After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 1059

As soon as they stepped into the main living room, Harold gently nudged Isabella to head upstairs and rest.

Isabella smiled. "A few extra minutes won't kill me. Since you're already here, I'll keep you company for a bit and grab you a glass of water."

She turned to her mother. "Mom, it's so late. Why are you and Auntie still awake?"

Her uncle must have already gone to sleep, as he was nowhere to be seen on the first floor.

Because of his poor health, her uncle usually retired to his room strictly by nine o'clock every night.

As someone who regularly burned the midnight oil, Isabella genuinely envied and admired her uncle's ability to maintain such a strict, early-to-bed, early-to-rise schedule.

She just couldn't pull it off.

If she managed to fall asleep before midnight, it was a miracle.

As long as she got six or seven hours of sleep, she functioned perfectly fine at work the next day. But if she dipped under six hours, she needed a massive cup of coffee just to keep her eyes open.

"You weren't home yet, so I couldn't sleep," Cynthia said warmly. "I just sat here watching TV, and your aunt decided to keep me company. We started following a few dramas, so it's become a habit to watch them every night anyway."

"Plus, I was waiting for you. Now that you're home, I don't have to worry, and I can finally get a good night's sleep."

That was simply how parents were wired. Until their children were safely through the front door, their minds were entirely consumed with worry. Only when they saw their kids safe could they finally exhale.

Given all the dangerous accidents Isabella had recently survived, Cynthia's anxiety was on overdrive. Even though both Ethan and Harold had assigned bodyguards to protect Isabella from the shadows, Cynthia still worried constantly.

She waited up for her daughter every single night.

When Isabella went on business trips, the anxiety was even worse. From the moment Isabella's flight took off, Cynthia would lose her appetite and struggle with insomnia.

Her routine wouldn't return to normal until Isabella was safely back on home soil.

Smiling from ear to ear, Cynthia walked Harold out to the front door, watching him get into his car and drive away. She then walked over to lock the main gates before slowly making her way back inside.

Isabella's aunt, clearly exhausted, had already retreated to her bedroom. Isabella, who had originally planned to sleep early, ended up waiting in the living room for her mother to come back in.

Cynthia closed the heavy front doors and securely locked them.

Even though Ethan lived right next door and had stationed a small army of guards to protect them, she believed in taking her own safety precautions.

Ethan had recently survived a horrific car accident. While he was officially out of critical condition, he was still incredibly weak and couldn't be moved. He was currently recovering in a hospital in the city where his branch office was located.

The entire Adams family had flown out to be with him, leaving only Susan next door to look after the neighboring estate.

During the day, Susan frequently popped over to visit Cynthia, sharing whatever gossip she picked up. For Cynthia, who rarely socialized outside the house, Susan had practically become her personal news anchor.