Twisted Ties of Love

"I'm good." Brett looked at the files in Liam's hands. "What was that?"

"These are some contracts that need your signature and an investigation report on Nathaniel. J City's companies have been experiencing some fluctuations recently. After Nathaniel lost his ability to walk, the stock prices have been nose-diving. Plus, Nathaniel's recent public appearances have gotten some shareholders pretty jumpy."

Brett nodded blankly, "Alright."

"Hand me the files that need signing."

Liam handed over the organized files. Brett quickly scanned them and signed his name after confirming that everything was in order.

Seeing that Liam hadn't left yet, Brett asked, "Anything else?"

"President Windham, Ms. Salotti has signed for the package, but I've heard that it was signed by her boyfriend."

Brett's heart sank, and his body stiffened noticeably. He choked for a moment before asking, "Izabella's boyfriend?"

When Liam got the news, he was actually hesitating whether to tell Brett. But he knew Brett would find out sooner or later. It's better to give him a heads-up.

"The doorman told me. He said Ms. Salotti brought a man home. She planned to reject the parcel like usual, but the man with her opened it."

Brett's voice was a bit hoarse, "What about the flowers that I sent?"

"As usual, they were tossed. Only the gift box was taken."Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"How do you know that was Izabella's boyfriend?" Brett asked again.

"The doorman said so. He said Ms. Salotti introduced him."

Brett felt a sharp pain in his chest. He ran his trembling fingers through his hair, propping his head up. He felt like he was drowning in ice-cold water, his breathing rapid, cold from head to toe.

He never thought that Izabella would become someone else's girlfriend so quickly, not leaving him any chance.

When he saw Izabella climbing on Casey's back that day, he had a gut feeling this day would come. But he had quickly pushed that thought away, not daring to entertain it.

Casey had told him before that he and Izabella were lovers and that everything that was supposed to happen had happened.

Back then, he was furious, but after reflecting, he realized that Casey was lying.

And if Casey had truly been with Izabella, how could he have been so easily rattled by a few words?

He had always thought that as long as Izabella wasn't with Casey, he still had a chance.

Brett suppressed the urge to scream, a bitter smile appearing on his face. He murmured to himself, "It's okay. They're just lovers. As long as they're not married, it's okay if they're not married." After all

marriage can also end in divorce.

He definitely cared. How he wished he could be Casey, standing boldly by Izabella's side instead of sending her the things she used to love every day.

Brett was eerily calm, but the hand supporting his forehead was trembling.

Izabella always said he didn't understand what love was. His affection for her was because he had mistaken the person he loved back then and found solace in her to alleviate his guilt for causing a death. Even though he did feel guilty and regretful towards her, his love for her was not about seeking solace.

The person he had liked all along was her, Izabella, a figure so faint in the water that it dazzled him for nine years until she left.

He had mistaken Kristin for that figure in the water, but during most of his time with Kristin, he tried to find the figure that had once dazzled him in her.

Izabella said he didn't know how to love, but she didn't either. They both met the wrong people at the wrong time. Even their glances were wrong. Izabella was actually a person indifferent to emotions; her feelings for him seemed deep, but in fact, they were not that important.

Her affection for him was a mistake, and once she discovered this mistake, she would take it all back.

When he was still with Izabella, he once asked her if she would marry him if he hadn't saved her that year.

Izabella's answer at that time was no. She wouldn't even spare him a second glance, let alone marry him.

Brett regretted the past. If he had been gentler towards Izabella, if he had understood what true love was earlier, Izabella might not have distanced herself from him so much. Izabella was a very proud woman, and her charm surpassed all the women in R City.

He once despised Izabella's pride,

trapping her at home like a bird, even destroying her proud wings. But when he lost the vibrant Izabella, he woke up, and the person he loved the most was the flamboyant, proud, energetic Izabella.

That proud Izabella had always been in the depths of his memory, becoming more and more blurred over time. He often couldn't help but miss her until Izabella appeared in his life again, standing by Casey's side.

Those blurred memories became clear instantly. Yes, this was the Izabella in his memory.

Her pride, confidence, flamboyance, brightness, smile, and health were all back. But this perfect Izabella no longer belonged to him. Everything about her belonged to Casey.

Izabella, can her give him a chance to learn how to love?