Chapter 19
Joseph gave a quiet laugh but didn't say anything.
His gaze drifted past the glass wall of the conference room, settling on the far end of the hallway.
Of course he knew what had happened last night.
Chloe had called him the moment Isabella got home, spilling every detail—what Mason did, what went down before the cops arrived.
And the fact that James showed up.
Joseph finally pulled his attention back, lowering his eyes to the contract in front of him. The faint smile on his lips softened.
He hadn't asked Isabella how James happened to be there.
He hadn't asked what she felt in that one moment when James stepped in front of her.
Some questions he didn't need to ask—didn't want the answers to.
After the meeting, Isabella returned to her office.
She shut the door and sank into her chair, letting go of the tension she'd been holding up all day.
When she unlocked her phone, she saw a fresh message from Chloe.
[Isabella, did you sign the contract?]
[Yeah. Signed.]
[YES!!! Dinner's on me tonight—Mexican food!!]
Isabella typed back a simple 'okay' and closed the chat.
Another notification sat quietly on her lock screen.
A message from James. Just a few words.
[Read the agreement.]
She stared at the message for two seconds, then flipped the phone face-down on her desk.
She didn't reply.
By seven that evening, she arrived at Tech Harbor Town.
The place Chloe picked sat tucked inside a busy little alley—easy to miss, but beloved by locals.
As soon as Isabella stepped in, she was greeted by the warm, smoky scent of tortillas, grilled meat, and spices. The walls were crowded with bright Mexican décor, the air thick with warmth and noise.
Chloe had already grabbed a table and was hunched over the menu, buzzing with excitement.
Across from her sat Joseph, holding a cup of tea, listening patiently as Chloe chattered nonstop.
Isabella walked over, taking in the scene. One brow lifted. "Why are there three of us?"
Chloe looked up, batting her lashes with exaggerated innocence. "I figured Joseph deserved a treat too. And Mexican food is way more fun with more people."
Isabella glanced at her, then at Joseph.
Joseph met her eyes with a helpless little smile and a small shrug that clearly said, I got dragged into this.
Isabella didn't push it and took the seat beside him.
The food came quickly—platters of tortillas, fresh toppings, grilled vegetables, sizzling meat. Everything smelled irresistibly good.
Chloe immediately filled her plate, piling it high before diving in like she hadn't eaten in a week.
"Isabella, you have no idea," she said between bites, "your press conference video is blowing up on my college group chat! Everyone kept asking if you're actually my sister. I said yes. They all screamed."
Isabella laughed at her dramatic tone and slipped an extra tortilla into Chloe's bowl. "Less talking. More eating."
"I'm serious!" Chloe mumbled with her mouth full, then suddenly brightened. "Oh—Joseph, don't you think Isabella was amazing?"
Joseph was mixing a dipping sauce for Isabella. His hand paused, but he smiled easily. "Isabella has always been amazing. My opinion doesn't change that."
"Exactly!" Chloe nodded vigorously, then shifted her gaze between the two of them with a suspiciously knowing look.
"Joseph, you've been waiting for her for years. Aren't you even a little anxious? She's single now, you know. The most wanted designer in all of Tech Harbor—and Amber District too. If you don't make a move, someone else will."
Isabella froze, her fork suspended in midair.
"Chloe." Her tone carried a warning.
Chloe shrank her neck but didn't stop sneaking glances at them.
The air tightened just a little.
Joseph set down the sauce bowl, lifted his tea, and took a calm sip. Then he looked at Chloe with a relaxed smile, as if the conversation had never gone sideways.
"Chloe, she just signed a major project. She'll be buried for at least the next three months. If you bring this up now, she'll think you're trying to add to her workload."
He added a quick wink toward Isabella, a silent reassurance, "Don't worry. I've got you."
Chloe blinked, then burst out laughing. "Joseph, you're too smooth. Fine, fine. I'll shut up. Let's eat."
The fork Isabella had been holding finally settled back onto the table. She felt the tension inside her ease a notch.
She glanced at Joseph.
He had already returned to his calm, gentle self, fishing out a tortilla soaked a little too heavily in salsa and placing it on Chloe's plate, reminding her not to dip so much hot sauce unless she wanted to regret it later.
He was always like this.
No matter how awkward things got, he could smooth everything over without breaking a sweat.
No pressure. No expectations. Not even a stray look she didn't know how to answer.
Isabella lowered her gaze and spooned a piece of tofu into her bowl, saying nothing.
The rising steam blurred her vision.
She didn't know how to face Joseph's kindness.
Because she was becoming painfully aware that if there really was such a thing as the right person, then Joseph was dangerously close to that answer.
But that thorn in her heart was still there.
Six years buried. So deep it had almost fused into her.
She didn't know if she could pull it out. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
And she didn't want to test someone else's heart in the meantime.
Especially not Joseph's.
By nine-thirty, the restaurant had closed.
The three of them stepped outside into the vibrant Tech Harbor Town night, the street alive with lights and warm food-scented air.
"I'll get the car. Wait here," Joseph said, draping his jacket over his arm before walking toward the parking lot.
Chloe watched him disappear around the corner, then jabbed Isabella with her elbow.
"Isabella!"
"What?"
"You seriously don't feel anything?" Chloe stared at her as if personally offended. "Joseph took care of you all night. He mixed your sauces, picked out your food, refilled your tea the second it got low. You really didn't notice?"
Isabella gave her a tired, amused look. "Chloe, did you invite him tonight just to set us up?"