Chapter 65

Julian's voice was clipped when he responded after the brief silence. "I'll text you my account details now."

"Thank you," Isabella answered politely. "I appreciate your help today."

"No need." The line went dead before she could say more.

Nathaniel, who'd been working nearby, glanced up. "That was the man who helped with your car?"

Her phone pinged with Julian's message containing the repair invoice photo and banking information.

Isabella opened her payment app with a sigh. "Yes."

Nathaniel noted the formal tone she'd used with Julian. They clearly weren't close.

He knew Julian Montgomery well enough, and was aware Isabella had met him before. But their worlds barely intersected. Even hearing her say "Mr. Montgomery" hadn't immediately connected to Julian in his mind.

The transfer completed, Isabella sent a brief confirmation before refocusing on Frederick's assignment from earlier.

They worked side by side, distilling exhibit technologies into PowerPoint slides. Even streamlined, the volume kept them working until 2:17 AM when they finally emailed it to Frederick.

Nathaniel looked exhausted. Since he didn't have spare clothes here, Isabella didn't invite him to stay.

After he left, she limped to shower before collapsing into bed.

Her ankle injury wasn't serious, but Nathaniel had insisted she work from home tomorrow.

Morning light filtered through the curtains when Sophia's call came through.

"Mom? How's your ankle?" Her daughter's voice held tentative concern.

Isabella balanced on one foot while making tea. "Better today."

"That's good." Sophia sounded relieved, then awkwardly silent.

Isabella recognized the hesitation.

It hadn't always been this way. Sophia used to chatter endlessly - every schoolyard drama, every scraped knee poured into her mother's ears.

Somewhere in the past two years, those conversations had dwindled. Now Sophia took her worries to Victoria first. The distance between mother and daughter had grown imperceptibly until they struggled to fill phone silences.

This injury had prompted rare concern from Sophia. Sincere, but surface-level. Not like before.

Isabella remembered when a simple cold would bring Sophia to tears, clinging to her all day. Now that devotion belonged to Victoria. Like when Victoria fell ill last month - Alexander had rushed over immediately, and Sophia had bombarded her with messages before visiting straight after school.

If Sophia were truly worried, she could've demanded Isabella's address last night. Could've insisted on coming.

But she hadn't.

The silence stretched until Sophia turned to someone else. "Dad? Do you want to talk to Mom?"