Under His Protection

Chapter Seven: Moving In Together

Randall couldn’t believe it when he heard that Isabella and Timothy had called off their engagement. He couldn’t wrap his head around it, so he dashed straight to Timothy’s office.

“Are you brainwashed by Angela again?” he blurted out.

Even though Timothy and Angela seemed to blame Isabella for everything, Randall couldn’t agree. He was convinced that Angela was behind it all, plotting against Isabella.

“Why do you have such a grudge against Angela?” Timothy frowned.

Randall scoffed, “Because I’ve known Angela since we were kids. Do you know how many times she’s schemed against Isabella?”

Now, every time Timothy heard Isabella’s name, he felt annoyed, especially seeing Randall unconditionally defending her.

“She already had an engagement but went messing around with others. I saw it with my own eyes, can’t blame anyone else for it,” Timothy asserted.

Randall was taken aback at first, then resolutely stated, “Impossible. Isabella would never do such a thing.”

This topic was a thorn in Timothy’s side, and Randall’s unwavering belief made him even more frustrated.

Over the past month, he had wondered if he misunderstood the situation. After all, Isabella, although increasingly stubborn as she grew older, didn’t seem like the type to do what they accused her of.

But every time he considered this, he couldn’t shake the image of the marks on Isabella’s body from his mind. Those were undeniable.

Randall’s steadfast belief only fueled Timothy’s anger. “Anyway, the engagement is off. We have no business with each other anymore. If you don’t believe me, go ask her yourself. And don’t bother bringing up her name to me again.”

Randall gave a bitter laugh.

Leaving with the remark, “With your temperament, you won’t have any place to cry in the future,” he walked away without looking back.

Isabella was unaware of the discord between Randall and Timothy due to her. After signing the agreement, she went home to get her ID and then went straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau with Vincent.

They swiftly registered and obtained their marriage certificate.

Coming out of the bureau, Isabella felt somewhat dazed. After all, getting married was a significant event in one’s life.

Vincent agreed with this sentiment, so he glanced at their marriage certificate, then reached for Isabella’s hand to borrow hers.

Although Isabella didn’t understand why, she obediently handed him her marriage certificate.

She watched as Vincent placed the two marriage certificates together, took a photo, and quickly posted it on social media.

Isabella: “…”

There were all sorts of posts about certificates on social media, but she hadn’t expected Vincent to do this right after getting the certificate.

Seeing her looking at him with shock, Vincent explained, “I did this mainly to avoid unnecessary troubles around us.”

Isabella nodded, “I understand.”

After all, with wealth and looks, there would undoubtedly be many admirers around him. Moreover, he had mentioned that he wasn’t interested in women, so encountering such situations must be quite torturous for him.

Having taken advantage of him so much, Isabella didn’t mind being a shield for him.

Isabella lived in an old apartment building where all sorts of people resided.

Vincent had noticed this when he accompanied her to get her ID earlier. It was noisy and definitely not a conducive environment for her to rest.

Isabella was pregnant now and needed proper rest to take care of herself.

Moreover, he had put in so much effort to establish a legal relationship; he had to take the opportunity to get along well with people.

As the car stopped in front of the apartment building, Isabella thanked him and got out of the car. Vincent followed her out.

“Vincent, I’m here. Thank you,” Isabella said.

Vincent raised an eyebrow, “I’ll come up with you to help pack. We’re moving today.”

Isabella thought having the marriage certificate was enough, but apparently, they were moving too?

“I’m worried about you living here,” Vincent added.

Isabella was puzzled.

Vincent seemed to understand what she was thinking and explained, “This place isn’t safe. Considering your current situation, it’s not suitable for you to stay here. I need to ensure your safety.”

Vincent’s gaze drifted to Isabella’s belly as he spoke.

Isabella followed his gaze to her flat stomach, which was very flat, and couldn’t see anything.

Vincent’s reason was indeed irrefutable.

But…

Isabella bit her lip, “My phone and wallet are still at Audrey’s. She’ll probably come over tonight to find me.”

Vincent shrugged, “Let her bring them to my place.”

“Your place?” Isabella thought Vincent meant finding another place for her since this place wasn’t safe.

“Isabella, we’re married now,” Vincent stated.

“Married by agreement,” Isabella reminded him.

“No matter what form of marriage it is, it’s a fact that we’re married. You’re afraid that the child will be born illegitimate, but if we separate after marriage, the child will still face plenty of rumors,” Vincent argued.

Isabella had nothing to say.

“But Audrey… Well, tonight, I’ll go get them from her myself.”

Vincent studied her for a moment, finally understanding what she had been worried about all day.

He chuckled, “Are you so afraid of her?”

Isabella nodded, “It’s Audrey we’re talking about. If she finds out about these things, she might just eat me alive.”

Vincent could see the strong bond between them, a friendship that went both ways.

He admitted feeling a bit jealous. Any kind of relationship that reached such a level of mutual support was something to aspire to.

When Isabella first rented this place, she moved in with just a suitcase, so she didn’t have much to pack. It didn’t take long to tidy up everything.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

In less than an hour, they had packed everything. Isabella took Vincent downstairs to find the landlord.

Isabella was a regular target for the landlord’s rent reminders, so they were quite familiar with each other. Seeing Isabella with a man, the landlord almost instantly understood what was happening.

“Moving out?” she asked.

Isabella, who had been frightened by her persistent reminders, was always nervous when she saw her. Upon hearing her question, Isabella nodded frantically, like a student being called on by a teacher in class.