Chapter 297
The moment Isabella and Alexander reached the third-floor room, a familiar voice drifted through the door before they even stepped inside.
“Don’t worry, Ms. Sinclair is just downstairs. You’ll see her soon,” Dominic Sterling was saying, his tone smooth as silk.
When he glanced down at the auction guest list in his hand, his smile was deceptively charming. “All our recent meetings have been arranged by our families, Miss Montgomery. I hope you’ll forgive the intrusion.”
Olivia scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. “As if I’d ever want to see you.”
Dominic tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Are you angry, Miss Montgomery?”
“Of course I’m angry!” Olivia snapped. “Once this banquet is over, I’m throwing you into the ocean so I never have to see your smug face again.”
Her irritation was palpable, but the moment she spotted a familiar figure outside the window, her expression brightened instantly.
“Isabella! Finally, you’re here!” Olivia flung the door open, waving excitedly. “Long time no see!”
The two women embraced briefly—a rare reunion given their hectic schedules.
Alexander, observing their exchange, gave Dominic a measured look. “I’ll leave Ms. Sinclair here to catch up. We have matters to discuss.”
Olivia rolled her eyes dramatically. “Perfect. Let’s get out of here. Isabella and I are going to enjoy the banquet first. You two can do whatever you want.”
Before Isabella could respond, Olivia had already whisked her away.
As they walked through the opulent corridors, Olivia’s frustration bubbled over. “You have no idea how insufferable Dominic is. Why can’t he just reject this arranged marriage nonsense? Instead, he keeps sending gifts, setting up dinners—”
Isabella caught the slip immediately. “So, you’ve been having dinners with him lately?”
Olivia halted mid-step, tossing her hair defiantly. “Not by choice!”
Isabella smirked. For all her bravado, Olivia wasn’t the type to be forced into anything she didn’t want. She had made it clear months ago that she wasn’t interested in an arranged marriage. Yet, something about Dominic seemed to have gotten under her skin.
“What do you really think of him?” Isabella asked.
“He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Olivia huffed, then launched into a rapid-fire rant. “The only good thing about him is that he’s ridiculously good-looking and has an annoyingly perfect body. But other than that? Unbearable. He doesn’t even like spicy food! Can you imagine?”
To Olivia, that was practically a crime.
Isabella’s lips twitched. “You seem to know him… very well.”
Olivia narrowed her eyes and lunged playfully, fingers poised to tickle. “Are you teasing me?”
“Alright, alright, I take it back!” Isabella laughed, raising her hands in surrender.
But Olivia’s gaze sharpened. “Enough about me and Dominic. What about you and Alexander? Getting cozy, are we?”
“We’re just friends,” Isabella replied evenly, though the memory of their first encounter flashed in her mind—business partners, she had insisted. And yet, moments later, he had kissed her with an intensity that left her breathless.
It had been a gamble—a test of boundaries.
Now, thinking about it, Isabella felt a headache forming.
Olivia smirked. “Friends, huh? Friends don’t kiss like that. I saw him earlier—he had a slightly chapped lip. Looks like someone… bit him?”
With her sharp eye for details, Olivia missed nothing.
“Isabella, you can’t fool me. Alexander is like a fortress to everyone else. You’re the only one who gets close.”
Olivia had done her research. Alexander was notoriously selective, his reputation pristine. And more importantly—he was powerful, far beyond someone like Ethan Blackwood.
But Isabella had avoided serious relationships since her divorce.
Olivia patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I won’t say a word. Dating around when you’re young is normal. How else do you figure out who suits you best?”
Isabella sighed. “Even so, it’s impossible between Alexander and me. If it were just a fling, maybe. But marriage?”
She knew better than anyone that marriage wasn’t just about love. After her failed marriage with Ethan, she understood the weight of responsibility. And with Alexander—there were too many complications.
The Kingsley family was prestigious, their expectations high. They would never accept someone without a strong background. And beyond that, she and Alexander both carried dangerous secrets—ones better left buried.
For people like them, getting involved meant exposing vulnerabilities. It meant risking everything.
“That bet…” Isabella murmured. It had been a test—for both of them.
Olivia shrugged. “Love doesn’t always have to lead somewhere. Sometimes the journey is enough.”
Isabella looked up at the moon, its light cool and distant. “Maybe,” she whispered.
But deep inside, after everything with Ethan, she still felt an emptiness she couldn’t shake.
Perhaps one day, she’d meet someone who could make her forget her fears—someone who could make her believe in love again.
But that day felt far away.
Too far to even dream of.
