Chapter 286

The sound of a car door opening made Alexander turn his head.

Isabella stepped out and shut the door behind her. Without a word, she approached and took the umbrella from his hand.

His gaze dropped to her ankle. "Are you hurt?"

It ached slightly, but she could still walk. She didn’t bother explaining why he had swept her into his arms earlier.

"Call me when the divorce is finalized," she said flatly.

Her meaning was clear—no contact unless necessary.

She adjusted the umbrella and walked past him without another glance.

Alexander watched her go but didn’t stop her. Only when she was safely in her car did he finally leave. Moments later, his car pulled out of the lot, followed by Dominic’s.

Reporters had covered both the conference and the dinner. Isabella made a quick stop at the hospital before heading home around eight. She had just finished dinner when news about the forum broke.

Meanwhile, Victoria and Eleanor were reading the same reports. Their brows furrowed when they saw Isabella representing YodaVision at a high-profile government event.

"I thought she and Nathaniel were having issues," Victoria muttered. "Why would he send her?"

Eleanor handed her a bowl of soup, her expression calm. "Patience. Let’s see how this plays out."

Isabella was undeniably beautiful. It wasn’t surprising if Nathaniel was reluctant to let her go completely. Relationships like theirs often had ups and downs.

But cracks, once formed, rarely disappeared. Their reconciliation wouldn’t last.

That meant Victoria still had a chance to get into YodaVision—and closer to Nathaniel.

Victoria wasn’t bothered by the photos of Isabella sitting near Alexander at the forum. She trusted herself—and him.

Just then, Julian came downstairs. "You’re back."

"Yeah," Victoria replied. "How was school?"

Julian, now a senior, had transferred to Baumond this semester. Alexander’s team had handled the paperwork seamlessly.

The curriculum here was different, but Julian was a quick learner. "Everything’s fine. You know I don’t slack."

True. Both Victoria and Julian had always been top students. Their parents never had to worry about their grades.

Victoria and Eleanor exchanged amused glances.

The next morning, Julian Montgomery and Dominic Fairchild arrived at YodaVision at the same time.

"Mr. Montgomery," Dominic greeted. "Fancy seeing you here."

Julian nodded. "Mr. Fairchild."

Dominic was about to say more when Isabella and Nathaniel emerged, spotting them.

She had left Alexander’s car quickly yesterday. Dominic wondered what she’d said to him afterward.

But one thing was clear—Alexander had been the one initiating contact both times. At last year’s banquet and again yesterday. Isabella, meanwhile, had remained distant.

It puzzled him.

Isabella was stunning, sure. But Alexander wasn’t the type to be swayed by looks alone. In every other aspect, she paled in comparison to Victoria.

So why her?

Isabella caught the disdain in Dominic’s eyes. "Something on your mind, Mr. Fairchild?"

"You’re imagining things, Ms. Sinclair," he replied coolly. "We have nothing to discuss."

Nathaniel and Julian had seen the forum coverage. It wasn’t hard to guess there’d been tension between Isabella and Dominic.

Nathaniel smiled faintly. "Problem?"

Isabella cut in before Dominic could respond. "Nothing worth mentioning."

She turned to Julian. "Mr. Montgomery, this way."

Julian nodded, shooting Dominic a brief glance before following her to the conference room.

Nathaniel didn’t press further. If Isabella didn’t want to talk about it, he wouldn’t pry.

"Shall we, Mr. Fairchild?" he said coolly.

This was Julian’s first time seeing Isabella since New Year’s Eve. His gaze lingered on her longer than necessary, though no one noticed—they were too focused on the tension between her and Dominic.

Once inside the conference room, he finally looked away. "I meant to attend yesterday’s forum," he said, taking a seat. "But I was out of town. Had to send someone else."

Small talk before business was normal. Isabella didn’t think much of it. "I see."

Julian realized she hadn’t picked up on his interest. He lowered his gaze and switched topics.

"Let’s discuss the project."