreamed of living in. She loved the environment there.
But Isabella didn't agree to move into Leon's house. No matter how much Leon coaxed and cajoled, she didn't relent.
Because Isabella knew it wasn't her home. Moving in would be easy, but moving out one day would be incredibly heartbreaking. To avoid future pain, she couldn't indulge herself now.
"I don't like your house!" Isabella said, contradicting her true feelings.
"Why don't you like it?" Leon, wearing an apron, turned and looked at Isabella, puzzled.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
