Chapter 195
Moments later, Isabella reappeared, cradling Amelia securely in her arms.
The examinations were finally complete.
“Knowing your concerns, I made some inquiries,” she said, her voice steady though a flicker of surprise crossed her features—as if she hadn’t anticipated running into an old acquaintance here.
“Thank you,” Alexander responded, his trust in Isabella evident, even if the name Julian Whitmore didn’t immediately register with him.
Before more could be said, a smooth, familiar voice cut through the air.
“Isabella, it’s been too long.”
She turned and found herself face-to-face with a striking figure—blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and a smile as warm as a spring morning. The man stood tall, his white coat draped over a fitted black shirt, accentuating his athletic frame. Gold-rimmed glasses shielded his expression, making him unreadable.
Isabella’s brows lifted in surprise.
“Julian. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Casual confidence radiated from him, an effortless blend of relaxed charm and quiet authority.
“Long time no see,” he greeted with a grin.
Isabella returned the smile. “You’ve only gotten more handsome, I see.”
“Well, knowing how easily you’re swayed by a pretty face, I had to put in the effort,” Julian teased, his grin widening. “But what’s your excuse? You vanished. Last time we had dinner, you wouldn’t stop raving about that steakhouse. So naturally, I bought the place. Reservations are booked six months out, and yet, I’m still waiting for you to grace me with your presence.”
Alexander, standing silently beside them, felt the faintest tension tighten his jaw. He hadn’t anticipated Isabella’s foreign doctor friend to be so fluent—or so familiar with her.
Isabella chuckled. “Well, steak’s off the menu for me now. Seems your efforts were wasted.”
Julian arched a brow, his voice laced with something deeper. “Seems it’s not just your tastes that have changed. You’re different now—subtler, like jade polished over time. Still sharp, just… hidden.”
Once, Isabella had been ice—cold, precise, a blade honed to perfection. Now, she carried herself with a quiet lethality, her edges softened but no less dangerous.
Especially with a new man at her side.
Julian kept his attention fixed on Isabella, as if Alexander were nothing more than a shadow in the room. Eventually, his gaze drifted upward, as though noticing him for the first time.
“Ah,” Julian said with effortless elegance, extending a hand. “You must be Mr. Kingsley. Julian Whitmore—attending physician.”
Alexander met his gaze, sensing the unspoken challenge beneath the polite veneer.
“Yes,” he replied coolly. “Family to the patient.”
Their eyes held a beat too long, tension crackling between them like static. Neither flinched, but the air thickened with unspoken rivalry—a silent, mutual assessment.
In that moment, they understood each other perfectly.
Without a word, they both knew: this wasn’t just about Amelia’s treatment.
Alexander, adept at reading people, recognized the truth instantly.
This doctor’s interest in Isabella wasn’t purely professional.
