Chapter 335
The guy wore a black leather jacket, giving off a chill, carefree vibe.
Isabella thought of someone.
A friend she always talked to online, Shadow.
He was the one who braved this dangerous place to save her. Whether he was Shadow or not, she decided to trust him right now.
The cold wind howled outside as Isabella got into the car. The guy followed, taking the driver's seat and shutting the door.
The heater was cranked up, warming Isabella. She couldn't help but glance at the guy next to her.
From her angle, his profile was strikingly handsome, with a rebellious edge.
He had a magnetic personality, but there was something oddly familiar about him.
Had she seen him somewhere before?
"Are you really Shadow? Why do I feel like I've met you before?"
Isabella's eyes lingered on his face, her mind racing to remember.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't place him.
Hearing her question, the guy chuckled softly, started the car with a push of a button, and glanced at her. His clear voice reached Isabella's ears.
"We've met before. You just forgot."
The next second, the car sped down the road.
Isabella frowned, then shook her head after a moment. "Sorry, I can't remember."
She genuinely had no recollection.
Especially since Shadow had only ever contacted her online.
Even their first meeting was due to an unexpected mission, where neither revealed their identities.
The guy smiled nonchalantly. "If you can't remember, don't stress about it. It's not a particularly pleasant memory."
After driving for a while, the guy asked, "Where to now?"
Isabella's mind was in turmoil; she needed some time alone.
The intimate scenes and conversations between Michael and Bianca kept replaying in her mind.
Isabella knew why Michael came to rescue her.
He came not for her, but for the child she was carrying, to give Aiden a reasonable explanation.
But the tenderness in Michael's voice when he spoke to Bianca, and their closeness, was voluntary.
Thinking of Michael's gentle tone with Bianca, Isabella's eyes reddened.
They were approaching the coast.
Feeling suffocated, Isabella told the guy a location, "Please take me to Moon Bay."
Due to its unique geography, the beach looked like a crescent moon from above, hence the name Moon Bay.
And there lay a secret of hers.
It was where her connection with Michael truly began.
After her grandfather took her away, she once came to Evergreen City alone, missing her mother. Before returning, she wanted to see the sea.
There, she encountered a drowning Michael.
She was young then, and seeing a boy about her age struggling in the shallow water, she initially thought his parents were nearby.
But as time passed and the boy grew weaker, battered by the waves, Isabella realized he couldn't swim.
With the tide rising and hardly anyone around, Isabella quickly waded into the water to save him.
But she overestimated her strength and underestimated the boy's weight.
Both young and inexperienced swimmers, Isabella barely managed to grab his shirt before swallowing several mouthfuls of water.
But saving him was all that mattered, and she couldn't think of anything else.
The waves grew stronger, and she had to drag him out before the tide came in.
Several times, they were nearly swept out to sea.
Despite her exhaustion, Isabella refused to give up, dragging him to shore.
Lying on the beach, Isabella felt dizzy.
She was utterly spent.
As the sky darkened, she tried to look at the boy she saved but only saw a blurry profile.
Even though she couldn't see his face clearly, his handsome silhouette was etched in her memory.
She thought then, how wonderful it would be to marry such a good-looking man when she grew up.
Isabella couldn't help but smile, lying weakly beside him.
Exhausted, she soon passed out.
Before losing consciousness, she tightly gripped a small bear pendant from the boy.
When she woke up, she was back at the Wilson Family, in her princess-themed room.
Her grandfather was beside her, worried sick. "Isabella, if you miss your mom, tell Grandpa. I'll take you there. Don't run off alone again, okay?"
"Okay, Grandpa, I understand."
Isabella nodded obediently, but the boy remained in her memory.
Shadow parked near Moon Bay, draped his jacket over Isabella, and walked with her towards the beach.
The cold weather left the beach deserted.
Isabella tightened the jacket around her, walking step by step to the spot where she saved Michael.
She stopped when the water touched her feet.
Gazing deeply at the sea, she took a deep breath.
Seeing her distress, Shadow joked to lighten the mood.
"Isabella, you're not thinking of jumping into the sea, are you? It's winter, it's freezing. If you love the beach that much, wait until summer."
Isabella gave him a helpless look. "Don't worry, I'm just here to clear my head. I'm not that impulsive."
"Good. The Isabella I know isn't afraid of anything. She wouldn't break down over something small."
"Besides, you're going to be a mom. You need to be strong."
Isabella smiled, her hand resting on her rounded belly, thinking how resilient her child was, not even stirring after all that had happened.
He was right anyway. She wasn't alone. She had her unborn child, her grandfather, and her uncles waiting for her at home.
How could she let a bad man drive her to impulsive thoughts?
She came here to say goodbye to the past and end where it all began.
After saving Michael at the beach, she couldn't forget him.
Unexpectedly, she saw him again at a party, dressed like a prince in a suit.