Chapter 254

Isabella Sinclair handed in her thesis with a satisfied sigh. That evening, she and Nathaniel Graves invited Frederick Aldridge to dinner.

For once, Julian Montgomery didn't decline the invitation.

The trio arrived at The Grandeur, stepping out of the car together. None of them noticed Julian's sleek black sedan parked just twenty feet away.

But Julian saw them. His hand froze on the door handle as he watched Isabella standing between Nathaniel and Frederick, laughing at something the older man said.

Two minutes passed before he finally exited the vehicle, carrying a sleepy Lily Montgomery in his arms.

Oliver Westbrook had already arrived. "You're late," he remarked, raising an eyebrow at Julian's uncharacteristic hesitation.

Julian merely nodded in response.

Just as Lily began stirring awake, Alexander Whitmore arrived with Sophia Whitmore, Victoria Kensington, and Genevieve Kensington in tow.

Julian's gaze darkened when he spotted Genevieve.

"Julian!" Genevieve squealed, rushing forward with outstretched arms. "I didn't know you'd be here!"

He stared right through her, leaving an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air.

Sophia broke the tension by approaching Lily. "You look exhausted," she observed with concern.

Lily shook her head. "Just sleepy..."

Julian's expression softened when he addressed Sophia. "She's fine. Just needs to wake up properly."

Now fully alert, Lily slid from Julian's arms and joined Sophia on the plush sofa, their heads bent together in quiet conversation.

Victoria took a seat beside Alexander. Accepting the glass of water he offered, she pulled a thick textbook from her designer bag. "Don't mind me," she announced. "I've got some studying to do."

Oliver knew about Victoria's apprenticeship under Jonathan Sterling. "Bringing work to dinner?" he teased. "That's dedication."

Genevieve, now seated uncomfortably close to Julian, added, "She's been like this for weeks. Obsessed, really."

Julian knew exactly why Victoria was working so hard - she wanted Frederick Aldridge as her mentor. The irony wasn't lost on him, considering Frederick was currently dining just three doors down.

He kept this information to himself.

His mind kept returning to the sight of Isabella earlier - standing confidently between Nathaniel and Frederick, engaging the renowned professor in animated conversation. If this were just a social dinner through Nathaniel, wouldn't she have positioned herself differently?

Isabella had never been one for small talk, yet she'd appeared completely at ease with Frederick.

The timing struck him suddenly. YodaVision's two major projects had launched in recent months. Isabella had left Whitmore Enterprises to join YodaVision around the same time.

Then there was Jonathan Sterling's recent comment about Isabella's skills surpassing his own.

And when Victoria had applied to YodaVision, Nathaniel had rejected her outright - because of Isabella.

At the time, both Oliver and Julian had assumed personal reasons motivated Nathaniel's decision. That his preference for Isabella over Victoria stemmed from something other than professional merit.

Now...

Julian's gaze shifted to Victoria, who was flipping through her textbook, pestering Alexander with questions.

The realization hit him like a physical blow, freezing him in place.

Then, as if electrocuted, Julian suddenly stood up, knocking over his chair in the process.