Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus) novel Chapter 110

The tension between them was palpable, as if someone had struck a match and set their tempers ablaze.

Suddenly, an obnoxiously loud ringtone sliced through the thick silence, startling them both.

Victor glanced at his phone with casual indifference, then shot a quick, cool look at Isadora’s pale, porcelain face.

Her expression was a touch severe, eyes quietly defiant in a way most people would miss.

Letting go of her chin, Victor stood up, his long legs carrying him to the marble balcony outside. He answered the call with a flick of his wrist.

Isadora lowered her gaze and continued picking at her dinner, but her eyes would stray to the glass window, watching Victor’s tall silhouette framed by the night.

He cut an imposing figure out there—broad-shouldered, long-limbed, dressed in black. Usually, he carried himself with a sort of careless charm, even a hint of mischief. But now, something cold and unapproachable radiated from him—an aloofness that kept everyone at arm’s length.

Isadora had to admit it: she wasn’t ready to open her heart to someone new just yet.

She thought back—what would she have done if Magnus had been upset with her?

No, with Magnus, she would have soothed him before he even had the chance to frown.

She’d never let him be angry for long; she’d bend over backwards to keep him happy, always attentive and thoughtful.

And maybe, she realized, that’s exactly why she wanted to act differently now.

She looked at Victor, standing out there on the balcony, and wondered if she should stop dragging the baggage of past relationships into something new.

Even Pudding, their little golden retriever, seemed to sense the tension. He nosed at a rib on his plate, but it suddenly didn’t smell quite as tempting.

Letting out a soft bark, Pudding seemed to say, “Dad’s jealous!”

Isadora heard the sound, glanced down at Pudding, and gently ruffled his head. “Good boy. I think your dad’s a little upset tonight.”

Pudding pressed his fuzzy head into her palm, offering quiet comfort.

She looked over the spread of food on the table, her eyes lingering on the fresh crab Victor had just shelled for her.

Isadora wasn’t heartless. Why let a half-dead ex ruin her life now?

After a moment, she set down her fork and pushed back her chair. Step by step, she walked toward the balcony.

But his face barely changed.

“Hmph.” He smirked, thick with sarcasm. “Wouldn’t dream of interfering with Miss Vaughan’s personal life.”

Despite the words, his hand slid behind her, fingers gently squeezing hers.

Sometimes, she thought, his moods were almost comical—like a sulky, adorable Pudding.

“But you’re my boyfriend, not just anyone,” she said softly. “See, I even turned my phone off. Doesn’t that prove I don’t want to go?”

Isadora took a breath and tried to explain, “I was with him a long time. Some of our friends still get the wrong idea, but I’ll handle it—”

Before she could finish, Victor turned, dipping his head to steal a kiss.

Those three simple words—my boyfriend—sent a jolt through him.

He realized his possessiveness for Isadora ran deeper than he’d ever let himself admit.

He kissed her fiercely, hungrily, as if he could erase every doubt and close every distance between them.