Chapter 30

Isabella's initial shock had already faded into indifference.

The crowd surged around Alexander and his entourage, completely obscuring her presence.

To outsiders, Isabella appeared serene and composed. But Nathaniel knew better - beneath that calm exterior lay an iron will. Once she set her mind on something, she pursued it with relentless determination.

In her professional life, this trait served her well. When a project captured her interest, she'd pour every ounce of energy into it, regardless of market viability.

For Isabella, action always trumped speculation. The only way to know if something worked was to try it.

This philosophy extended to her personal life. She'd loved Alexander with such intensity that she'd gambled her future on him - abandoning further education to build a life together.

Though the price had been steep, Nathaniel had never detected a flicker of regret in her eyes. So when she claimed to be ready to move on, he believed her without question.

He flashed an easy smile. "Thirsty?"

Isabella returned the smile. "Absolutely."

They wove through the throng toward the bar area.

"Wine?" Nathaniel suggested.

"Just a glass."

While not a habitual drinker, Isabella could hold her liquor surprisingly well.

Their glasses clinked softly as they retreated to a quiet corner to observe the crowd.

Before long, an older gentleman approached. "Nathaniel! Didn't expect to see you here."

"Theodore!" Nathaniel greeted the professor warmly. "I was actually hoping to run into you."

Theodore Sinclair chuckled skeptically. "That so?"

"Honest. I wanted to introduce you to someone."

"Oh?"

When Theodore's gaze landed on Isabella, he was immediately struck by her striking beauty and poised demeanor. Though puzzled by Nathaniel's intentions, he trusted the younger man's judgment implicitly.

"Remember that programming language project you mentioned hitting roadblocks with?" Nathaniel gestured to Isabella. "This is Isabella Sinclair. She's brilliant with language programming - I guarantee she can help."

"Your protégé?" Theodore's eyebrows shot up.

Nathaniel's mentor Frederick Aldridge was a titan in the AI field. All his students, though young, were already making waves in tech circles.

Yet Isabella's name didn't ring any bells.

Nathaniel grinned. "The Cuap programming language? That was her team's work eight years ago."

In programming circles, few achievements carried more weight than Cuap.

Theodore's jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

"Dead serious. Talk to her - you'll see."

Eager now, Theodore fired off several technical questions to test Isabella's knowledge.

Their conversation quickly escalated into an animated discussion about his project's challenges. Theodore grew increasingly excited as Isabella offered insightful solutions, their exchange flowing effortlessly.

Nathaniel sipped his drink contentedly, happy to observe from the sidelines.

Then movement caught his eye. Victoria Kensington was making her way toward them.

When she noticed his gaze, Victoria offered a polite nod and smile.

Nathaniel froze momentarily, recalling Victoria's complicated status. Before he could react, she'd already reached them.

"Mr. Graves," she greeted smoothly.