Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus) novel Chapter 135

It's just a shame, really. Over the past few days, **not a single member of the Vaughan family** had come to visit her in the hospital—only Richard bothered to call.

She couldn’t say she was disappointed.

She’d grown used to it.

It wasn’t until after she was discharged, on her very first day back at work, that Eleanor finally showed up, late as always.

She walked into Isadora’s office.

“Isadora, I just got back from London and only now heard about your car accident. I wasn’t avoiding you on purpose. Are you alright?”

Isadora didn’t even look up, her eyes still fixed on the paperwork before her.

“I’m alive, aren’t I? That’s all that matters.”

Eleanor had been whisked off to London on a last-minute shopping trip by Pearl. She’d been sulking over Isadora’s recent promotion, and Eleanor had reluctantly gone along. She hadn’t expected to return home only to discover Isadora had been hospitalized after a car crash.

Deep down, Eleanor suspected Pearl had known about the accident all along, and had purposefully kept it from her, dragging her out of town. But with all the grievances Pearl had suffered lately, Eleanor decided it was better to just turn a blind eye.

Eleanor didn’t take offense at Isadora’s chilly tone.

“So, why were you at the Fitzgerald family’s hospital?”

Isadora finally set down her pen, leaned back in her chair, and looked her mother dead in the eye. “Did you really come all this way just to ask me that?”

Under Isadora’s piercing gaze, Eleanor grew flustered and coughed twice to steady herself.

“In a few days, it’ll be your birthday party. I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to celebrate together with Pearl this year. No need to make her wait until the next day—after all, you two do share a birthday.”

Isadora let out a dry laugh. “You really do dote on Pearl, don’t you? For years, you insisted on letting her have the main celebration, and I had to wait until the day after to mark mine. Funny, I don’t remember you ever making this kind of request for me.”

Eleanor’s cheeks flushed a deep red.

Forget it, she thought. Lately, this daughter of hers seemed ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

Eleanor tried again, testing the waters. “What about Magnus? I thought maybe I could invite him to join us and help celebrate.”

Victor tousled her hair affectionately. “Not right now—I’m too attached. Maybe after I get bored and fatten you up a bit, I’ll sell you for a pretty penny.”

***

Now, in the bedroom, Isadora was playing with Pudding when she heard the bathroom door open behind her. She turned, and—just for a moment—was caught off guard by the sight of a man’s lean, toned waist.

Victor walked out of the steam-filled bathroom, a towel slung low around his hips. Water dripped from his chest, tracing a path down his abs and disappearing beneath the sharp line of his hips. Above, his features were all chiseled angles and cool, sculpted eyes—handsome enough to seem unreal.

The view left Isadora momentarily stunned, unable to look away.

Victor towel-dried his hair with casual ease, his voice low and lazy. “Have you stared enough yet?”

Since her hospital stay, Isadora had slowly started to accept that the two of them were, in fact, a couple now.

Blushing, she mustered her courage. “If you have to ask, then clearly, I haven’t stared enough.”

Victor crossed the room in a few easy strides and swept her into his arms. “Well then,” he murmured against her ear, “tonight, I’ll make sure you get more than just a look.”