Sweet Flash Marriage with the Restrained Tycoon (Isabelle and Damien) novel Chapter 332

212

Chapter 332 A Provocation

A faint shiver ran down Isabelle’s spine. She straightened slowly, her gaze lifting to meet the eyes of the woman standing across the pond.

A slight, unreadable smile touched the corners of her mouth, but she simply turned her attention back to the water, continuing to scatter fish food toward the shimmering shapes below.

She stood at an angle to the shore, a few dark strands of hair having escaped to frame her temples. The late morning light fell over her, and her reflection wavered gently on the pond’s surface–she looked almost like a vision, serene among the water lilies

‘Ding-”

The phone call she had been half–expecting finally came, a little later than she’d anticipated. She had thought the other woman night hold her composure longer, but it seemed she couldn’t restrain herself after all.

Come over.”

‘wo simple words, hinting at the tightly leashed anger on the other end.

sabelle glanced at her phone, then back toward Ashley across the water. Ashley appeared perfectly calm, nothing like the tense one of the message suggested.

his woman was still too impatient.

sabelle tossed the last pinch of fish food into the pond, drawing a frenzied swirl of color as the fish darted toward it.

‘he water’s surface glittered and stirred; the broad lily pads trembled slightly, as if touched by a passing breeze.

The wind had picked up.

sabelle smiled slightly and got to her feet. She called over to the three women chatting contentedly in the pavilion, “I’m just going o use the restroom–might wander a bit on the way back. I’ll find you all in a little while.”

Don’t go too far!” Caroline fretted, beginning to rise to join her.

Let her walk and clear her head. It’ll do her good,” Regina said, gently pulling Caroline back down. She was a grown woman- here was no need to hover.

ľ

‘I won’t be long,” Isabelle assured them, lifting the hem of her dress slightly as she stepped out of the pavilion.

she made her way around the pond toward the opposite side, following as Ashley turned into a more secluded courtyard

There was a small, private sitting roorn there, outfitted with comfortable chairs and a low table. The two women sat down almost simultaneously.

‘Too scared to come out and face me earlier?” Ashley’s voice was cool, edged with mockery.

Isabelle calmly poured water from the already prepared carafe into two glasses on the table

“Why would I be scared to face you? I haven’t done anything wrong if anything, you’re the one who rushed to summon me What did you want to say?”

1.3

Chapter 332

You knew that message was from me Why didn’t you come out right away?”

“Why would I have?” Isabelle let out a soft, dry Chuckle “To call you out? To demand whether you’d crossed a line?” She shook her head slightly “What would have been the point?”

Ashley hadn’t expected that response. “Aren’t you even the least bit uneasy?”

“Why should I be?” Isabelle watched her, almost wanting to see her lose control. “You can string men along if you like, but you shouldn’t let them dictate your emotions. Always remember men shouldn’t be your first priority.”

Ashley went very still at those words.

“Isn’t Damian your first priority?”

Isabel e paused. “He is. But so am I.”

Damian was her choice–she loved him–but she chose to love herself more. And she was willing to trust him.

The reason she’d been upset before was because any woman would have been in that situation. Even if it was a misunderstanding. it would still hurt.

Because she loved Damian, loved him deeply.

Even a misunderstanding could make her ache.

At first, she’d thought the matter was settled–until Ashley’s message arrived. That was when she’d begun to doubt whether any of it was real at all.

Only someone with a guilty conscience grew nervous.

They feared getting no reaction.

They feared their efforts having no effect.

They feared being ignored completely.

And that was exactly how Ashley was acting now.

She wasn’t getting the response she wanted, she was rushing for a result, and in the process, she was only making a mess of things.

She hadn’t expected Isabelle to take the opposite approach. She’d been so sure Isabelle would be rattled, flustered–but isabelle showed nothing at all.

It was almost as if… as if she didn’t love him.

Maybe that was an illusion, but Ashley couldn’t make sense of it.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify