Chapter 117: No Smoke, No Hostility

Everyone turned to look at the newcomer, who immediately blushed. "S-Sorry, I'm here to see a Lawson."

Initially satisfied with the man's appearance, Lisa asked, "Are you a stutterer?"

The man quickly replied, "N-No, I'm just a bit nervous. My apologies."

Bella felt a strange sense of familiarity with him, as though she had seen him somewhere before. As she tried to recall where, the man recognized her first. "Ms. Jones? What are you doing here?" She was puzzled. "You know me?"

Now speaking more confidently, the man said, "A little while ago, I went on a business trip with Mr. Miller to a small town, and we stayed at the same place. You might not have noticed me. I'm the architectural designer responsible for the blueprints." Bella's memory clicked. "Oh, I think I remember. There were many people then, so I didn't pay much attention."

Since they knew each other, she naturally became involved in Lisa's and her blind date's first meeting, though she was reluctant. However, the man, Oscar Gilbert, was so enthusiastic that she couldn't refuse.

During the outing, Bella quietly observed him. He was tall and slim, wearing a white shirt, black trousers, and thin-rimmed glasses. He had a scholarly, refined look—exactly Lisa's type.

His income was clear, given that he worked with Dominic and had gone on business trips with him. At 28 years old, he was also at an appropriate age.

After assessing him, Bella discreetly texted Lisa, "I think he's a good match."

Lisa glanced at the message, then back at Bella with a knowing smile. Her gaze lingered on Oscar, clearly unable to look away.

Throughout the meal, Bella noticed that Oscar had a quiet demeanor—he was eloquent and confident when discussing work; still, as soon as the conversation turned to relationships, he blushed, got nervous, and stuttered. It was apparent he had never been in a serious relationship before.

After dinner, they parted ways, and on the drive home, Bella stayed on a voice call with Lisa, chatting about Oscar. Lisa was over the moon, thrilled with the idea of marriage and even having kids with him. What she liked most was that he was a "blank slate" regarding romantic experience; she wasn't into guys with too much romantic history.

When Bella arrived at Miller Manor, she walked into the living room and saw Dominic sitting on the couch, sipping wine and fiddling with his phone. [The sentence about the website has been removed as it is irrelevant and promotional.]

She removed one of her earbuds and greeted him, "You're back?"

He glanced up at her. "Yeah. Where were you? It's late."

The peaceful tone of their conversation, devoid of tension or animosity, caught her off guard for a moment.

Suddenly, Lisa's voice came through her earpiece. "Is Dominic there? Ask him about Oscar for me. Since Oscar works for him, he must know more!"

With a bit of hesitation, she walked over to him. "I had dinner with Lisa… do you know Oscar Gilbert?"

Dominic suddenly looked at her with a probing expression. "Why are you asking about him? First, it's Felix, and now it's Oscar?"

Bella was flustered and had the urge to hang up the voice call. She didn't want to give Lisa a live broadcast of her and Dominic's potential argument. Then, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind. "How do you know Felix left?"

He didn't avoid the question. "If I want to know something, I'll find out. Now, tell me, why are you asking about Oscar? He's one of my architectural designers."

Bella decided she might be overthinking things. For a moment, she had wondered if Felix's trip abroad with Yvonne wasn't just a family visit but something more. Maybe Dominic had forced him to leave. After all, he had threatened her with Felix more than once.