Chapter 100

Sophia rushed downstairs to inform Alexander. "Mom's already eating in her room. She's working on something."

Oliver arched an eyebrow at this revelation. So Isabella knew her place after all. Julian lowered his gaze, remaining silent.

Victoria suppressed a knowing smile. Of course Isabella wouldn't dare join them. Nobody actually wanted her presence at this gathering anyway.

The coward could have come down if she wanted, but all that awaited her were mocking stares and deliberate exclusion. Better for everyone that she stayed hidden in her room like the pathetic creature she was.

Alexander barely reacted to Sophia's message. "Understood."

He wasn't particularly insistent on Isabella's attendance either. "Let's begin without her," he announced, gesturing for everyone to start eating.

Victoria's lips curved in satisfaction as she elegantly took the seat beside Alexander.

Meanwhile, Isabella had finished her lunch and returned to work. Nathaniel had arrived home by now, and fresh ideas kept flooding her mind.

When she finished explaining her concepts to Nathaniel over the phone, his reaction was explosive. "Holy shit! You're an absolute genius!" His voice boomed through the receiver.

"The way you grasp these concepts so quickly - you're a natural, Isabella! I always knew you had this in you!"

Before she could respond, Nathaniel groaned in frustration. "Seven damn years wasted! If you hadn't left for that marriage, AetherTech would be dominating the industry by now!"

Isabella winced and pulled the phone away from her ear.

Nathaniel quickly caught himself. Clearing his throat, he refocused on their breakthrough. This discovery required expanding their team immediately.

Nathaniel contacted Dominic Vega first, then rallied the rest of AetherTech's staff. These weren't just employees collecting paychecks - they were passionate learners eager to grow.

Though Dominic's team struggled to fully comprehend the technical aspects at first, Nathaniel's explanations soon had them buzzing with excitement. They volunteered for overtime without hesitation, officially joining the project.

An in-person meeting would have been ideal, but the two-hour commute to AetherTech wasn't practical. Inspiration struck unpredictably - better to capture it immediately before it faded.

They settled on a video conference instead.

During a lull in their discussion, Nathaniel asked casually, "You alone in there? Where's Alexander and the others?"

"Probably still eating downstairs," Isabella replied indifferently.

"Just Alexander and Sophia?"

"Victoria, Oliver, and Julian are there too."

"And they left you alone up here?"

"Sophia invited me down. I declined."

"Good. At least Alexander's not completely heartless."

Isabella disagreed. Like Oliver, she suspected Alexander only extended the invitation to avoid Eleanor's nagging.

More importantly, everyone downstairs was firmly in Victoria's camp. Even if Isabella joined them, they had nothing to fear - she couldn't possibly challenge Victoria's position. That's why they didn't mind her presence.

Four intense hours later, as dinner time approached, they agreed to a two-hour break before resuming work.

Isabella organized their progress before closing her laptop. She needed fresh air - a short walk would clear her mind. She could pick up some apple cartons for Nathaniel and the team on her way back.