Chapter 36

No one responded to Isabella's question. Instead, the person who had mentioned Julian swiftly changed the subject. "Who knows? They're just a bunch of nobodies. Anyway, cheers to you, Nathaniel!"

In truth, he was apologizing for his earlier slip-up. After all, no matter how much Nathaniel disliked Eleanor, the entire dynamic of the divorce shifted if Julian was involved.

Fortunately, Nathaniel didn't hold it against him. He raised his wine glass and clinked it with the man's.

After downing his drink, the man was about to say more when Nathaniel suddenly stood up. "I have somewhere else to be, so I'll see you all later. Enjoy yourselves, and put it on my tab."

"Huh? Wait..."

Nathaniel was out the door before anyone could react.

Isabella, however, quickly followed him. "Nate!"

"What do you need?" He turned his head, his voice calm but with a hint of coldness.

She bit her lip. "I... I took a cab to get here. Could you drive me home?"

"Sure," he replied without hesitation, his attitude toward her unchanged.

At that, Isabella let out a breath of relief and flashed him a sweet smile. They walked side by side and exited the club.

Thanks to the success of Lavender Grove, the businesses along the street had flourished. At a glance, a dozen bars and clubs lined the way.

Against the backdrop of the night, the colorful lights resembled spilled cocktails, and even the air seemed thick with the intoxicating scent of decadence.

However, none of that mattered to Nathaniel. His footsteps didn't falter.

Isabella followed him closely, and just as she was about to seize the opportunity to speak with him, he suddenly stopped. Before she could ask what was wrong, she caught sight of a figure in a blue blouse and black pencil skirt.

What was different tonight was that Eleanor wore bold makeup. The winged eyeliner accentuated her eyes, making them appear even more vibrant, while a playful smile danced at the corners of her lips, giving her an air of carefree confidence.

This version of Eleanor was unfamiliar to Isabella. She had never seen her like this before.

Meanwhile, standing beside Eleanor was another unfamiliar woman. They stood by the roadside, seemingly having just exited a bar and waiting for a cab.

The woman wrapped her arm around Eleanor's shoulders and said solemnly, "I know you think of the male lead as your husband—I mean, ex-husband—and fantasize about him dying in a car crash, but that doesn't mean you should act impulsively."

"Come on. This is work. We need to approach it professionally and leave our personal feelings out of it."

Car crash? Death?

At that, Isabella quickly glanced at Nathaniel. As expected, his brow was furrowed. Without hesitation, she called out, "Eleanor!"

Her voice made the women, who had been facing away from them, visibly stiffen.

Naturally, Isabella didn't care about that. She approached them and grabbed Eleanor's hand.

"You're here, Eleanor! Where have you been? I've been calling you, but you never picked up. Mom and Dad are worried sick about you!" She sounded genuinely concerned.

However, Eleanor quickly pulled her hand away. Then, her eyes briefly flicked over Nathaniel, who stood across from her.