Chapter 455

Isabella froze mid-bite when Harrison's words reached her ears.

Harrison continued without hesitation.

"I'm completely serious. Her beauty, her poise, her composed demeanor—she's everything I've ever wanted."

His voice held unwavering certainty.

"And that brilliant mind of hers? It's like my dream woman walked right out of my fantasies."

Alexander remained silent, his lips curving into a faint smile.

With the divorce papers not yet finalized, it felt inappropriate to encourage another man's interest in Isabella.

Their conversation ended shortly after as Harrison had pressing matters to attend to.

After her meeting with Harrison, Isabella returned home for a brief respite.

That evening, she meticulously packed all necessary documents for tomorrow's divorce proceedings—her ID, household registry, everything.

Double-checking the contents of her bag, she was about to turn off the lights when her phone rang.

Frederick's voice came through crisp and clear.

"Be ready in ten minutes. The car's coming to pick you up."

Tomorrow was supposed to be the day she and Alexander finalized their divorce.

Isabella hesitated.

"Professor, I—"

"Can this wait until morning?"

Having visited the research facility numerous times, she understood all too well that every second counted—not just in terms of astronomical costs, but often in lives saved.

Frederick didn't entertain her request.

The line went dead the moment he finished speaking.

The cooling-off period for their divorce was nearly over.

Isabella had no idea how long this emergency assignment would last.

If she couldn't return before the deadline...

They'd have to restart the entire divorce process from scratch.

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she sat motionless for a long moment.

Then, shaking herself from her thoughts, she changed quickly and sent a message to Nathaniel.

His reply came instantly—a single thumbs-up emoji conveying perfect understanding.

Dressed and ready, Isabella hesitated again before texting Alexander.

"Urgent work matter came up. We'll need to reschedule the divorce. I'll contact you when I'm back."

Whether he was busy or simply hadn't seen her message, she received no reply.

By the time the black sedan pulled into the Sinclair estate, her phone screen remained dark.

As the car passed through the gates, she surrendered her phone to the security officer as protocol demanded.

The agent beside her immediately began briefing her on the situation.

Isabella hadn't even reached the facility yet, but her mind was already immersed in the technical challenges ahead.

Three days later, after seventy-two hours of continuous work, the entire engineering team collapsed into exhausted sleep the moment their final task completed.

Isabella was no exception.

Her brain felt like molten lead, her body too heavy to lift.

Like her colleagues, she folded her arms on the desk and was asleep within seconds.

She woke to find the fatigue still clinging to her bones, though her mind felt marginally clearer.

Reviewing the latest data sets, she was about to dive back in when she noticed Sebastian sitting nearby, engaged in quiet conversation.

Catching her gaze, he offered a polite nod and smile.

Isabella returned the gesture automatically before her attention snapped back to the fresh data streaming across her screen.

Within seconds, she was fully absorbed in her work once more.

The numbers didn't care about divorce papers or cooling-off periods.

They demanded her complete focus—and for now, that was exactly what she needed.