With just over an hour until the plane landed, Olivia finally couldn’t hold back and pulled off the mask from Isabella’s face.
“So, the rival shows up and you’re not feeling well?” Olivia huffed.
Isabella furrowed her brows, saying nothing, her face not looking too good.
“Do you really have to be like this? Which man doesn’t have a past? Even if he did have a relationship with Elysia, as long as it’s over, you shouldn’t hold onto it. Clinging to the past like that only brings you trouble,” Olivia advised.
Isabella still looked upset, her face never relaxing.
“How could I not understand that?” She sighed, “But sometimes, the more invested you are in a relationship, the more you want loyalty from the other person.”
Isabella cupped her face with her hand, her eyes misty, making her appear somewhat pitiable. “Olivia, I’m actually scared. I feel like I’m deeply involved. If Andrew’s feelings for me aren’t as deep, I don’t know if I can escape this relationship. If not, it might be irreversible.”
“Isabella…” Olivia wanted to comfort her, but words failed her.
Isabella smiled bitterly, “Olivia, if Andrew is really playing with my feelings, what if I jump off the villa with him?”
“Isabella! What crazy talk is that!” Olivia was shocked.
she giggled innocently, “Olivia, you don’t really think I’d go down with Andrew, do you?”
She wasn’t that foolish. Such extreme actions are for fools. She has her prime years ahead and a lovely son; she wouldn’t want to die.
However, if Andrew truly betrays her, it’s over between them.
She’s not a saint who forgives all his mistakes, tolerates his affairs and betrayals, waiting for his mercy. Even if he once told her that she’s his mate, destined by the moon goddess, she knows no relationship is unbreakable.
The plane landed at Berlin airport, already late at night.
As they exited the airport, Isabella’s phone rang. It was Andrew calling.
Hesitating for a long time, she finally answered.
“Has the plane landed?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she replied lukewarmly.
“It’s snowing in Berlin these days. Keep warm,” he said with a caring tone.
“Okay.” Isabella’s emotions faded further, her beautiful eyes filled with complexity.
Another voice came through the phone abruptly, his assistant Nathan, “Mr. Andrew, there’s a new guest waiting for you in the meeting room.”
“Let him wait,” Andrew instructed, covering half of the phone.
“You’re busy, we’ll talk later,” Isabella promptly hung up.
There were things she couldn’t express over the phone, so she didn’t want to waste more time and money.
Dragging her luggage out, a car was already waiting at the entrance.
Isabella and Olivia headed straight to the hotel since the shoot was scheduled for the next day.
Throughout the long night, Isabella suffered from insomnia. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Elysia’s superior posture and ambiguous words. She felt cursed.
She knew Elysia’s words might not be true, but she couldn’t help but mind. When she falls for someone, she doesn’t turn a blind eye.
Restless in bed, she moved to the living room.
She sat cross-legged by the French windows, staring blankly into the dark night outside.
Olivia woke up and noticed Isabella sitting by the window. Her long black hair was disheveled, her cheeks pale, and her golden eyes looked lost and innocent, making one’s heart ache.
Olivia shook her head helplessly and walked over to Isabella with two cups of coffee, handing one to her.
“Thanks,” Isabella took the coffee and sipped it slowly.
Olivia sat down on the sofa next to her, holding her own cup, her gaze drifting absentmindedly out the window.
“When I found out my boyfriend was cheating, I spent countless nights sitting by the window, unable to sleep. For almost a week, I hardly closed my eyes. I even began to experience mental confusion, unable to distinguish reality from dreams. I thought his betrayal was just a dream, and I wished it were true. When I woke up, he was still the man who loved, protected, and relied on me,” Olivia’s voice was hoarse, her eyes shimmering with tears. She gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile and continued, “It wasn’t until we finalized our divorce that I faced reality and started a new life.”
After Olivia finished speaking, she looked at Isabella with deep meaning and said, “But it’s just a man. Everyone can live without each other. If you want to know whether there’s anything between Elysia and Andrew, just ask him directly.”
After hearing this, Isabella nodded, managing a strained smile. “I’ll ask him after this work is done.”
Olivia finished her coffee and stood up from the sofa, patting Isabella’s shoulder lightly. “Go get some sleep; we have a busy day tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Isabella replied.
Back in her room, she managed to sleep for only two hours. When she woke up the next day, her face looked exhausted, with prominent dark circles. She applied a thick layer of foundation to hide her tired complexion.
The filming location was the Berlin Cathedral. Isabella was endorsing a jewelry brand, dressed in a strapless wedding gown with her hair up. She wore the brand’s signature diamond necklace around her neck and a three-carat diamond ring on her finger. She posed in front of the cathedral, following the photographer’s directions for various poses.
The filming went relatively smoothly. Although Isabella was preoccupied, she managed to control her emotions, trying not to let her feelings affect her work.
Moreover, it was freezing in Berlin in January. Wearing a strapless dress, she shivered throughout the shoot. If they didn’t finish the filming soon, she would suffer.
So, she remained professional throughout the shoot, which concluded before evening.
After work, she stood alone in front of the cathedral’s fountain, lost in thought. The weather was chilly, and she wore a cashmere coat over her dress.
Hugging herself, she watched the water from the fountain splashing into the pool, her gaze unfocused, seemingly deep in thought.
Then, suddenly, a man’s arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her into a warm embrace.
Isabella was startled, her first thought being that she had encountered a Berlin thug. Almost instinctively, she swung her elbow back, aiming for the man behind her.
Her fist was caught by the warm palm of the man’s hand, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“Isabella, you hit hard. Are you trying to kill your husband?” Andrew’s crisp voice came with a hint of laughter.