Cheated Once Cherished Forever: The Billionaire's Bride novel Chapter 80

Theodore happened to see Isabella descending the stairs the moment he stepped into the Sinclair residence. Their eyes met, though their minds were occupied by their own concerns.

He walked toward Isabella. In a gentle voice, he asked, "What brought you back here all of a sudden? You didn't even give me a heads-up."

Isabella curled her lips slightly in response. That smile of hers looked innocent and harmless. She asked, "Aren't you here to take me home?"

Theodore replied, "I am. A maid called me to inform me that you came back here."

Isabella nodded and continued descending the stairs. When she reached the second last step, she stopped in her tracks. From this angle, she was able to look at Theodore at eye level.

"In that case, didn't they tell you that I brought Alexander home?"

Isabella's fox-like smile widened as she looked straight into Theodore's eyes. Through their gazes, it was clear that they were trying to sound one another out.

The deep look in Theodore's eyes concealed his emotions. Nonetheless, he spoke with the usual gentleness in his voice.

"They did," he answered.

As Isabella gently rested her hand on the cold railing, she replied in a subtly alluring voice, "That's good. I was afraid that you'd misunderstand, thinking that I snuck back here to sulk."

As she leaned forward slightly, the lights from the living room cast a faint shadow beneath her lashes. "After all, the relationship I had with Alexander in the past—"

She intentionally paused mid-sentence.

Theodore gulped. His gaze traveled across her hand resting on the railing. Her nails were neatly trimmed, and the tips of her fingers felt cool to the touch, as if she had just exposed them to cool air.

Taking a small step forward, he caught a faint whiff of the fragrance of gardenia on her. It was the smell of their washing detergent at home. He wasn't a user of this brand before they got married. After marriage, Isabella bought the washing detergent that she normally used, and he simply followed suit.

This was why their clothes smelled exactly the same. The moment they stepped near one another, their scents would intertwine and become indistinguishable.

"Queenie and I have always just been friends who went through thick and thin together. She's like a younger sister to me," Theodore explained as he softened his tone even further.

He reached his hand out to help Isabella down the stairs. "It's cold here on the steps. Come on down," he prompted.

Isabella, however, did not budge. She tilted her head, the crafty gleam in her eyes intensifying slightly. "Oh, she's like a younger sister to you? I don't think she sees you as an older brother figure, though."

She paused, slowly directing her gaze toward the entrance behind Theodore as if she were double-checking something. "What she did today was intentional, wasn't it? Did you come back here alone?"

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