Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus)

Chapter 369

Isadora returned to the house that evening to find the dining table set with a comforting spread: a pot of homemade chicken soup, sautéed shrimp with broccoli, perfectly seared salmon, and salad.

The fragrance filled the air, warm and inviting.

Eleanor emerged from the kitchen, removing her apron and handing it off to the waiting housekeeper.

"Come on. Dinner's ready," she called.

Mother and daughter sat together in the dining room, sharing the meal in companionable silence.

Eleanor ladled a generous portion of soup into a bowl and set it in front of Isadora. Throughout dinner, she would glance over at her daughter with an unreadable expression, as if there was something she wanted to say.

Even someone less perceptive than Isadora would have picked up on it. "Mom, is there something you want to talk about?" Isadora finally asked. Eleanor set down her fork, thinking for a moment about how to begin. "Last night, a friend of mine saw Nanette at the Grand Regent Hotel."

Isadora's mind jumped to the excuse she'd given Eleanor the night before-that she was going to Nanette's to avoid the thunderstorm. Apparently, that little white lie hadn't gone unnoticed.

Eleanor's worried eyes met her daughter's. "Isadora, where were you last night?"

Isadora pressed her lips together. "I..."

Eleanor frowned. "You were with Mr. Fitzgerald, weren't you?"

Realizing there was no way to hide it, Isadora nodded sheepishly.

"I knew it. You've been acting strange lately. Why are you getting mixed up with him again?"

"Isadora, you promised we'd leave Capitolion together."

Isadora answered quietly, "We are leaving."

"Then why are you seeing him now? Are you having second thoughts?"

Isadora shook her head softly.

Eleanor sighed, her tone growing more earnest. "If you really want to leave this

city, you have to be decisive. Cut things off with him cleanly."

Isadora tightened her grip on her fork, knuckles turning white.

along, and you're pregnant..." Eleanor's voice trembled

much, but we're not nobody. We can't let them treat us like

once gone to beg Deanna

barely above

matriarch will never allow it. Even if you marry in, who knows

at her mother.

fell silent, searching

lashes fluttered as she gently placed a

to believe him one

To trust the tenderness

voice, unusually gentle, broke the silence. "Are you

Isadora's lips, but

Take this month to think it through. If you truly want to be with him, I'm not some old prude. I only want what's best for you. But I want the Fitzgeralds to come here properly and ask for your

that, Eleanor stood

in her

She curled up on the bed a

In

Half an hour passed, and she hadn't made it

Her thoughts kept circling.

have to

Suddenly, her phone rang.

at the screen and

low, husky voice came through, casual yet tinged with fatigue.

Will

doing here? I

"Mm."

the driver's seat, Victor looked up at the pale light shining from an

"No," Isadora replied firmly.

to sneak out to see Victor-that would only confirm her mother's

voice came again, lazy yet strangely

"Sick? What's wrong?"

"Dunno. Fever, maybe."

sounded almost nonchalant, but there was an unmistakable

"How high?"

"102."

could hear the rasp in his voice, and at that number, she couldn't help scolding

you have a fever, why aren't you at the hospital?