Chapter 69: Prey Once Again

Isabella's POV

I dragged my exhausted body back to my room and casually locked the door behind me. I really needed some time alone. The weight of the entire day pulled at my limbs as I flopped face-down onto the bed, exhaling a deep, heavy breath.

When I closed my eyes, what appeared in my mind was Ethan's stern face. Why was he so angry? Just because I ignored him? This thought made my chest tighten uncomfortably.

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. The paintings of cherubs and clouds seemed to mock my increasingly confused emotions. My feelings toward Ethan had become complicated, and that frightened me.

My phone's ringtone interrupted my thoughts. I fumbled around on the nightstand, glancing at the screen. Sophie. A genuine smile involuntarily spread across my face as I answered.

"Hey, Sophie. Are you okay?"

There was a pause on the other end, and I immediately knew something wasn't right.

"Isabella, I'm sorry, but I need to quit," she said, her voice heavy and hesitant.

I sat up abruptly, my heart suddenly racing. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"It's a family matter," she explained. "I really don't have time for work right now."

"Is everything alright? Do you need any help?" I asked, concern overriding my initial shock.

"It's nothing bad," she assured me. "I just need to handle some things, and I can't divide my attention right now."

I lowered my head nervously and asked, "Will I... will I still get to see you?"

"Of course," Sophie replied without hesitation. "I consider you a good friend, unless..."

"You're my best friend in New York," I rushed to say. "Actually, you're my only real friend here."

We casually planned to meet up when she had free time, maybe for coffee or lunch. Sophie and I talked for nearly forty minutes, jumping from topic to topic as if we'd known each other forever. The tightness in my chest eased a little.

As our conversation continued, my thoughts drifted back to Ethan. Despite his outward coldness toward me, even bullying me at times, he had never truly pushed things into dangerous territory. That time he threatened to have someone assault me—it was just to scare my mother. And when he "offered" me to Joshua and his friends, that was Olivia's idea, not his. So I didn't need to hire a bodyguard anymore.

February 14th arrived—Valentine's Day—and also the day of the North American Design Awards ceremony. I woke up early and carefully prepared myself.

I arrived at the Waldorf Astoria a full hour before the event was scheduled to begin. Better to be awkwardly early than to arrive mid-event and have everyone stare, right? Wrong. The ballroom was already buzzing with people. Apparently, in this circle, arriving early was the norm.

I looked around—the entire ballroom was stylish, elegant, and warm.

I recognized familiar faces from design magazines and websites—industry giants and creative geniuses casually conversing together. My mouth went dry. I had always been the quiet type, preferring drafting tables to cocktail parties.

"Ms. Monroe?"

I turned to find an older gentleman approaching me, probably in his fifties, with kind eyes and streaks of silver in his hair.

"I'm Sawyer, Design Manager at Horizon Innovations," he said, extending his hand. "Mr. Black asked me to look out for you."

I shook his hand, my heartbeat involuntarily quickening. "How did you recognize me?"

Sawyer smiled. "Mr. Black specifically instructed me. He was concerned you might feel uncomfortable and wanted to ensure you had a friendly face to greet you."

I was stunned. A warm and unexpected feeling blossomed in my chest. Attending this type of event for the first time did make me somewhat nervous.

"Will Ethan be here?" I asked curiously.

"Later," Sawyer nodded. "He prefers to arrive when the event is in full swing. If he arrives too early, too many people try to corner him for business discussions."

I understood, but there was a small sense of disappointment in my heart.

As we moved deeper into the ballroom, Sawyer remained by my side. Almost immediately, I noticed several men glancing our way, then finding excuses to approach. Sawyer smoothly handled their introductions.

"This is Isabella, one of Horizon Innovations' brilliant new designers," he explained to each of them.

The effect was immediate. Whispers spread through the crowd, and I caught fragments of conversations around me.

"Is that the designer who went viral? The one with the ridiculously expensive fee?"

"Her work is good, but getting those prices is probably just because of the Horizon brand and the Upper East Side location."

"For a newcomer, she's actually quite impressive."

"Win an award? Hardly. Not enough experience or portfolio depth. For someone so new, being invited here is already a success. Unless she has capital backing her..."

"She's even more beautiful in person than in her social media photos."

I regretted arriving early. I hadn't expected to become the center of attention. Several established designers pressed their business cards into my hand, expressing interest in "future collaborations." I couldn't understand why one viral moment had these industry leaders suddenly courting a newcomer like me.

"Well, well, well... Look who it is! If it isn't our little Isabella!"

That voice. My blood instantly froze.

Three men in expensive suits approached, and when I recognized Joshua among them, my heart skipped a beat. My body went into full panic mode—pulse racing, breath caught in my throat. I instinctively took a step back, feeling the color drain from my face and my knees weaken. Cold sweat broke out on my palms.

I moved closer to Sawyer, seeking safety in his presence. But he knew nothing about my history with Joshua and greeted him with a polite smile.

"Mr. Thomas, hello."

My entire body tensed as Joshua's gaze crawled up from my feet like a venomous snake. I felt like his prey, with every hair on my body standing on end. Each second his gaze lingered on me made me want to run away.

"It's been a few months," he said with a smile that made my stomach churn with disgust, "You seem to be getting prettier and prettier."