Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus) novel Chapter 443

The warehouse was dark and damp, the biting cold mixing with thick fog that seemed to seep into your bones.

A thin sheet of ice had formed across the concrete floor, sending a chill through the air that made the place feel even more desolate.

Isadora and Wendy huddled together in a corner.

Wendy was shivering uncontrollably; just a moment ago, she'd been yelling for help at the door, but now the cold had stolen her voice. She could barely make a sound.

Isadora curled into herself, arms tightly wrapped around her stomach, as if to protect something fragile inside.

Wendy glanced over at Isadora, saw her eyelids drooping, and panicked. "Isadora, please—don't do this. Stay with me."

At the sound of her friend's voice, Isadora forced her eyes open, answering weakly, "I'm here..."

Wendy's words trembled on the verge of tears. "You said Victor would come for us. Why isn't he here yet?"

As she spoke, tears spilled down her cheeks, freezing almost instantly as they hit the icy floor.

Isadora wanted to reassure her, to tell her she wasn't falling asleep, but her throat felt blocked, choked by the cold and exhaustion. She couldn't manage a single word.

Her consciousness began to blur and drift.

Memories surfaced.

She thought of her childhood, of Carla's constant anger.

Back then, Isadora could never understand it; she'd tried everything to be good, to be obedient, but Carla always seemed to despise her. Why did she hate her so much?

Later, Isadora learned the truth—Carla wasn't her real mother.

Oddly, she'd felt relieved. The mother she dreamed of was never someone like Carla.

Suddenly, the memories shifted; she was back at the Vaughan estate.

Richard and Eleanor had resented her arrival, as if she'd disrupted their peaceful lives. Pearl's bitterness was always there, whispering, "Why did you come back and steal my place?"

It finally dawned on Isadora: she'd always been a burden, someone who didn't really belong in this world.

"I love you," he'd say, the words so clear she couldn't ignore them.

He'd pull her into his arms, his embrace warm enough to keep all the world's cruelty at bay.

Isadora would hear his soft, teasing voice, full of affection. "Silly girl."

And she would laugh, tears streaming down her face, feeling lighter than she had in years.

The memories flickered and blurred…

Isadora was so desperately cold—she just wanted to rest for a moment.

Suddenly, she saw Victor's face, tense with anger and worry, as if he was right there, shouting, "Isadora! You're not allowed to close your eyes—not unless I say so!"

He was always like that.

So stubborn, so infuriating—and yet, so very much her Victor.