Noah’s POV:
I sat on the edge of the couch, my hands wrapped around a glass of whiskey that I hadn’t yet touched. The kids were in their rooms, quiet for the moment. I could hear faint sounds of their voices, but nothing to distract me. I was still trying to figure out what the hell had gone wrong with Mirabelle.
A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced up to see my grandad, stepping into the living room.
“How are things going?” He asked, taking a seat opposite me. His voice was soft, like he didn’t want to intrude, but I knew he already knew the answer.
I leaned back, running a hand through my hair. “Not great,” I muttered. “Mirabelle and I… we had a fight.”
His brow furrowed, and he gave me a thoughtful look. “And what was it about?”
I sighed. I wasn’t sure where to start, but I knew I had to tell him everything. I needed to get it out, to have someone listen without judgment.
“I went out last night to meet a man who’s interested in selling a piece of land in Shanghai to me for my new project in China. Natasha was there with me because she was helping me handle the deal,” I began. “But when we finished, she got drunk, so I offered to hail a cab for her but she insisted on driving. Eventually, I took her home and she threw up all over my shirt. Which was why I got changed.”
I paused for a moment. “I didn’t think much of it at first. I thought Mirabelle would understand. When I got home, she was already asleep. So I decided to tell later, but she eventually saw the pictures. And she didn’t even let me explain.”
He didn’t interrupt. He simply listened, his hands folded in his lap.
“I tried to explain, tried to tell her that nothing happened, but she-” I stopped myself, frustrated, slamming my glass down on the table. “She wouldn’t let me. She just… she just left. Told me to get out of her face.”
He nodded slowly. “You’re not the first man to go through this, Noah,” he said after a moment, his voice low. “Women are different from us. They don’t show their jealousy right away, but when they feel threatened, when they see something they don’t like, they lose it. They don’t just get angry-they feel betrayed, like you’ve broken a trust they thought was unbreakable.”
I frowned, leaning forward in my chair. “I didn’t do anything wrong, though. She’s overreacting. Natasha and I were just working together. It wasn’t like that.”
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I’m not saying you did anything wrong, son. What I’m saying is that it doesn’t matter how innocent you think it is. Women don’t see it the way we do. They see the situation. They think, Why was she so close to him? Why was he spending time with her when he’s supposed to be with me? And it cuts deep.”
I rubbed my temples. “So what am I supposed to do now? She’s not talking to me, not listening. I’ve never seen her like this before.”
He leaned back in his chair, his hands resting on the armrests. “You need to give her some time, Noah. Let her cool off. You’ve put her through a lot, and she’s hurting. You can’t just rush in and fix everything. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just be patient and give her space.”
I stared at him, trying to understand what he was saying. “But what if she doesn’t want to ever listen?”
His gaze softened. “It’s never easy when you love someone, but you have to trust that the love you have for each other is strong enough to get through this. It’s not about proving anything to her right now-it’s about giving her the time to process, to come to her own conclusions.”
I nodded slowly. “And the kids? Are they okay?” I asked. I hadn’t had a chance to check in with them yet, too caught up in the whole argument with Mirabelle.
He smiled. “They’re fine. I spent time with them today. They’re happy to see me, and they understand when things aren’t perfect. They don’t fully get it yet, but they’ll be okay.”
I let out a breath, feeling a little lighter. At least the kids were fine. But that didn’t ease the ache in my chest. I couldn’t stand the idea of things being horrible between Mirabelle and me. I didn’t know how long I could wait.
“I’ll give her time,” I muttered, more to myself than to Edward.
He gave me a knowing smile. “Sometimes, son, the hardest part is just waiting. But it’s the only way. Trust me.”
Later that evening, after a long day of thinking, I finally heard the sound of Mirabelle’s footsteps. She entered the room, and for a moment, I thought she might come to me. But no-she was distant, cold even. She didn’t even acknowledge me as she changed into her pajamas.
I wanted to say something, to beg her to talk to me, but the words didn’t come. Instead, I just watched as she turned to leave the room.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
She didn’t even look at me as she answered. “I’m going to sleep with the kids.”
I stood up. “How long are you going to ignore me, Mirabelle? How long are you going to pretend like I didn’t try to explain?”
Her back was turned to me, but I could hear the coldness in her voice when she spoke. “Until I’m no longer disgusted,” she said, then without another word, she walked out of the room.
I stared after her. I wanted to chase after her, to tell her that I was sorry, that I hadn’t meant for any of this to happen.
Just as I sat back down, my phone buzzed on the bedside table. I grabbed it, expecting it to be a message from Samuel, but it wasn’t. It was Natasha.
I stared at the name for a moment before I answered.
“Hey, Noah. I’m really sorry about the mess with the pictures.” Natasha’s voice came through. “I didn’t know we were being followed. Is Mirabelle okay?”
I leaned back, rubbing my temples. “Yeah, everything’s fine,” I said, trying to sound calm. “She’s just… upset. I’ll handle it.”
Natasha paused for a second, and then continued. “I’ve had my legal team look into it, and we’ll find a way to get the truth out. We’ll make sure people know nothing happened between us. I will fix this.”
I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “Thank you, Natasha. I appreciate it.”
I was about to hang up when she spoke again, her voice a little hesitant. “I know this isn’t the best time, but I need to let you know-we’ll need to travel to China soon. The owner of the property in Shanghai wants to meet, but he’s still tied up in Hong Kong for the next couple of weeks. It’ll probably be at the end of the month, or early next month.”
I hesitated. I wasn’t sure what to think about this. I’d already promised to work with her on the property deal, but now, with everything that had happened, I wasn’t sure if I should continue this partnership. Still, I couldn’t back out now.
“Okay,” I finally said, after a long pause.
“Thanks, Noah,” Natasha said, a small smile evident in her voice. “I’ll keep you updated.”
I leaned back against the headboard, staring at the ceiling, unsure of what to do with Mirabelle.
Waiting is not an option!