Chapter 18: Welcome Home, Stranger
(Isabella's POV)
At the seaside restaurant, James finished taking my photo and handed the phone back to me with an oddly neutral tone. "You have a message."
I took the phone, and my stomach instantly knotted when I saw Gabriel's name on the screen with his taunting message: "Haven't you had enough?" The iPhone's preview feature had displayed everything clearly—James had definitely seen it.
A strange guilt washed over me. "James, I—" I started explaining frantically. "I broke up with Gabriel long ago. I blocked him on f*******: and i********:, but I forgot about his phone number."
Halfway through my explanation, I suddenly stopped. Why was I acting so defensive? I had dated Gabriel before agreeing to the arranged marriage—there was nothing morall
