A kind of fear Isabella loathed immediately came over her and she instantly gripped Charles's shirt for some kind of assurance of protection.
He held her closer.
Gabriel, with a sinister look on his face moved a bit closer. "I didn't know you were quite a whore. No wonder you didn't want me to sleep with you. What?" he scoffed. "Does Mr. Charming here fuck you good? Is he the reason you won't give me a child?"
"Wh-" her throat had gone dry. She cleared it. "What are you doing here Gabriel?"
"I came here for my wife. Instead..." his smirk widened. "Instead!" he exclaimed. "I meet her letting another man touch her."
"I am not your wife Gabriel, not anymore."
"Say that to my face bitch."
Charles moved almost violently towards Gabriel, Isabella pulled him back. Slowly, she got down and faced him squarely. "Gabriel," she folded her arms. ",like I said last time, I am leaving you. No, I have left you."
Suddenly, he burst into laughter.
Charles and Isabella shared a look.
"Oh. Oh my..." his laughter died down slowly. "Isabella, I am afraid it doesn't work like that. In case you have forgotten, your father sold you to me to pay his debts and I don't think it is even half paid."
"Really Mr. Manifold?" Charles butted in finally.
"Excuse me?"
"How much is this debt we are talking about? Is it in millions? Or billions?"
"Charles..." Isabella tugged at his arm.
"Tell me how much it is. I will pay you and you will do me a simple favour." Charles's legs took him a bit forward towards the man. "All you have to do is sign the divorce papers so I can marry my woman."
"I..." Gabriel seemed to ponder. But not for long. "Are you delusional?" He chuckled. "You want to marry my wife? Do you seriously think I want your money? All I want is that wench back in my house where she belongs."
"You!" Charles lost and grabbed him by the collar, squeezing his neck in the process. Isabella ran towards him and begged him to release his hold. He looked her way and said, "Stay out of this."
"Look at us. Fighting over a woman." Gabriel managed to laugh in his condition. "Let me tell you a secret. A secret that would make you back away from this fight."
"I don't care what you have to say. All I want is your signature on the damn divorce papers!"
"I have fucked her so much, she is nothing now."
"Arghh!" Within a second, Charles angrily smashed him against the floor.
"Why are you this angry over such an empty woman?"
"Charles!" Isabella ran towards the man who was about to land a punch on Gabriel's face. She pulled back his arm and begged him to stop. "Don't make a mistake Charles, he is not worth it."
Charles listened and got off the floor. But his eyes never left Gabriel's which were glistening with pride. "You are so disgusting. I am ashamed to be of the same gender with you."
Gabriel laughed again as he got up. "Ahh!" he stretched almost painfully. "I am not going to sign those papers."
"Then you leave me no choice." Charles bore his sight into the roughened man's eyes. "We will meet in court. Isabella will get the power to divorce you there."
Isabella's head snapped towards Charles. That wasn't the plan at all. The court?
She looked towards Gabriel who was smirking and she suddenly recalled her urge for freedom.
Going to the court sounded like the greatest idea ever.
And... like in the past, she was once again grateful to have Charles.
"If that's how you want to play this," the smirk on Gabriel's face really pissed Isabella off. ",I will meet you in court." His eyes bored into hers. "And I will make sure I get her back."
As he walked away, a huge breath Isabella had no idea she was holding begged for release and she finally knew a kind of relief.
"Are you fine?" Her eyes which looked so much like a little girl's own went to his. With a lick of her lower lip, she nodded. He did not seem to believe her, so he pulled her in for a hug. "You are not an empty woman Isabella."
She did nothing but hug him tighter.
"I will do all I can to make sure Manifold doesn't get to you."
She looked up at him. "I don't want him to."
His held her chin. "And he won't. You have suffered long enough Isabella. You deserve better in life because you have not offended anyone. All you did was be a good daughter. You shouldn't suffer for that."
His words sank into her heart and she almost cried. She was taken back to the moment they first met. His words were always striking a chord within her and that, amongst so many things, made her love him.
She stared even more into his eyes unaware she was on tip toes and leaning towards his lips.
He was making her feel that way again. He had every right not to.
But he did not fail to remind her that she had him.
What more could she want? Why should she run away even farther?
All she needed was right in front of her.
"Isabella?"
This time, she took his lips with hers and sent a message to him with it. An unsaid message.
Charles wasted no time. He drew her closer and delicately replied her message. Within a second, their needs grew, the atmosphere changed.
Without breaking the kiss, Charles swept Isabella off the floor and had her straddling him even in that stance. Isabella who wanted more already, smiled.
"I don't think I can wait till we get married," Charles said, his forehead on hers as the kiss broke.
Isabella leaned in and gave him a peck on his right ear lobe. Almost seductively, she said into his ear, "Then, take me right now."