The image showed Lucas with his hand resting protectively on Isabella’s waist. A cold shiver ran down Benjamin’s spine.

Benjamin sighed quietly. His boss remained completely unaware, blind to the depth of his own feelings for his wife, oblivious to the turmoil within.

Benjamin could almost see it unfolding—Isabella, disarmed by Lucas’s persistent care, gradually lowering her defenses until she finally leaned on him. By then, Ethan would be left with nothing but regret, powerless to undo the damage.

Keeping a safe distance, Benjamin followed the car to Lucas’s neighborhood and parked several houses away. He immediately sent the location to Ethan.

“Mr. Blackwood, I’ve sent the coordinates,” Benjamin murmured, his tone even as he recorded the voice message.

When Ethan received the photo of Lucas’s hand on Isabella’s waist, he initially thought Benjamin had framed the shot to exaggerate their closeness. He felt like scolding him for acting like a paparazzo, twisting angles to create false intimacy.

“Benjamin, you troublemaker…” Ethan muttered, irritation lacing his voice.

But then he saw the location Benjamin sent—the Grant family estate, where Lucas had grown up. The significance of the place hit him hard. Realizing Lucas had taken Isabella there stirred a deep unease within Ethan. Was he introducing her to his family? The thought sent a chill through him.

The idea nagged at him, a surge of possessiveness overwhelming his senses. His grip tightened on his phone, knuckles turning white. “Is she meeting his parents?” he whispered to himself, shock and a sharp, unfamiliar jealousy mingling in his voice.

The rest of his business meeting passed in a blur. Ethan’s dark mood cast a heavy shadow over the room, the atmosphere thick with unspoken tension. His commanding presence now felt oppressive, making the air itself seem heavier.

Finally, Ethan’s voice cut through the silence, icy and abrupt. “We’re done here.” He stood and exited the room, leaving a lingering chill behind.

In the grand banquet hall of the Grant family estate, light from the crystal chandelier shimmered, bathing elegantly dressed guests in a warm glow as they mingled in small clusters.

The hall buzzed with notable figures from various industries. Isabella held a glass of champagne, her gaze sweeping across the crowd, keenly searching for Alexander.

At last, her eyes found him; he was seated on a plush sofa in a far corner of the room.

But the scene wasn’t what she expected.

Alexander’s face was etched with clear displeasure, his voice sharp with reproach. “Lucas, using my niece to force my hand? That’s a bold move.”

Across from him, Lucas lounged with deceptive ease, his smile unwavering as he dismissed the tension. “I had no choice. You’re a hard man to reach, Alexander. I needed to ensure you’d show. There’s someone here eager to collaborate with you. Let me introduce you.”

His eyes shifted past Alexander, spotting Isabella’s approach. Lucas’s smile widened invitingly. He gestured for her to join them. “Isabella, over here!”

Alexander’s gaze snapped toward Isabella. “It’s you?” he exclaimed, disbelief coloring his expression.

Meeting his eyes, Isabella nodded politely, her voice steady. “Hello, Mr. King.”

Despite her calm exterior, her grip on the champagne glass tightened slightly, a flicker of nervous tension betraying her composure.

Alexander’s gaze darted between Isabella and Lucas, his eyebrows knitting together in suspicion. “What exactly is going on between you two?” The air thickened under his intense scrutiny.