Chapter 67
As Isabella stepped out, Olivia slung an arm around her shoulder with a triumphant grin.
“Dominic’s personal chef? That man could put Michelin-starred restaurants to shame! And while I was stuffing my face, I picked up some very interesting gossip,” Olivia bragged, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Turns out Alexander’s stepmother was his father’s mistress—the woman who drove his real mother to her death. And his father? A real piece of work. He’s pitting his kids against each other like it’s some twisted survival game. Worst part? Alexander’s competing against his illegitimate siblings.”
Olivia shook her head, lips pursed in disgust.
“Thank God I’m an only child. No messy family drama for me.”
Isabella smirked, gaze sharp. “You spent barely any time with Dominic, yet you came away with all that intel. I’m guessing you two really hit it off.”
Olivia shrugged, unbothered. “He’s easy on the eyes, I’ll admit, and doesn’t waste time with nonsense. But please, Isabella, I’ve got a waiting list of men. Why chain myself to one? Relationships are cages. You’re freer alone.”
Isabella chuckled. Olivia’s carefree attitude was as bold as ever.
Then, lowering her voice, Olivia leaned in. “So, how did it go with Alexander? Any leads on the perfume mystery?”
Isabella’s expression darkened slightly. She explained her suspicions and carefully pulled out the lock of hair, now sealed in a sterile bag.
“Olivia, I need you to arrange a DNA test. This coincidence is too much.”
Olivia snatched the bag with a dismissive wave. “Relax. I know a top-tier, discreet lab.”
She, too, sensed the eerie parallels—Isabella’s mother’s disappearance and Alexander’s mother’s death, their identical perfume rituals. The theory was plausible, but…
“Let’s hope this isn’t some messed-up ‘long-lost siblings turned soulmates’ scenario,” Olivia teased, wiggling her eyebrows. “And don’t pretend you didn’t notice—there was definite chemistry between you two.”
Isabella rolled her eyes but finally sighed in defeat. “It’s nothing. Just two people who crossed paths. There’s no future there.”
Olivia arched a skeptical brow. “Don’t underestimate fate. It loves throwing curveballs.”
Later, at the lab, Olivia cheerfully handed over the samples. “Doctor, treat this like gold. And if your team breathes a word, your funding vanishes. Permanently.”
Her smile was sweet, but the threat was crystal clear. The doctor nodded stiffly.
Of course. The Montgomery family bankrolled most of Ontdale’s elite labs, and their clients demanded absolute secrecy. In their world, loose lips didn’t just sink careers—they ended lives.
Olivia grinned. “Relax, darling. Results soon. How about dinner? Today’s been wild.”
“Jasmine Restaurant?” Isabella agreed, though her appetite was nonexistent. She hadn’t been there in years, but Olivia’s enthusiasm was infectious.
The moment she sank into the car seat, exhaustion took over, and she dozed off. When she blinked awake, they were pulling up to the restaurant.
The private dining room was just as she remembered—elegant, serene, with lush gardens and pavilion-style décor that screamed exclusivity. Only the city’s elite dined here.
“Nothing’s changed,” Isabella murmured, following Olivia upstairs.
They’d planned a quiet evening, but fate had other ideas.
In the corner, looking every bit the fragile damsel, sat Sophia Kensington—tears glistening in her eyes as she clutched Ethan Blackwood’s arm.
“Ethan, after all these years, how can you still doubt me? I never claimed to be Scarlet Snake, and I had no idea Isabella was the legendary perfumer!”
