The thought now devoured him entirely.

A crushing weight settled on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

His calm facade completely collapsed.

“We’re going home. Now!” Ethan commanded, his fingers closing tightly around Isabella’s wrist.

Isabella stumbled, almost losing her balance from the sudden, forceful pull.

She fought back fiercely, her face tight with anger.

“Let go of me!”

A sharp pain shot through her wrist.

Irritation flared inside her.

How dare he treat her this way?

Ethan’s stare was intense, his voice leaving no room for argument. “You don’t have a choice, Isabella.”

He held his rage in check, his grip on her wrist like iron, as if trying to pull her into his very being.

Just as Ethan tried to yank Isabella closer, Lucas stepped in, grabbing her other wrist.

“Isabella isn’t going anywhere with you. Stop forcing her!” Lucas stated firmly, his eyes locked on Ethan’s without backing down.

Feeling the faint tremor in Isabella’s wrist, Lucas’s heart ached for her.

He turned, his gaze sharp and focused solely on Lucas. “Let her go. Now.”

The air grew thick, buzzing with unspoken danger.

Suddenly, a loud “Thud!” broke the silence.

Sophia had collapsed onto the floor, one hand clutching her chest.

Her face turned deathly pale, her lips lost all color, and her breathing became shallow and ragged.

“Sophia!” Ethan’s attention instantly snapped to her.

The noise made Isabella instinctively look over. With visible effort, Sophia whispered weakly, “It’s… it’s okay… Don’t… worry about me… I’ll… be fine…”

Her voice faded, each word sounding like a struggle.

Annoyance flickered across Ethan’s features.

The memory of Sophia’s chronic heart condition, a result of her once saving his life, flashed in his mind.

He quickly suppressed his frustration.

His eyes moved from Isabella to Lucas, then finally back to Isabella with a complicated, unreadable look.

“I don’t care what you and Lucas are doing here,” he said coldly, his voice laced with authority. “Just make sure you’re back home by eight tonight.”

A heavy, sick feeling settled in Isabella’s stomach.

His words felt like a knife twisting inside her.

She clenched her teeth, refusing to speak.

Lucas kept hold of her wrist, feeling the slight shiver that ran through her.

He glanced at her with concern before slowly relaxing his grip.

Ethan bent down, scooped Sophia into his arms, and strode purposefully toward the garage, his steps firm and decisive.

Watching them leave, Isabella felt a searing pain in her heart.

A bitter taste rose in her throat.

Despite his infidelity, Ethan wasn't willing to let her go.

He seemed determined to maintain control, to keep everything exactly as he wanted.

He was truly ruthless.