Chapter 472

Isabella finished her tasks and noticed Kieran hadn't departed.

He was observing Julian with a thoughtful expression.

Unsure if they had private matters to discuss, she inquired, "Is something the matter?"

Kieran had previously noticed Julian's affection for Isabella, though he hadn't acted on it.

After today's interaction, it was evident Julian's feelings remained strong and he wasn't planning to retreat.

Kieran quickly deduced Julian likely knew Isabella wasn't yet divorced—and probably knew exactly who her husband was.

The thought crossed his mind to probe Julian for information about Alexander.

But remembering Julian's piercing gaze earlier, Kieran realized even if he had the information, he wouldn't willingly share it.

Moreover, asking would reveal his own lack of knowledge about Isabella's personal life...

The risk wasn't worth it, and Kieran never acted impulsively.

Having reached this conclusion, he averted his gaze and offered a light smile.

"It's nothing."

"I have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

Isabella responded, "Very well."

Julian had noticed Kieran's intense scrutiny but couldn't read his exact thoughts.

However, from Kieran's determined expression, he recognized a formidable rival for Isabella's affection.

After Kieran departed, Julian chuckled casually.

"That's the Blackwood heir, correct?"

"I'd heard he was rather spoiled and reckless, but after several interactions, he seems quite dedicated to his work."

Isabella, assuming casual conversation, replied, "He's very serious about his responsibilities."

"He never complains about working late or coming in early."

"More importantly, he possesses genuine talent."

"Overall, he's quite impressive."

After learning about Kieran's background, Isabella had initially assumed he joined NovaTech on a whim.

His sustained dedication had surprised her.

Daily collaboration felt surprisingly comfortable—quite different from their first encounter.

Though Julian seemed to praise Kieran, he was subtly probing Isabella's feelings toward him.

Hearing her positive assessment, Julian smiled inwardly.

He'd heard Kieran returned to the country specifically because he admired NovaTech's programming language Luminar and joined because of it.

Which meant—he'd also returned for Isabella.

From how Kieran looked at Isabella during their work discussion, Julian recognized profound professional admiration.

In fact, it bordered on reverence.

If his guess was correct, Kieran probably still didn't know Isabella was the actual developer behind Luminar.

Even without that knowledge, she had already captivated him purely through her abilities.

If Kieran ever discovered Isabella was the very person he sought, wouldn't his admiration intensify...

Based on her response, Isabella clearly held a favorable opinion of Kieran.

In that context, Kieran remaining at NovaTech seemed an effective strategy to win her affection.

Especially with her divorce from Alexander nearing finalization—well, there's a saying about proximity fostering connection.

After concluding business, Julian invited Isabella to dinner.

She accepted.

As they exited the meeting room, they encountered Kieran leaning casually against the doorway.

Seeing Isabella and Julian together didn't surprise him at all.

He seemed to have anticipated Julian would use work as pretext for dinner.

His presence suggested he'd been waiting for precisely this moment.