They also shared a secret—one no one else knew. Harold was dying to uncover the whole truth, but since Isabella wasn't ready to share it, he refused to pry. A secret wasn't a secret if you forced it out of someone.
What mattered was that she was his girlfriend now. Both families fully approved, and even when Ethan fully recovered, he wouldn't be able to steal her away. Isabella might still harbor a shred of basic human concern for Ethan, but she would never go back to him. Harold was absolutely certain of that.
They had known each other since they were children and had shared a marriage. Isabella was a kind person; how could she not care when Ethan nearly died? Hell, even Harold himself had been concerned about the man.
Because of that, Harold no longer felt a burning jealousy toward Ethan. If anything, Ethan was the one drowning in jealousy now, because Harold was the man standing by Isabella's side.
Isabella offered a graceful smile. "Harold and I are both swamped with work right now, so we aren't rushing into marriage just yet. But it's definitely in our future."
"And you're going to live a long, healthy life. You will absolutely be there to see us get married."
The rest of the family quickly chimed in with their agreements, skillfully steering the conversation away from Salome's morbid comments. If Harold and Isabella tied the knot before the end of the year, Salome would undoubtedly be there. But if they waited a couple of years? Given her rapidly declining health, it was truly a toss-up.
Right on cue, Harold's uncles—Samantha's brothers—arrived with their wives.
Since Isabella had already secured the approval of the Carter elders, Samantha's family played their parts perfectly. Even if any of them still harbored private doubts about Isabella's worthiness, they buried them deep. Instead, they greeted her with overwhelming warmth and enthusiasm.

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