After making sure that Hunter was asleep, Isabella slowly got out of bed, then took Hunter's black coat from the sofa, put it on, and left the room with her phone.
"I hope he's still waiting for me," she muttered as she walked, hugging herself as if cold.
She hurriedly crossed the corridor towards the elevator, occasionally glancing back to make sure no one noticed her actions.
She entered the elevator and pressed the button to the top floor. It only took a few minutes to get there, and she quickly ran to find the stairs leading to the rooftop.
The eerie and cold atmosphere made her shiver slightly, especially with the strong wind blowing. She looked around, occasionally brushing her hair blown by the wind, her eyes searching until she found a man standing near the edge, with his back to her.
"Joe," she whispered anxiously.
The man immediately turned around, welcoming Isabella, who rushed to him, even bumping into and hugging him.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Isabella cried, slowly weeping in Joe's arms.
Joe released the hug, looked at her worriedly, and cupped her cheeks.
"What happened?" he asked softly.
Isabella just stayed silent, biting her lower lip as if unable to answer.
"Did he do something to you?" Joe asked again, lifting Isabella's head so he could see her beautiful green eyes. "Tell me... Did he violate the contract?"
"No," Isabella whispered, holding back tears. "He didn't do anything... I told you he doesn't have the capability," she continued, looking into Joe's gray eyes.
"Then why say sorry?"
"Of course, I have to say sorry because I cheated on you... I married another man!" Isabella explained angrily. "I feel so bad... I feel strange about this situation, I..."
"Honey..." Joe shook his head. "You did nothing wrong and you shouldn't apologize. It's my fault because I couldn't help you, so you had to do all this. Don't feel like you've cheated... This isn't cheating because you don't love him... You don't love him, do you?" he asked, raising his eyebrows, clearly showing fear in his eyes.
Isabella sighed.
"Of course, I don't love him and never will," she said, smiling, then hugged Joe's neck. "I only love you... Okay, you have to believe and always be sure. Wait for me... After everything is over, we'll be together like before," she continued, reassuring him.
"I'm trying to believe, even though I'm worried."
"Don't worry..."
"I'm scared, of course I'm scared..." Joe frowned, showing sadness on his face. "I saw the wedding... I saw how he kissed you... He's handsome, he's rich, and maybe one day he could recover. He's the perfect man..."
"Joe..." Isabella shook her head, realizing the fear in Joe's eyes.
"I'm afraid you'll fall in love with him over time... What would be fatal is if he falls in love with you too, of course, he will because you're so beautiful and gentle..." Joe continued, speaking in fear.
"Honey, that won't happen!" Isabella asserted, frowning, pressing Joe's neck until he lowered his head and their foreheads touched. "I'm only yours... Whatever happens, nothing can change my love for you. You have to trust me... Get rid of those doubts... Don't do anything wrong just because you're worried about me."
Joe just stayed silent, closing his eyes, still haunted by the video of Isabella and Hunter's wedding at the altar this morning.
"Please... Don't worry," Isabella whispered, moving her face forward, trying to reach Joe's lips.
"Are you sure?" Joe whispered.
"Of course..."
"But..." Joe glanced at the coat Isabella was wearing. "You're even wearing his clothes..."
"It's just his coat... It doesn't mean anything. I'm wearing it because I'm cold and don't have a jacket here," Isabella explained with a worried look. "He and I talked, and he said he doesn't want to fall in love with me... So, you don't need to worry anymore, please!"
Joe immediately kissed her nervously, but the image of the video seemed to disturb his mind until he ended the kiss and slightly moved his head away from Isabella.
"Joe..." Isabella looked very disappointed.
"Can you promise not to kiss him again?" Joe asked with a flat look.
Isabella just stayed silent, seemingly not expecting Joe to ask that.
"The marriage isn't out of love, right? You both have an agreement... He has given you money, but you need to set boundaries with him," Joe said with a serious look. "His mother wanted you to marry him, saying he's impotent and paralyzed... And you agreed because you felt safe, not worrying he'd do anything excessive to you, right? So... Don't do kisses or anything that implies affection, intimacy," he continued.
Isabella was stunned but slowly nodded her head.
"Of course, that kiss won't happen because what happened today was for our marriage requirements," she said softly.
Joe took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and turned his face away.
"Don't say 'our marriage,' it hurts me," he said.
"Joe..." Isabella turned Joe's face back to her. "You know the situation... Please don't make me feel guilty. This is all I can do... You know I tried various ways to get a lot of money quickly, trying to become a surrogate mother, but I didn't get permission because I've never had a child... Then I tried to sell the inherited land, but it wasn't enough..."
"I understand," Joe whispered, then smiled faintly, tucking a strand of Isabella's hair behind her ear. "This is too painful, but I'll try to accept it."
"You have to accept it, and besides, you know this isn't a competition... I'm still yours, okay?" Isabella raised her eyebrows.
Joe just nodded, smiling bravely.
She quickly stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips briefly.
"I have good news for you," Joe said.
"What?"
"I'll be in New York for about two weeks, replacing my friend to work at a gym," Joe explained, then hugged Isabella's waist until their bodies touched. "And that means we can meet," he continued, smiling, but Isabella looked worried.
Isabella remembered Juliana's warning, then Hunter's words about not wanting infidelity because it would humiliate him.
"I hope you can find time to meet me, I'll always be here whenever you want to see me," Joe said.
"Joe..." Isabella swallowed, looking at Joe with full doubt. 'Having a husband and still being in a relationship with him would make me feel like I'm cheating. Would he be willing if our relationship ended temporarily? Or maybe this would hurt him a lot? Maybe this will make him lose trust in me or even think that I've fallen for Hunter. But... But he should understand because this is part of the job requirement...'
"Hey!"
Someone's voice broke Isabella's daydream, and she, along with Joe, turned to the source of the voice, seeing Loraine walking quickly towards them.
"Idiot!" Loraine shouted, immediately pushing Joe away from Isabella. "You're going to cause trouble!"
Joe almost fell but held onto the railing.
"Loraine!" Isabella immediately grabbed Loraine's arm. "What are you doing? You could have made him fall!"
Loraine panted, still staring at Joe sharply as if hating him.
"I think he should die than be a useless man for you or even cause problems for you!" she said curtly.
"Loraine, you're crazy!" Isabella pushed Loraine.
"He's the crazy one!" Loraine pointed at Joe. "If he loves you, he would do anything to help you. But what happened? He just stood there like a dumb man, letting you marry another man, then came to see you now... He should know this would cause problems for you. He should know how to give you freedom because he can't help you!" she continued, still pointing at Joe.
Joe stayed silent, Loraine's words like a slap to him.
"You know the risks you'll face if Mrs. Juliana Brown finds out what you're doing," Loraine said, glancing at Isabella, and then walking towards the entrance of the building.
Isabella sighed, watching Loraine slowly walk away from her view, then turned to Joe.
"I'm sorry for what Loraine said," she said anxiously, approaching Joe.
"It's okay..." Joe stepped back. "You should go inside. I don't want Mrs. Juliana Brown to get mad at you."
"But, Joe..."
"It's okay, I'm fine..." Joe smiled faintly, then approached Isabella and kissed her lips briefly. "I'm not angry... Now you can focus on your duty. I'll leave, see me if you can... I'm not forcing you." He whispered, then quickly distanced himself from Isabella and put on the hood of his black robe.
Isabella could only stand there, letting Joe walk towards the water tank area, perhaps to hide. She quickly walked back into the building, climbing the stairs until she saw Loraine waiting for her at the end of the stairs.
She immediately pouted, remembering how her brother treated her boyfriend so harshly.
"I hate you!" she said.
"You stupid!" Loraine replied softly but still looked angry. "You're really stupid, you want to create problems. Why did you have to meet when you could talk on the phone? This is a very dangerous place because Mrs. Juliana and her relatives are still around here. If any of them find out you're getting cozy with that useless man, the consequences will be very severe!"
Isabella just stayed silent, turning her face away, but she couldn't deny that Loraine was right.
"I'll stay in this city until your duty is over," Loraine said.
Isabella immediately frowned and looked at her. "What about your job?" she asked in surprise, remembering that Loraine worked as a mechanic in a car repair shop.
"I will resign and look for a new job here," Loraine replied, turning her face away from Isabella. "Whatever job I get in this city, I will do it rather than leave you here alone. Maybe you will feel free and unable to control yourself from meeting that useless man ..."
"His name is Joe!" Isabella insisted.
"To me, he's useless now!" Loraine retorted sharply, then walked towards the elevator. 'It seems I need to get closer to Hunter or ask him for a job. I'm sure he could fall in love with my sister ... And our lives will be better,' he thought with an ambitious look.