Chapter 51

Luna found Samuel's appearance absolutely stunning. She'd long wanted to learn his identity but hadn't had the opportunity. The other girls nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he's so elegant, definitely not ordinary," one of them said. Their eyes shone whenever they thought of him. Such a man was rarely seen among celebrities, let alone in everyday life.

Isabella smiled as they questioned her, softly answering, "Just a friend."

Jayden was furious. He thought, Isabella, you're playing with fire. "Yeah, right," the others scoffed, disbelieving her; she'd said the same before. They didn't believe Isabella and Samuel were just friends. The possessive look in Samuel's eyes spoke volumes.

Jill, smiling broadly, rose from the sofa and approached Isabella, sitting down beside her. Glancing at Jayden in the corner, she leaned close and whispered, "Isabella, did you turn down Jayden because of that man?"

Samuel was clearly more impressive than Jayden. Not that Jayden was bad, but Samuel was exceptionally handsome, cool, and attractive. Isabella was annoyed by their incessant questioning.

Luna, amused, watched the scene, waving at Jill and laughing. "Come on, Jill. Give her a break." If this continued, she feared Isabella might leave. Unnoticed, Jayden grew increasingly gloomy in the corner.

Suddenly, he stood, strode to Isabella, and pulled her toward the exit. Isabella frowned and struggled. "Let go of me!"

The others watched in shock, exchanging puzzled glances. Luna's expression changed. "Jayden, what are you doing?" she asked, worried he might become embarrassed or angry.

Seeing Luna approach, Isabella, concerned for her friend, stopped struggling and gave Luna a reassuring look before following Jayden outside. It was best not to argue with him in front of so many people.

Reaching the door, they saw Ivana approaching. Disbelievingly staring at their clasped hands, Ivana, suppressing her bitterness, asked, "Jayden, Isabella, where are you going?"

Jayden ignored her, glancing at Ivana before saying, "I need to talk with Isabella." He walked past her. Isabella gave Ivana a cold smirk; the disdain in her eyes caused Ivana to clench her fists in frustration, her nails digging into her palms.

Jayden led Isabella into a private room where waiters were cleaning up.

4:23 PM

Chapter 51 (continued)

The previous guests had clearly just left. The waiters paused, picking up glasses. One looked at Jayden with confusion. "Sir, may I help you?"

Jayden, holding Isabella's hand, pushed her onto a couch. Addressing the waiters with a serious tone, he said, "You all go out. I need to talk to her alone."

This was Draxenport's most upscale bar; only the wealthy or influential could afford private rooms. Not daring to offend Jayden, the staff exchanged glances before nodding. "Yes, sir."

After they left, the door closed. Isabella's eyes were cold as she gently rubbed her sore wrist. Jayden's gaze was cold. "When did you start spending time with Samuel?"

The thought of Isabella with Samuel made him deeply uncomfortable. Isabella looked up, her cool stare meeting his. "What business is that of yours?" She felt he was overstepping.

Jayden was taken aback. "You—"

His expression was gloomy. Isabella's former gentleness was replaced by icy coldness. He thought, Does she think this will change my mind?

He glared at her. "You'd better keep your distance from Samuel. He's not someone you should get involved with." The more powerful a man, the more reckless his games. Samuel could never marry Isabella, who lacked a wealthy family.

Isabella chuckled, exasperated. Crossing her arms, she sat back, giving him a sarcastic look. "So, who am I allowed to be with? You?"

(Note: The text then states Samuel and Isabella married, a plot point that should have been introduced earlier for better narrative flow. This is a significant structural issue in the original text.)

The scorn in Isabella's eyes angered Jayden. "Isabella, Samuel won't be interested in you," he said. Taking a deep breath, he added, "I'm just trying to give you a friendly reminder. Don't cross the line."

Cross the line? To Isabella, his words sounded like ridicule, mocking her past naiveté. She'd thought marrying Jayden would be possible if she loved him, but she'd failed to see his calculating nature. Their desires had always differed.

Slowly standing, her voice icy, she said, "I'm with Samuel. Now move out of my way." Arguing was pointless.

But as she passed him, he grabbed her arm. His intense gaze fixed on her as he gritted his teeth. "Isabella, do you think…"

Before he could finish, she slapped him hard, turning his head.

Chapter 51 (continued)

Jayden was stunned. The sharp pain fueled his anger, while Isabella felt impatient. Looking at him with disgust, she said, "Jayden, there's nothing between us. I hope you'll stay out of my business and realize you're nothing to me."

Ignoring his angry face, she walked out.

Bang!

The door slammed shut. Isabella had completely distanced herself from him. Jayden gritted his teeth, sullen.

"Isabella!" he shouted, but she left without looking back. Seeing Ivana at the doorway, a cold smile played on Isabella's lips. Ivana started to speak, but Isabella walked past her and returned to Luna's private room.

Seeing Isabella unharmed, Luna breathed a sigh of relief. She turned back to her friends, resuming their joking and drinking.

The girls, including Jill and her friends, decided to call it a night after a few more drinks. People began to leave.

Isabella drank wine to calm her anger. Jayden, what a complete fool! she thought. Then her phone buzzed with a new message.

(The passage ends abruptly. The final lines, "曲 LIND GIFT," seem unrelated and should be removed.)