Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus)

Chapter 109 Genevieve's voice rang out, clear and loud.

Victor was sitting right beside Isadora, so he had no trouble catching every word of the phone call. Isadora lifted a hand, as if to shield the conversation, but it didn't do much to muffle the sound.

The grand, luxurious living room was empty except for her and Victor.

Isadora lowered her voice. "Genevieve, now's not a good time." On the other end, Genevieve stood outside the door of a private suite in an exclusive hospital.

She'd just returned from overseas a couple of days ago and was still out of the loop about what had happened in Capitolion.

To her shock, she'd barely set foot back hwhen she heard that her brother, Magnus, had been rushed from the office to the hospital that very day.

Magnus had even insisted the doctors not inform the rest of the Wainwright family.

So now, only Genevieve and a few of Magnus's brothers knew what was going on.

The doctor's diagnosis was clear: overwork, poor eating habits, a severe migraine, and a perforated ulcer-one thing piling onto another.

Just then, a nurse finished hanging a fresh IV bag and slipped out of the room.

Peeking through the crack in the door, Genevieve could see Magnus, pale and gaunt, lying in bed.

His long fingers pressed against his stomach, brows furrowed tight in pain.

Even now, his features were sharp and cold, but there was a fragility about him that Genevieve had never seen before.

In the past, Magnus never would've ended up here. If he so much as caught a cold, Isadora would be by his side in a heartbeat, fussing over him, treating him like he was the center of her world.

But when Genevieve arrived at the hospital, she only saw Scales and Sammy in the room-not Isadora. It struck her as odd.

"Where's Isadora? My brother's been hospitalized, and she's nowhere to be found?" Scales, always the hothead, scoffed, "Isadora? She's breaking up with Magnus as we speak." Genevieve couldn't believe it. Isadora loved her brother with a devotion bordering on reckless; Genevieve herself had played matchmaker for them.

"There's no way Isadora would leave Magnus." Scales snorted dismissively. "Why not? She's grown a backbone. She wouldn't even have a place in the Vaughan family if not for Magnus's fiancée status. Now she's got an attitude-one little problem and she's all over Magnus, trying to keep him in check." Magnus's frown deepened, each word from Scales making it worse. He spoke through clenched teeth, breath uneven, "Enough. Shut up." Genevieve refused to buy into their story.

So she'd stepped out to make this call.

"Isadora, what's going on? That's Magnus-we both know you love him. Sure, he's got a rotten temper, but don't hold it against him. He's in the hospital now- migraine, ulcer-please, just csee him." The air seemed to freeze, the atmosphere suddenly tense and heavy.

Victor lounged back in his chair, eyes half-lidded, a sardonic smile playing at his lips.

Her greatest love? That woman must be out of her mind.

Isadora coughed lightly and glanced up. Victor hadn't moved, but his presence sent a chill down her spine.

She instinctively shielded the phone more tightly, and replied in a measured voice, "Genevieve, Magnus and I have broken up. He's in the hospital, but the doctors will take care of him. I really can't talk now-let's catch up another time." She hung up before Genevieve could protest.

Isadora felt that if the call had gone on any longer, the whole room would have frozen over. "Hey-Isadora? Isadora!" Genevieve's voice echoed from the phone, but it was too late.

She dialed again, only to find Isadora's phone was now switched off.

Genevieve stared at the screen in disbelief.

What on earth had Magnus done this time? How had he managed to push away a woman who'd once loved him so much she'd risked everything for him-so much so that now, even when he was sick, she refused to visit? None of this added up.

Fuming, Genevieve stormed back inside, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor.

Magnus heard the door and looked up, dark eyes searching hopefully-only to dim again when he saw it was Genevieve.

She strode to the side of the bed, hands on her hips.

"Seriously, Magnus, what did you do? How did you mess things up with Isadora- the best thing that ever happened to you?" Scales, always ready to stir the pot, piped up. "He didn't do anything-just staged a fake wedding with Elise, ditched Isadora on her birthday to be with Elise, played the hero in front of Isadora-should I go on?" Magnus's face darkened to something dangerous, his voice cold with fury. "Scales. Get out." A chill swept the room, making Scales shudder. "Fine, fine, don't get worked up.

Look, there are plenty of women out there. You'll find someone else." Genevieve bristled, anger flaring.

Was Magnus out of his mind? Treating Isadora like this? As a woman, she couldn't stand hearing any more.

"Elise-she's your precious first love, isn't she? Or is she just obsessed with you? Either way, you're no innocent in this mess. After what you did to Isadora, no wonder she left. I'm done trying to fix it."

With that, Genevieve grabbed her purse, spun on her heels, and m stormed out. Sammy just shrugged and patted Magnus on the shoulder. "Magnus, you have my sympathies." He earned a glacial glare for his trouble. Magnus gritted his teeth. "With friends like you, who needs enemies?" Sammy dug a book from somewhere and handed it over.

"Here-now that you're laid up, you might as well read this. If you follow the advice, maybe Isadora will cback." Magnus glanced at the title: One Hundred Ways to Win Her Back.

His body already ached, but now it hurt even more.

Isadora ended the call and quietly returned to her meal.

Victor's lips curled into a cold, humorless smile. "He's sick and calls you? Are you his doctor now?"

"Probably dialed the wrong number," Isadora replied, feigning innocence.

She didn't want to get into it. "I already turned her down." Victor studied her in silence for a moment. "If I hadn't been here, would you still have refused?" Isadora said nothing.

The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.

Victor reached out, gripping her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes. "Answer me."

Isadora looked at him steadily, her tone flat. "Victor, even in arelationship, people need their own space: Don't you think you're crossing a line?" He gave a short, humorless laugh, his expression turning icy. "Crossing a line, am 1?"