Chapter 300

A small crowd had formed around Isabella Sinclair and Nathaniel Graves.

When Alexander Whitmore and Simon Fairchild approached, several attendees recognized them immediately. Alexander raised a finger to his lips with a charming smile, signaling them to remain silent.

The two men positioned themselves at the periphery, listening intently as Isabella and Nathaniel fielded questions.

The conference hall buzzed with intellectual energy. Many attendees held degrees from Ivy League institutions - brilliant minds all.

Isabella and Nathaniel didn't just answer questions. They engaged in spirited debates with those who could match their technical expertise.

The depth of these exchanges left some listeners struggling to follow. Those without specialized knowledge in materials science and manufacturing felt completely lost.

Alexander and Simon clearly belonged to the first group.

Victoria Kensington could mostly keep up as well.

Isabella and Nathaniel had quickly recognized the knowledge gap early on. They'd instinctively simplified their explanations without condescension.

Simon listened with keen interest.

Just as the discussion reached its peak, someone spotted the newcomers. "Professor Fairchild! And Mr. Whitmore!"

The room's attention shifted. Isabella and Nathaniel followed the collective gaze to where Alexander, Simon - along with Oliver Westbrook and Victoria - stood watching.

Their eyes slid past Victoria without acknowledgment.

With Arthur Langford present, Nathaniel had no choice but to pause the discussion. "Professor Langford. Professor Fairchild."

Arthur clapped his hands together. "Just what I'd expect from Frederick Aldridge's protégé. Remarkable."

Nathaniel smiled modestly, but Arthur continued, "Though I must say, the young lady beside you is equally impressive." His eyes twinkled. "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Nathaniel hesitated. "Isabella Sinclair. A key member of our R&D team at YodaVision."

"Ah, a YodaVision technician," Arthur mused. "So your company boasts not one, but two exceptional talents. No wonder you're leading the industry."

"You flatter us," Nathaniel replied.

Simon stepped forward to join the conversation.

Victoria watched in quiet surprise as Isabella held her own against these intellectual giants.

Clearly, she'd underestimated the other woman.

Nathaniel was Frederick Aldridge's student - a recognized genius in his field. If Isabella had been working closely with him all this time...

Victoria recalled hearing years ago about Isabella skipping three grades before entering Aurelia University. At the time, she'd assumed Isabella was brilliant.

But subsequent rumors suggested Isabella's university performance had been mediocre at best. No major awards. No international competitions.

Meanwhile, Victoria - though not a prodigy - had steadily climbed the academic ladder, collecting prestigious awards until she'd earned her PhD without a single misstep.

Watching Arthur shower Isabella with praise, Victoria maintained her perfect smile.

She glanced sideways at Alexander.

His expression revealed nothing. He might as well have been watching paint dry for all the reaction he showed to Isabella's accomplishments.

That silent observation made Victoria's smile deepen slightly.

Oliver, however, looked completely lost. "Is she actually that good?" he whispered.

Before Alexander could respond, Victoria arched an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Oliver blinked. How should he know? If he understood any of this, he wouldn't be asking.

But judging by Alexander and Victoria's reactions, perhaps Isabella wasn't quite the genius she appeared.

Seeing Arthur showed no signs of wrapping up his conversation, Victoria touched Alexander's arm. "Don't you have that meeting? We should go."

Alexander nodded. "Right."

He stepped forward to address Arthur. "Professor Langford, we have prior commitments. We'll take our leave."

Arthur waved them off without looking up from his discussion. "Of course."

He did offer Victoria a polite nod.

Alexander's gaze lingered on Isabella for a heartbeat before he turned away, Victoria and Oliver falling into step behind him.