Chapter 75

"Sorry. I was in a rush. Did I hurt you?" Isabella asked, a bit flustered.

"It's you?" The guy she bumped into sounded surprised.

Isabella looked up and saw a familiar face. It was Austin, a tall guy she had to crane her neck to see properly.

"Don't you remember me?" Austin asked.

In an instant, the memory clicked for Isabella. She recalled that harrowing night when she'd been set up by Philip and Ivy, drugged and vulnerable.It was Austin who had stepped in just in time to rescue her from a dreadful fate.

"You're... Austin, right?" she said, still piecing it together.

"Yeah, Austin," he confirmed quickly, not wanting to drag it out.

Ever since that night he saved Isabella, she was always on his mind.He had gotten her WhatsApp but was too shy to message her, so he just followed her updates on social media. When he saw she was on a business trip to Evergreen Valley, he decided to follow, hoping for a chance meeting.Instead, he got bumped into by a stranger.

Just when he was about to give up on his little obsession, fate brought them together again.

"You agreed to treat me to a meal. Is it still valid now?" Austin asked,a bit hesitant.

Remembering how he had saved her, Isabella quickly said, "Of course! I should've done it sooner, but things got complicated, and I've been swamped. What do you want to eat? Any place in mind?"

"Actually, I'm new to Silvercrest City, so I don't know any good spots.I'll

go wherever you take me," Austin replied.

Isabella vaguely remembered seeinga Crestwood College badge on him when they first met, so she asked, "Are you a student at Crestwood College?

Austin nodded. "Yeah, I'm a freshman in the sports department."

"If you're up for it. I can show you some great places around the school,"Isabella suggested. She needed a break from Michael's nonsense, and the area around the university sounded perfect.

Austin's eyes lit up. "Are you also from Crestwood College?"

Isabella nodded. "Yep, but I graduated over a year ago. I'm your senior."

They decided on a place and were about to head out when a guy around Austin's age walked over. "Austin, why are you still here? It's starting over there. Come on, I'll take you to see who's here today!"

The guy tried to pull Austin away, but Austin sidestepped and said, "I'm not going. I've got other plans. If anyone asks, just apologize for me. We're leaving now."

With that, he grabbed Isabella's hand and they took off. The boy muttered under his breath, "Looks like Austin's got a crush."

Jeremy came over and asked, "Where's Mr.Roberts?"

The boy grinned and pointed in the direction Austin had gone. "Over there,just left. He's with a girl. Austin's got a crush."

Jeremy glanced at Austin and the girl he was holding hands with,dismissing the sight with a shrug before heading back inside.

He made his way through the crowd of beautiful women in the private room and whispered to Michael that Austin wvasn't coming.

Michael pushed away the woman next to him, stood up, and told Jeremy,"

I gotta go. Something came up."

Jeremy stopped him, looking all-knowing, and said, "You still can't forget her, right? The moment you heard her brother Austin wasn't coming,you wanted to bail. And you say you've moved on? If you had, would you care so much about Austin?"

Vaughn also stood up, grabbed Michael's sleeve, and said, "If you can't forget her, why not let go of Isabella and find someone else to mess around with?"

Michael shook Vaughn off and snorted, "You think you get a say in our business?"

With that,he stormed out.

Vaughn, thrown off balance, fell onto the sofa, hitting his already queasy stomach on the armrest. His stomach churned violently, and he vomited everywhere, like a fountain.

The room instantly reeked of sour, fouI vomit. The girls screamed and bolted, some using the excuse of dirty clothes to leave quickly. Only those ingratiating themselves with Jeremy or seeking favor from the Johnson Familyremained, obliging begrudgingly to clean up and take care of the mess.

Even after cleaning up, the vibe was totally killed. Jeremy took Vaughn away, and the rest went elsewhere to keep the party going.

Michael got home, and Ava told him that Isabella had been dragged away by Lucy.

Michael, holding his phone, called Isabella while heading out.

Isabella, shopping near the university with Austin,ignored the call,

juggling her phone in one hand and food in the other.

Lucy, unable to find Isabella, was freaking out. She was scared Michael would blame her if Isabella got lost, so she decided to check if Isabella had gone home.

Unexpectedly,she buamped into Michael just as she reached the door.

She was startled. "Michael, you're back."

After greeting him, she tried to sneak away.

Michael grabbed her and asked with a dark expression, "Where's Isabella?Where did you take her?"

"I went to your house to find you, but you weren't there, so I was heading to the bar to find you. But Isabella insisted on coming with me.How could I refuse her? What if she complained about me to you? So, I took her with me."

"You took her there? Where is she now?" Michael immediately asked.

"When we got there, we saw you on the sofa surrounded by women.She got mad and ran off. I chased after her but couldn't find her. I thought she went home." Lucy's voice grew smaller and smaller, too guilty to look at him.

She didn't need to look; she could feel his anger.