Chapter 320

Isabella Sinclair had barely settled into her morning work when the prestigious A Journal's acceptance notification popped up in her inbox.

Nathaniel Graves arrived shortly after to discuss their ongoing project. His expression remained unreadable when she shared the news of her paper's acceptance.

With Frederick Aldridge's endorsement as a leading expert in their field, the outcome was practically guaranteed from the start.

As their meeting concluded, Isabella glanced at her watch. "Lunch together?"

Nathaniel massaged his temples with a tired sigh. "Can't. Prior engagement."

She raised an eyebrow. "What's so important?"

A wry smile twisted his lips. "Grandfather's idea of a blind date."

Isabella burst out laughing. "Twenty-eight years old and this is your first setup? Consider yourself lucky."

Nathaniel rolled his eyes.

Truthfully, his family rarely interfered in his personal life.

But this particular match involved his grandfather's longtime friend's granddaughter. Refusal wasn't an option.

"Go on then," Isabella waved him off. "I'll grab something from the cafeteria."

Thirty minutes later, Nathaniel found himself in an intimate bistro clearly designed for romantic encounters.

His date arrived precisely on time.

Fate chose that exact moment to deliver Oliver Westbrook to the same establishment, accompanied by a female companion.

The moment Oliver stepped inside, he spotted Nathaniel's distinctive profile across the room.

Nathaniel's back remained turned, oblivious to the new arrival.

Oliver's lips curled as he deliberately selected the adjacent booth.

Though Nathaniel spoke in measured tones, their proximity allowed Oliver to quickly grasp the situation.

When his companion opened her mouth to speak, Oliver pressed a finger to his lips in warning.

With barely contained glee, he snapped a covert photo and fired it off to their group chat with Alexander Whitmore, Julian Montgomery, and Victoria Kensington.

"Guess the scene? Hint: this place reeks of romance."

Julian had just clocked out for lunch when the notification chimed. He studied the image.

Oliver's clue made the situation obvious, but Julian left the message on read, pretending obliviousness.

Victoria and Alexander similarly maintained radio silence.

Oliver's fingers flew across his screen when no responses came. "Everyone dead? It's lunch hour!"

Still nothing from Julian.

Then finally, Victoria responded. "Saw it."

Oliver perked up. "Knew you'd figure it out. So?"

Victoria's reply came swiftly. "Blind date?"

"Bingo!"

Victoria smirked at her phone but didn't engage further.

Though she'd skipped Eleanor Whitmore's recent birthday gala, the gossip had reached her - Nathaniel's mother openly approving of Isabella.

Apparently, Melissa Graves had even offered to start wedding preparations whenever the couple was ready.

The absurdity had made Victoria scoff.

Clearly, Nathaniel's mother remained ignorant of Isabella's past with Alexander.

That revelation would undoubtedly shatter any approval.

With Alexander and Julian still silent, Oliver tagged them impatiently.

When they remained unresponsive, he messaged Victoria separately. "Alexander not with you?"

Her reply came moments later. "Business trip. Left this morning."

Oliver had just sent his acknowledgment when Alexander finally surfaced in the chat with a single word: "Noted."