The next day...
Together with Hunter, Isabella entered a private room in a restaurant located in the hotel where they had gotten married the previous day. The woman pushed her husband's wheelchair with an awkward look as she saw her husband's family members already seated in black chairs, facing a luxurious spread of dishes.
"Oh, our newlyweds!" Juliana stood up enthusiastically and approached Isabella.
Hunter remained silent.
Juliana put an arm around Isabella's shoulder from the side. "Come on, let's have breakfast together. You have to try to get used to us," she said with a smile.
Isabella only gave a thin smile and walked toward an empty chair while Hunter moved his wheelchair with the available button.
"Don't act suspiciously," Juliana whispered before sitting back in her chair on Isabella's left, while Hunter was on her right.
Hunter glanced at Isabella, who seemed tense. "Don't be afraid," he whispered.
Isabella just nodded silently.
"Before breakfast begins, I will announce my plan," Hunter said, causing Isabella and everyone else to turn to him in surprise. "My wife and I will move directly to my penthouse," he continued.
'Penthouse?' Isabella frowned.
"Hunter..." Juliana frowned, turning to Hunter and leaning forward slightly. "Why? Why do you have to move?"
"Mom... I already have a wife, of course, I want the best for my wife." Hunter took Isabella's hand and held it. "I want her to have the freedom and space to express her love for me... Because if we still live in the family mansion, she might feel awkward around you and Dad... and the workers there. You could say this is a fresh start for me... I want to experience a new atmosphere with her... Consider this as a replacement for the honeymoon we couldn't have," he continued calmly.
Juliana immediately nudged Isabella's arm.
Isabella immediately looked nervously at Hunter. "Honey... Um, I don't think you need to do that. I mean... We can stay in your family mansion. I'll be comfortable wherever we live..."
"And I want us to live in the penthouse," Hunter said before she could finish her words. "My doctor also suggested this to me."
"I agree!" shouted Jake Brown, who was sitting across from Hunter. "If it's for the future of this family, I will fully support it. I want to have great-grandchildren," he continued.
Juliana immediately gave Jake a sharp look.
"I don't want to get my hopes up, but I will always pray that you can recover and have children, and become a father," Katrina said with a concerned look at Hunter.
"My doctor won't lie to me," Hunter replied calmly.
Isabella remained silent, realizing that this conversation was leading to intimacy between her and Hunter, even though they had agreed not to get too deeply involved in this marriage.
'Is this part of his act? Then why does he have to say things like this to them? If he can't fulfill their wishes, won't they be disappointed? Then why make promises to them?' she wondered to herself, suddenly distracted by Juliana nudging her arm again.
"What are your plans?" Juliana whispered.
"I don't have any," Isabella murmured.
"Don't go too far."
"Yeah..."
Isabella nodded, then looked back at Hunter, who was no longer holding her hand.
"I need my wife to get my food," Hunter said.
"Um, okay..." Isabella quickly got a portion of food for Hunter and herself.
That morning, she had breakfast feeling constantly awkward and afraid, worrying that what she was doing was very wrong and that it would bind her to Hunter.
...
After breakfast, Hunter took Isabella directly to his penthouse, driven by his driver, who also served as his assistant.
"It looks like I should learn to use a cane," Hunter said after entering the spacious living room with a metallic ambiance filled with modern, sophisticated furniture dominated by black and silver. "But I want you to always help me," he continued, turning and looking up at Isabella standing beside him.
"Are you sure?" Isabella asked.
"Of course, I'm sure... You won't let me stay on the floor when I fall, right?"
"Of course..."
Hunter smiled, then glanced at his assistant, who was carrying a suitcase to the room.
"Collin!" he called.
The assistant named Collin immediately stopped and turned to look at Hunter.
"Yes, Sir?"
"Go to the health store after this and get me a hand elbow," Hunter said.
"Hunter, but I don't think you can use it yet. You should use a cane that supports your body from the armpit," Isabella replied anxiously.
Hunter just kept looking at Collin. "I want you to buy the hand elbow after you put the suitcase in the room," he said.
"Yes, Sir." Collin nodded and continued walking.
Isabella exhaled roughly, then walked to the black sofa, seemingly displeased with Hunter's decision. She took her phone from the small white bag she had been carrying and saw numerous messages from Joe.
'Joe... He must be waiting for me,' she thought anxiously, quickly opening the messages.
Honey, are you okay?
What happened today?
I couldn't sleep; I kept imagining you sleeping with him. I cried; I felt cursed, cursing myself for not being able to help you and letting you be with another man. I'm stupid, I'm so stupid, I can't stop feeling stupid and wrong!
Isabella took a long breath, feeling so suffocated seeing the messages.
"Is there a problem?" Hunter asked while moving his wheelchair closer to Isabella.
"Uh, nothing," Isabella replied, putting her phone down. "I... I just need to see my brother before he goes back to Seattle," she continued, lying.
"I thought he had already gone back because he didn't join us for breakfast," Hunter replied, frowning.
Isabella smiled awkwardly, then stood up. "Of course, he didn't join us for breakfast because he doesn't feel like he's part of your family. This is just a contract marriage..."
"I understand, but he should have joined us," Hunter said with a displeased look. "Let me go with you to see him," he continued.
"Why?"
"Because I'm his brother-in-law..."
"Hunter... You don't need to do that... You should rest here, besides, I won't be long," Isabella said with an awkward smile, but fear was evident in her eyes.
"I need to act like a caring brother-in-law... That's also part of the act because I don't want Grandpa to think I'm a bad husband to you," Hunter said, frowning.
Isabella shook her head.
"You don't need to think about that; Grandpa will understand your situation... Please..." She begged. "Don't trouble yourself just for me... You've already given me comfort, and money... Don't go overboard anymore... Don't act like you care when your family isn't around... This is just a contract marriage... There's no future..." She continued nervously, but it was clear that she didn't want Hunter to go overboard with her because it would make it difficult for her to meet Joe.
Hunter was silent, as if unable to respond to Isabella's words.
Isabella immediately felt she had gone too far in speaking, then quickly squatted in front of Hunter, holding the front of his wheelchair near the armrest.
"Hunter, I don't mean to belittle you in this marriage, but I don't want you to experience difficulties because of me... I will be a good wife to you, I don't want you..."
"It's okay." Hunter interrupted Isabella. "You can go alone, do whatever you want... Our marriage doesn't mean anything." He continued, then pressed the button and directed the wheelchair towards his room.
Isabella stood up, stunned, watching Hunter move out of sight.
'Is he angry? Is he disappointed? Does he dislike what I said? But why? Didn't he say that we shouldn't care too much because he didn't want to fall in love with me?' she wondered, utterly confused by his attitude, but her attention was suddenly diverted by her phone ringing again.
...
In his room, Hunter stood near the glass wall, staring at the view near the building's gate.
'She didn't come to the room, which means she's going,' he thought, recalling Isabella.
'Why doesn't she let me go with her if it's just to meet her brother? And why did she say she didn't want to make things difficult for me? Is it because I seem very weak? Or maybe she has a big problem with her brother?'
Hunter kept wondering while looking down until he saw someone who looked very much like Isabella walking hurriedly towards the gate.
'She's going... I have to find out what she's going to do with her brother!'