Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: The Weight of Reality

The warmth of the morning sun filled the villa, but the real warmth Isabella felt was the one radiating from Alexander's arms wrapped around her. She had never felt so safe, so loved, so alive. But as much as she wanted to stay in this moment forever, reality had a way of creeping back in.

She shifted slightly, looking up at Alexander. His eyes were still closed, a small, peaceful smile on his lips. He looked so content, so sure of everything—of them.

A part of her envied that certainty.

She bit her lip as doubt whispered in her mind. What happens now?

As if sensing her unease, Alexander slowly opened his eyes. "You're thinking too much," he murmured, his fingers lazily tracing circles on her arm.

Isabella sighed. "I can't help it, Alex. Last night was… perfect. But now, I have to face everything I've been running from."

He propped himself up on one elbow, his expression turning serious. "Are you regretting it?"

Her heart clenched at the hint of vulnerability in his voice. She shook her head quickly. "No. Never."

Relief softened his features, but he wasn't convinced. "Then what is it?"

She hesitated before speaking. "Nicholas. My life with him. I can't just walk away without consequences. I made promises, Alex."

A muscle in Alexander's jaw twitched at the mention of Nicholas, but he took a deep breath, keeping his emotions in check. "You don't love him."

Her throat tightened. "It's not that simple."

"It is," Alexander said gently but firmly. "Love isn't a business arrangement, Isabella. It's not something you do out of obligation. It's something you feel. And what we have—it's real."

She looked away, her thoughts in turmoil. "And what if I destroy everything by choosing you? What if I end up losing both of you?"

Alexander took her chin between his fingers, tilting her face back to meet his gaze. "You won't lose me. I'm right here, Isabella. I've always been here."

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes. She had spent so long convincing herself that moving on was the right thing, that her love for Alexander was a thing of the past. But the truth was clear now—he had never really left her heart.

"I just don't know how to break away from the life I built," she whispered.

Alexander exhaled, brushing a soft kiss against her forehead. "Then let me help you."

A knock at the villa door shattered the fragile moment.

Isabella stiffened. "Who—?"

Alexander frowned, sitting up. "Stay here."

But Isabella's heart was pounding. Something told her that this wasn't just a coincidence. A feeling of dread curled in her stomach as Alexander disappeared down the hallway.

A moment later, his voice, low and tense, echoed back to her.

"Nicholas."

The name sent a chill down Isabella's spine.

She slowly slid out of bed, pulling on a robe before making her way to the doorway. Her breath caught at the sight before her.

Nicholas stood in the entrance, his eyes cold, his expression unreadable. He wasn't just angry—he was furious in the way only a man who had been betrayed could be.

"I knew it," Nicholas said, his voice laced with quiet rage. His sharp eyes landed on Isabella. "So this is where you've been."

She swallowed hard, stepping forward. "Nicholas, I—"

"Save it," he cut her off, his gaze flicking between her and Alexander. "I should've known you'd go running back to him the moment things got difficult."

Guilt twisted in her chest. "Nicholas, I never meant to hurt you—"

He let out a humorless laugh. "Hurt me? Hurt me? Isabella, I loved you. I gave you everything."

Alexander stepped forward, his body tense. "She doesn't belong to you, Nicholas. You don't own her."

Nicholas's jaw clenched. "And you think you do?"

"I think she deserves to make her own choice," Alexander shot back.

Nicholas turned to Isabella, his expression hardening. "So choose," he demanded. "Right here. Right now."

Her heart pounded painfully in her chest. She had known this moment would come, but she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to break a heart that had once meant so much to her.

Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at the two men before her—the man she had built a stable life with and the man who had always held her heart.

The weight of her decision pressed down on her.

There was no turning back now.

To be continued…