The Billionaire's Pretend Wife (Isabella)
Chapter 79 Seventy Nine

Jacob had no idea what to think as he made his way into the hospital Isabelle had mentioned in her text.

A family member in critical condition? She had never mentioned anything about anyone close to her being in the hospital to him. Was it an accident?

When he got to the reception, he realised he didn't know who the patient was, so he couldn't ask for directions. He brought out his phone and called her. She did not pick up. When he tried a second time, it went unanswered.

He wondered whether she was refusing to pick up because he was calling as Jacob. He used the number that she associated with Logan to call a third time. She didn't pick up.

Realising he would have to scour the hospital for her, he made his way to the emergency wing. She was not there, so he got on the elevator and onto the first floor. He opened doors, looked through windows, perused wards, but she was nowhere.

As he made his way to the elevator to go higher, he tried calling her again. It went unanswered. By the time he got to the third floor, he was convinced something was terribly wrong.

His eyes widened when he caught sight of her familiar figure in the waiting room of the third floor. She was talking to a doctor, her back to him.

"Isabelle!" he called, rushing to her.

She turned to him, her eyes widening in shock. "Ja-Jacob?"

He took in her teary-eyed look and drew her into his arms instantly. She clung to him, her body trembling as a sob escaped her. He looked at the doctor she was talking to. "What happened?" "I'm sorry, who are you?" the doctor asked.

"I'm her husband."

"Oh. Sorry. Ruth Daniels has passed away. I was just explaining to your wife about her infection. I'm sorry for your loss."

Ruth Daniels? Who was that?

He nodded anyway. "I've got her."

The doctor nodded. "I'll be in my office if you need me." She left them and walked towards the nurses' station.

Isabelle suddenly pulled herself from his embrace and turned away, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry. You should go."

He frowned and walked around to face her. "Go? When you are like this?" He took hold of her arm and urged her towards a chair in the waiting area. "Who is Ruth Daniels?"

She shook her head and escaped his hold again. "Please, Jacob. I can't do this right now. Please leave. I'll tell you everything later."

He couldn't understand why she thought he could leave her alone in her current state. "I'm not going anywhere, Isabelle."

She broke into sobs again, pressing her face into her hands. His heart twisted seeing her like that, and he reached forward and pulled her back into his arms again.

"It's okay," he whispered, smoothing his hand over her hair. "I'm here. Let it out."

And she let it out. She crumpled into his arms and sobbed into his shirt for a long time. He pulled her to a corner that provided some privacy and held her, soothing her as much as he could. They were in that position for a long time.

When she finally calmed down and he let her go, her eyes were swollen to their limits.

"I'll take you home," he offered.

She shook her head. "No. You don't have to."

"Isa-” he stopped when she lifted her hand and started removing the diamond ring he had given her. "What are you doing?"

She held the ring out to him. "I can't be with you anymore."

He shook his head, not sure this was really happening. "What are you saying?"

She took his hand and forced the ring to his palm. "I lied to you, Jacob. Forget about me."

"Lied about what?" He shook his head. "I don't care. I don't know what you're talking about, but you're not leaving me, Isabelle. Put your ring back on."

"Shouldn't you be relieved?" A cold, familiar voice came from behind him. "She is dead. That means Isabelle can't use you for money anymore. Or, should I say hope to?"

Jacob whirled around to face Isabelle's insufferable sister. "Leave us alone."

"Oh, you want to hear this," she said, tilting her head to look at Isabelle. "Izzy, should I do the honours? Or now that your precious caregiver is gone, are you done being a lying bitch?" Jacob took a threatening step towards her. "Watch your mouth."

Naomi huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. "What, do you still think I'm the devil here? Why don't you ask your sweet innocent wife why she's suddenly leaving you?"

"Just leave us alone," he demanded and turned back to Isabelle. "Let's go, Isabelle. Let me take you home."

She shook her head and stepped back. Her face was downcast even more than it had been before her sister showed up. "I want to be alone. Don't follow me."

She walked around him and towards the elevator. He tried to go after her, but Naomi stepped in his way. "Seriously, Logan Larson? How can you be so dense?"

He was about to breeze right past her when it registered that she had addressed him as Logan. He froze in his steps. "What did you call me?"

"I have to say, you are good. How did you manage to pass off as some peasant for so long? Isabelle will be so mad when she replaces out that all along, you could have paid for her precious caregiver's treatment and saved her from an early death."

Jacob clenched his jaw. None of this was making sense-other than the fact that Naomi had somehow found out his real identity.

She arched an eyebrow. "I came looking for my sister at the company and I overheard an interesting conversation in the lobby. You were bossing around that annoying vice president of the Larson Group. Who else would dare do that?"

That explained one thing. When he left the office to come to the hospital, Jason had followed him, yapping about some meeting he couldn't afford to miss.

"Who is Ruth Daniels?" he asked the only question that needed an answer at the moment. Why was Isabelle so broken over her death that she was trying to divorce him?

"The reason Isabelle married you."

His brow creased. "What?"

"Isabelle is not the eldest daughter of our family. I am. She is just an adopted orphan. But she demanded to marry you in my place because she needed to raise treatment money for Ruth when she found out our parents couldn't foot the bill. She thought since you were from a wealthy family, she could get the money from you in no time. She probably would have if you hadn't pretended to be poor." Jacob pressed a couple of fingertips to his temple. "Look, I have no time to deal with your lies right now."

Naomi huffed. "You think I'm lying? Why don't you go after her and ask? If she dares tell you the truth, that is. Why do you think she wants to divorce you right after Ruth passed away? It's because you are of no use to her anymore. Go ahead. Go and ask her."

Jacob gritted his teeth together as he glared at the woman in front of him. He knew how much she loathed Isabelle. He wouldn't put it past her to make up such lies about her.

He was wasting his time talking to her.

He needed to replace Isabelle.