Can't Win Me Back (Isabella and Nathan)

The quiet night.

Only the stars in the night sky emitted a cold glow, accompanying Isabella.

Isabella curled up in the corner of the balcony, her phone lying beside her. The webpage was still open, its screen light flickering in the dark, but it couldn't light up the surroundings.

It was a truly dark and desolate night.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Theo flicked the wall switch.

Isabella scrambled to her feet. "Theodore, can I pause my work for a while?"

Theo approached her, gently tucking her messy hair behind her ear. "Why?"

"My reputation is terrible right now. I'm afraid I'll drag you down," she murmured.

Theo lifted her chin, guiding her gaze to the stars. "Bella, even though fireflies are tiny, they can still light up the night. Chasing the light, walking under it didn't you teach me this? Now that you're facing difficulties, how can you back down instead of persevering?" Isabella fell silent for a moment before speaking softly, "I'm divorcing Nathan. He will try everything to take revenge on me. Before our war ends, you should keep your distance from me. Don't get dragged down."

"You want me to be a passive observer? Am I not human anymore?"

"If you stay unscathed, you can secretly help me."

Theo's anger faded upon hearing this.

"That's true. You and I, one in the light, one in the shadows, will join forces against Nathan. This will certainly bring more excitement to our lives. So, it's settled then. Bella, you can't go back on your word." "Mm."

Recently, Nathan had been checking his phone a lot more often. Whether eating, sleeping, or even working, he would occasionally glance at his screen. When he didn't see Isabella's calls or messages, an inexplicable emptiness washed over him.

He thought that by flaunting his love for Victoria, Isabella would act jealous like she used to. But Isabella showed no reaction at all-she was like a stranger, neither love nor hate.

This new version of Isabella made him see her in a different light.

Suddenly, Mrs. Hill's call came in. Nathan answered, and her frantic voice came through the phone: "Nathan, the Hill family's new Al company is about to go public. You'd better behave. The rumors about you and Victoria have been all over the place, and your father is angry. He's made it clear that if your personal life messes up the company's IPO, he'll take away your control over the company."

Nathan's face turned pale. "I'm his only son. He's going to take my power away? What is that old man thinking..."

Mrs. Hill fell silent, and a cold, tense atmosphere filled the air.

She sighed, her tone heavy: "Nathan, I know you're struggling. Ever since you got with Isabella, you've barely smiled. But this is a critical period, and you need to think of the bigger picture. For now, stay away from Victoria and work on building a loving image with Isabella..."

Nathan sounded exhausted. "Mom, Isabella is asking for a divorce right now."

Mrs. Hill's anger flared. "I knew it-this kind of woman from a poor background is useless. She's always causing trouble, and now, of all times, she's messing things up for you. Tell her to stop. If she ruins your future, even if she begs on her knees to reconcile, we won't take her back."

Nathan rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of the situation.

"This time, she's serious."

Mrs. Hill sounded shocked. "Nathan, you're a smart person. You should understand how big an impact this divorce could have on the company. Don't let your father hate you."

Her voice, though soft, felt like an immense weight pressing down on him.

Nathan reluctantly pulled out his phone and dialed Isabella's number.

After a few rings, it abruptly stopped.

Clearly, Isabella had purposely hung up on him.

Enraged, Nathan almost wanted to block her number, but considering the company's IPO and the devastation her divorce demands would bring to his career, he knew he couldn't afford to antagonize her now. He had no choice but to compromise.

He dialed again. The phone rang several times before Isabella finally picked up.

But her voice was filled with impatience and irritation, all tinged with rejection and avoidance.

Just like how he used to treat her.

"Nathan, there's nothing more to say between us. Don't contact me again..."

Nathan felt as though a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over him.

"Isabella, didn't you always want to talk about divorce?"

Isabella paused, resisting the urge to hang up.

"Isabella, right now, the Hill family's new company is at a critical moment. If you keep this up, do you realize how much damage this will do to my career?"

Isabella's voice was cold. "I

remember when we got married, you

made me sign a pre-marital property agreement. When I married you, couldn't take any of your wealth if we divorced. So, your career has nothing to do with me."

Nathan's heart felt like it had been squeezed. The girl who once loved him so wildly seemed to have become completely indifferent to his future. When did she become like this?

"Isabella, I'm willing to divorce you, but I have two conditions."

Isabella didn't want to drag this out any longer.

"What conditions?"

Nathan paused for a moment before

speaking, "We can divorce, but the

news has to wait until the Hill family's company goes public. During this time, you still have to help me maintain the image of a loving couple."

Isabella nearly bit her tongue in frustration.

Nathan seemed to have read her mind. "You know, if we go to court for a divorce, as long as I don't agree, you can't divorce me for two years." Isabella, fighting the urge to gag, reluctantly agreed. "Fine."

Nathan seemed distracted. "You... agreed so quickly? Being with me, does it make you this miserable?" Isabella didn't even bother to lift her eyelids. "You only just realized that? What's the second condition?" Nathan took a deep breath before finally speaking. "Isabella, have a child with me."

Isabella almost couldn't believe her ears. Her mind nearly short-circuited.

"Nathan, did I hear you right? We're getting a divorce, and you want me to have a child with you?"

Nathan said it with complete confidence. "I'll give you money. I won't shortchange you."

Isabella laughed in anger. "How much?" She wanted to know how much Nathan valued their child. "One million?"

Isabella almost laughed herself to death.

She was worth tens of millions now. Did he really think she'd care about his one million?

But, of course, she couldn't flaunt her wealth before their divorce.

"Nathan-you really live up to your capitalist nature. You marry me, not only to use my kidney to save your white moonlight, but now you want to use my womb to help you and Victoria build a happy family?" Her eyes suddenly turned bloodshot, her emotions surging. "Nathan, you're really going too far. You think you can just take everything from me? You want to drain me dry?"

Nathan turned pale.

Something inside him began to

panic. His breath was unsteady, and

he felt strangely embarrassed. "Bella, it's not like that... I just have a cleanliness obsession. I don't want to have physical contact with other women I don't know. But you well, we've been married, so I didn't expect you to resist me this much... If you're not happy with the money, you can name your price. I'll try to meet your needs."

Isabella's voice turned cold. "Nathan, do you know why I wanted to terminate our pregnancy?"