Chapter 863 He Feels Sorry for Her
Isabella's smile froze for a moment, "I didn't mean any harm."
"You probably didn't mean any harm," Antonio said calmly. "But I believe you can understand my point of view. To avoid more misunderstandings, it's better for everyone if we have less contact. Don't you think?"
Isabella bit her lip, feeling a wave of sadness. She genuinely wanted to be friends with them, but in the end, it just wasn't appropriate.
"Sorry for troubling you," Isabella said, knowing Antonio's concerns were indeed understandable.
She took a deep breath and stood up. "I'll try my best not to disturb your lives. As for Harold, if there are any issues, I'll contact you directly."
Antonio saw her reddened eyes but showed no other reaction. He just nodded politely, his tone sincere, "Thank you."
Isabella wanted to smile, but she couldn't. She turned and walked out of the café with large strides.
If they couldn't be friends, then so be it.
Maybe not disturbing each other was a kind of understanding too.
This scene was witnessed by Francis, who was passing by the café on his way home from work.
Sitting in his car, he could clearly see Isabella running out of the café with reddened eyes and an uncontrollable sadness.
Inside, Antonio was still sitting in the same spot, his expression indifferent, even cold.
Did they have a falling out?
Francis instinctively thought of what Ryan had mentioned at the company earlier.
Isabella once had an engagement with "Benjamin," and she liked Antonio.
So, was Isabella still holding onto feelings?
Was that why she came to see Antonio, hoping to reconcile?
But judging by Antonio's demeanor, he must have rejected her.
Francis felt a complex mix of emotions, but when he saw Isabella's slender figure, he felt a pang of sourness mixed with a soft heartache.
He took a deep breath, dropped Ryan off, and quickly came back out, dismissing the servants and bodyguards waiting at the door. "You all go about your business. I'm going for a walk by myself."
Once everyone left, he quickly wheeled himself towards the door, not even sure what he would say if he did run into her.
Francis just wanted to see her.
Antonio watched Isabella leave the café and sat there for a while, playing with the voice recorder she had left behind before getting up.
With the matter resolved, it was time to go home to Sarah.
As he walked out the door, Isabella hadn't gone far.
They walked in opposite directions, like two lines that would never intersect, never to be involved with each other again.
Francis, worried about running into Antonio, took a detour when he left the villa.
He looked around but didn't see Isabella, feeling a bit anxious. Had she already left?
But Isabella's sad face was imprinted in his mind, lingering for a long time.
She was so upset, she might not leave right away.
Francis took a deep breath and continued searching nearby, suddenly thinking of the parking lot not far away. He quickened his pace.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before his eyes lit up.
Isabella was walking despondently by the roadside, her long hair blowing in the wind, her silhouette beautiful and ethereal.
Watching her move step by step, Francis felt a strange sensation, both sour and stifling.
He took a deep breath and wheeled himself over to her. "Isabella?"
A gentle voice came from behind, carrying a kind of tenderness like a breeze from afar. Isabella felt a bit dazed and turned around after a moment of hesitation. "Mr. Francis Valencia?"
Her eyes were still red, and she forgot to hide it.
Francis felt a strange tug at his heart, smiling warmly. "I thought I was mistaken, but it really is you. Do you have something to do here?"
Isabella forced a smile. "No."
She pointed to the parking lot not far away. "I just came to deliver some documents to Mr. Antonio Valencia and parked a bit far."
"I see." Francis nodded understandingly, not exposing her lie. When his gaze swept over her red eyes, a quick flash of heartache crossed his eyes. "I don't have anything to do anyway. How about I walk with you?"
Isabella wanted to refuse, but Francis had already wheeled himself ahead.
She jogged a couple of steps to catch up. "Mr. Francis Valencia, won't this be a bother for you?"
"No." Francis glanced at her, wanting to cheer her up, and pointed to the lake and bridge in the distance, casually talking about the past.
"See that place? There was a similar spot near our house when I was a kid. I fell off that kind of bridge twice, and then I realized that when I fell there, my grandpa never found out. So later, I used it as a good hiding spot."
Isabella turned her head in confusion. "Falling is a good idea?"
"Of course not." Francis shook his head with a smile. "But the place where I fell was a good spot. My grandpa couldn't find me, so I could hide there when he was angry and avoid getting scolded. After he searched for a long time, by the time I came back, he was just worried."
Maybe it was his relaxed tone, but Isabella also started to smile. "Mr. Francis Valencia, I wouldn't have guessed that you were quite mischievous as a child."
"Yes." Francis nodded in agreement. "When Antonio and I were kids, we did a lot of naughty things, but looking back now, they're all good memories."
Just from this brief conversation, Isabella suddenly felt that Francis wasn't so hard to get along with, and the sadness in her heart was eased by the little anecdote.
Listening to him talk, she actually wanted to help push his wheelchair but then thought of something else.
Francis already had a son, so he must have a wife. So her current behavior was inappropriate.
Even Antonio kept his distance from her, let alone Francis, who was even less familiar with her.
Francis didn't know what Isabella was thinking, but he could clearly feel that her mood had improved, and he felt relieved. "If you ever feel unhappy, you can always talk to... a friend."
He actually wanted to say she could talk to him. But what right did he have now? They weren't even friends.
Isabella was stunned, realizing that he had accompanied her because he noticed her unhappiness.
"Mr. Francis Valencia, thank you." She sighed, then smiled with relief. "But now I'm fine. Maybe some people in this world are just like that. If we can't even be friends, then it's good to wish each other well."
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