Isabella slept soundly until late morning, only getting out of bed after the sun had risen high.
Andrew had already gone to the office. In the living room on the ground floor, only Amelia was playing games with Asher.
After freshening up, Isabella was about to have breakfast when Olivia called.
Originally scheduled to start shooting next month, the new movie suddenly got moved up by a month. Olivia had already booked tickets, and they had to rush to the filming location immediately.
Isabella was furious but had no choice. This was her job; there wasn’t even room for complaints. Hastily packing her luggage, she caught a taxi to the airport.
Olivia was already waiting for her at the airport.
“Wait here; I’ll go get our boarding passes,” Olivia said, taking Isabella’s, and headed toward the counter.
Isabella stood by with her luggage, bored, and passed the time watching YouTube on her phone.
She was engrossed in the news when suddenly someone behind her called her name, “Isabella?”
Isabella’s first reaction was that it must be a namesake. She was wearing sunglasses and a mask, almost wrapped up like a zongzi; even her own parents wouldn’t recognize her.
Ignoring it, the person called again, “Isabella?”
This time she turned around and unexpectedly saw James standing behind her.
“James, it’s you,” Isabella greeted him with a smile.
“Just got off the plane and happened to see you. Came over to say hello,” James said warmly. He looked much leaner, but his spirit seemed high.
“I heard you’ve been traveling all over recently, almost becoming an airborne person. Take care of yourself,” she said a few polite words.
James nodded. The two stood in the bustling lobby. Isabella, after all, was a public figure; if caught by paparazzi, explaining would be a hassle.
He pointed to the cafe across, “Shall we have some tea? Is there enough time?”
Isabella subconsciously glanced in Olivia’s direction and saw her still waiting in a long queue. So, she nodded.
She hadn’t had breakfast and thought a snack would suffice to fill her stomach.
Following James into the cafe, he ordered coffee while she opted for milk tea and a mousse cake.
She was too engrossed in eating the cake, hardly speaking. Meanwhile, James sat across from her, sipping his coffee, his gaze fixed deeply on her.
Finishing nearly half the cake made her feel somewhat satisfied, and she gulped down half the cup of milk tea. The warm milk tea felt extremely comforting in her stomach.
Feeling content, she half-closed her eyes when suddenly, James spoke, “Isabella, what if I said I wanted to pursue you again? What would you think of me?”
As he finished speaking, due to excitement, Isabella sprayed her milk tea directly out, mostly on James’s face.
James froze completely.
“Cough, cough, cough…” Isabella coughed a few times, then hurriedly grabbed some tissues and patted them on James’s face.
“Sorry, James, I didn’t mean to.”
James took the tissues from her and wiped his face.
She was about to sit back down when James grabbed her wrist. “Isabella, you haven’t answered my question.”
His brown eyes were earnestly fixed on her.
Isabella was feeling a bit of a headache. She knew it-indulging her appetite would lead to trouble. She thought spraying him with milk tea would divert the conversation, but damn, she never realized how persistent James could be.
Her expression turned serious, shaking off his hand and returning to her seat.
“Do I have to answer?” Isabella pondered for a moment, then replied seriously, “I’d think you’re shameless. Let’s just be friends; no one needs to feel embarrassed.”
When she was pregnant with Asher, the toughest times were endured by her alone. Even if he had shown a bit of concern, Isabella wouldn’t have felt so hurt. But at that time, he was busy being Emily’s devoted boyfriend, playing the role of a devoted partner.
Since he was so resolute about cheating back then, who is he trying to impress now by putting on this facade of deep affection? Isabella despised this act the most. She couldn’t possibly think that a prodigal son’s return is truly priceless.
James listened and first looked a little surprised, then sighed with a wry smile.
He had anticipated this outcome long before, just wasn’t ready to hear it directly, feeling somewhat unwilling.
However, he hadn’t expected Isabella to be so blunt in her words.
Perhaps, in her heart, she had been resentful of him all this time.
“Isabella, do you know why I chose Emily back then?” James sighed.
Isabella blinked, thinking: Isn’t it because you enjoyed cuddling up together?
Of course, while she thought this, she still wanted to express it in a more tactful manner.
“Aren’t you the one who kept insisting on being responsible for her?”
Although Isabella expressed it tactfully, James wasn’t foolish; he could tell the underlying meaning, merely thinking she considered him a creature of base desires.
He sighed, “So, in your eyes, I’ve always been such a shallow person.”
She instinctively placed her hand on her forehead, thinking: Isn’t it true!
He fell briefly silent, gazing distractedly outside, his voice somewhat distant.
“Although we grew up together and knew each other reasonably well as we dated, perhaps in your heart, you saw me more as a brother than anything else.”
“Huh?” Isabella moved her mouth but couldn’t refute. When she was with James, it didn’t feel like the frequent blushes and heartbeats she experienced with Andrew. While filming away, missing him, she felt a pang, but she had never felt this way about James.
Seeing her reaction, James couldn’t help but smile. Isabella was smart; she probably understood.
“In your eyes, I’ve never seen any affection. I know you don’t love me. The reasons we were together were merely because of compatibility and my liking you. Initially, I thought I could change your feelings and make you fall for me gradually. But you spent more time with Olivia than with me. Being with you for so long made me feel exhausted. I also wanted to be loved.”
So, you cheated? Isabella was speechless, feeling it was his betrayal, yet she was at fault.
When they were together, Isabella was still a young girl, unaware of what love meant, always playing around with Olivia. He didn’t have the patience to wait for her to mature. With a mere beckoning finger from Emily, he’d scurry over like an eager puppy.
But now, discussing all this seemed pointless.