Chapter 118 Nathan's People

Chapter 118 Nathan's People

But he did everything flawlessly for the sake of his family's responsibilities.

When Robert returned to her side, Isabella had already put on her coat, ready to leave.

"Don't trouble yourself," she said with a smile. "I've called my assistant to pick me up. You still have guests to entertain, so go ahead with your business."

"That won't do. I promised to take you home," Robert insisted, his brow furrowing slightly as he grabbed his coat from beside him, ready to leave with her.

"Really, it's not necessary," Isabella's tone was gentle but firm. "I can get home by myself."

As she spoke, she took a small step forward, closing the distance between them.

The brilliant crystal chandelier light in the ballroom shattered into a galaxy of stars in her eyes as she tilted her head slightly to look at Robert.

Then she did something that made Robert's heart skip a beat.

Her gaze suddenly became like silk soaked in moonlight—soft, hazy, with a hint of something alluring. Those usually cool eyes now looked seductive, her glances seeming to overflow with indescribable feelings.

"This dress you gave me," her voice dropped extremely low, with a touch of lazy huskiness, brushing against Robert's heart like a feather, "I really like it."

After saying this, she winked at him. That touch of playfulness and charm, unexpected even to herself, created a huge contrast with her usual cool demeanor, instantly hitting the softest spot in Robert's heart.

It was a deadly temptation. Robert knew it was a trap, yet he was willing to fall into it.

Before he could react, Isabella had already turned around and walked out of the ballroom like a little cat in her heels, without looking back, leaving only a swaying, imagination-stirring silhouette.

Robert stood frozen in place, her words "I really like it" still echoing in his ears, and the elegant lily scent from her body seemed to linger in his nostrils. He unconsciously raised his hand to touch his burning ears.

He knew she was thanking him, and also... responding to him.

Whether this gesture came from calculation or sincerity no longer mattered to him at this moment.

This woman always, inadvertently, plucked at all his heartstrings. Making his life, dormant for thirty years, feel such vivid and passionate stirrings again.

The first stirring was when he first laid eyes on her. That was five years ago.

Isabella got into the Alphard that came to pick her up. The seductive smile on her face quietly faded the moment the car door closed, replaced by calm composure.

She glanced through the rearview mirror at the brilliantly lit Lopez Manor, shadows gathering in her eyes.

The vehicle smoothly drove out of the mountain area and merged into the city traffic.

At first, everything seemed normal.

Isabella had wanted to rest for a bit, but about ten minutes after they left, she sensed something was wrong.

A black Honda had been following them at a steady distance since shortly after they left the manor. Whenever their car changed lanes, that car followed suit. At every traffic light they passed, that car managed to keep up perfectly.

This tracking technique wasn't sophisticated—it was even somewhat brazen, as if not afraid of being discovered.

This was definitely not a coincidence.

Clearly, she was being followed.

Isabella's heart sank, but her face remained expressionless. She didn't panic, nor did she tell the driver to speed up. She just said quietly, "Change the route. Lose the car behind us."

Who could it be...

Terry? Had that lunatic sent someone to monitor her after she clearly rejected him?

It wasn't impossible... but his style was usually more direct and brutal, not this kind of sneaky following.

Or... Nathan's face, with its calculating smile, floated into her mind.

Her instinct told her the latter was more likely. Terry's stalking would stem from possessive obsession, while this kind of following felt more like a test and a warning, like a hunter harassing and intimidating prey before the actual hunt.

Isabella's palms broke out in a thin layer of sweat.

She wasn't afraid, but she hated this feeling of being watched, like a bug under a microscope, with all her movements exposed to someone else's gaze.

As soon as she finished speaking, the driver asked no questions and suddenly changed direction.

Sure enough, the black Honda followed without hesitation.

Now she could be 100% certain.

Isabella's gaze turned cold. She had the driver take the car to a busy shopping mall entrance in the city center.

After getting out, she didn't immediately enter the mall. Instead, she turned around and, across the traffic, looked coldly toward the black Honda parked not far away.

The person in the car seemed unprepared for such directness. There was a moment of panic, but no further action.

Isabella gave a cold laugh, full of disdain and defiance. She turned and walked into the crowded mall. Using the mall's complex layout and numerous exits, she quickly lost the tail, then left through another exit, hailed a car on the street, and returned to her apartment.

The Mellon Estate was still under renovation after that fire, so she'd been staying at the apartment recently.

Back home, Isabella threw herself heavily onto the sofa, finally feeling a chill down her back.

Just as she was feeling troubled, the doorbell suddenly rang.

This late at night, who could it be?

Isabella cautiously walked to the door and looked through the peephole.

When she saw who was outside, she froze.

It was Robert... He had changed out of his sharp suit into simple casual clothes, looking travel-worn, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, as if he'd run up the stairs.

There was also a trace of worry on his face.

"How did you..."

Isabella opened the door, but before she could finish, Robert had already stepped inside, closed the door behind him, grabbed her shoulders, and looked her over from head to toe.

"Are you okay?" His voice was hoarse with urgency.

"I'm fine," Isabella was a bit flustered by his nervous reaction. "How did you get here?"

"You were being followed." Robert's tone wasn't questioning—it was stating a fact.

Isabella's heart jumped. "You knew?"

"Of course I knew!" A flash of fear and self-reproach crossed Robert's eyes. "After seeing off my guests, I saw that car following you. I was worried, so I kept driving behind them. When I saw you go into the mall, I felt a bit relieved, but I was afraid they might have a backup plan, so I still came over."

It turned out that while she was being followed, there was another car, farther back, silently watching over her.

A surge of warmth instantly flowed through Isabella's entire body.