Chapter 221

Isabella adored Christmas.

Every December, she and Sophia would decorate their towering evergreen together.

On Christmas morning, they'd bundle up and wander the snowy streets, soaking in the holiday cheer with strangers who felt like family.

But after moving overseas with Alexander, Sophia never celebrated Christmas with her again. Truthfully, Isabella had stopped celebrating altogether.

She told herself she'd moved on. Yet this was the child she'd carried for nine months and raised for twelve years.

Now, standing alone in the festive crowd, the joyful atmosphere only amplified her loneliness.

"Ms. Sinclair?"

She turned to see Sebastian Ashford.

She forced a polite smile. "Mr. Ashford."

"Here alone?"

Isabella smoothed her expression. "Just picking up some last-minute decorations."

Sebastian had noticed her from across the square - that solitary figure standing motionless amidst the revelry, her melancholy palpable even from a distance.

He barely knew her, but whatever haunted her clearly weighed heavy. "Care for some mulled wine?"

She shook her head. "I should finish my shopping." Then, out of courtesy: "And you? No company tonight?"

"Dinner plans fell through," he admitted.

Seeing her distracted gaze, he added, "There's a fireworks display starting soon. Worth staying for."

Not an invitation - just information.

Isabella nodded absently. "Ah, that explains the crowd."

Before she could excuse herself, three familiar figures emerged through the throng.

Alexander. Victoria. And Sophia. Heading toward the plaza's center, clearly here for the show.

Sebastian followed her frozen stare, spotting the trio. His breath caught.

The rumors about Alexander having a child had circulated for years, always dismissed as baseless gossip.

Yet here was the evidence - a young girl walking between them on Christmas Eve.

Victoria seemed too young to be the mother. She'd been pursuing advanced degrees abroad these past years. The timeline made no sense.

While Sebastian puzzled over this, the group vanished into the crowd.

When he turned back, Isabella had already looked away.

He recalled her strained relationship with Victoria. But her reaction just now... that was something else entirely.

"Feel like walking?" he offered.

Fireworks.

Isabella had wanted to see them. Now...

Yet avoiding them because of Alexander would mean letting him take yet another thing from her.