Chapter 123

"By the way, Morris told me Mom came to see you today. She didn't give you a hard time, Dad?" Isabel asked, glancing at Blake.

"No," Blake replied, shaking his head.

"Next time, if she comes looking for you, call me right away. I won't let her bully you. If you have any problems, just tell me; don't carry everything on your own," Blake said, concern evident in his voice.

"Okay. I understand," Isabel nodded.

Blake added more food to Isabel's plate. "Alright, I can't finish all this," Isabel said with a small smile.

"You're too skinny. Eat more; it'll look better on you if you gain some weight," Blake said softly, his gaze full of affection. His sharp, cunning eyes, like a fox's, softened when they met Isabel's.

Isabel's phone buzzed. She glanced at Blake before answering.

"Boss, it's me!" the voice on the other end exclaimed.

"Uh-huh," Isabel responded.

"I'm back home and thought I'd check in. My hometown is Ardenfall, and I'm back! Boss, where are you? Can I come see you?"

Isabel remained silent.

"Boss, it's been a while since you left the organization. I miss you," the caller added.

"It will happen when it's meant to," Isabel said, ending the call.

The mercenary group was her creation. After Fox's death and failing to track down Wolf, she had gone into hiding, leaving operations to her subordinates. Normally, she wore a mask when meeting anyone due to her special status; members didn't know each other's true identities or appearances. She hadn't expected Eagle to be in the same city.

"Have you finished your call?" Blake asked, his expression turning colder.

"Yeah," Isabel put her phone away and noticed Blake's expression had grown even colder. Oh no! He's jealous again! Isabel thought.

"That was a guy, wasn't it?" Blake asked casually, but an edge sharpened his tone. He felt uneasy about another man in Isabel's life; even though he couldn't hear clearly, he sensed it was a male voice.

"Are you jealous again?" Isabel asked, raising an eyebrow. Blake didn't reply, but his face practically screamed it. Isabel wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Alright. I'm full. Let's go!"

Blake stood and pulled Isabel into his arms, kissing her forehead. "Blake, we're in public," Isabel whispered urgently.

"Yeah. I'm jealous. So you owe me. Is it too much for me to kiss you?" Blake murmured.

Isabel was speechless. "Not too much," she conceded, "but can we go now?"

"Since it's not too much, one more kiss then!" This time, Blake kissed her lips, soft as cotton candy, making him reluctant to stop.

"Mm. That's too much, Blake!" Isabel tried pushing him away, only to find him holding her tightly. In her struggle, she caught sight of a familiar figure across from them—Amdi.

Just as she was about to ask Blake to let her go, he turned her head firmly. "Pay attention!" Isabel was speechless.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" the man beside Amelia asked, noticing her pale face.

"Nothing," Amelia replied. She shouldn't have seen that person.

The man chuckled. "You saw those two kissing and felt shy about crossing over, right?" Amelia didn't reply. She quickened her pace toward the elevator.

"Sweetie, don't be shy. If they can do it, so can we." Before Amelia could respond, he leaned in and kissed her in the elevator. As the kiss deepened, his hand slipped under her short skirt, igniting a fire within her.

Amelia wasn't in the mood for this; she couldn't let Isabel see her. She had stolen this dress from Isabel's closet—if she found out, there would be trouble. When the elevator reached the ground floor, the man finally released her.

"Sweetie, where are you going? We came here to eat dinner, didn't we?" the man asked, gently holding Amelia's arm.

"I suddenly don't feel like eating anymore. It's getting late, and I need to go home," Amelia said guiltily, avoiding his gaze.

"Why did you suddenly become unhappy? Is there something I did wrong?"

"It's not because of you," Amelia replied softly. I just can't be seen by Isabel. If she catches me in this dress, it'll be a disaster, she thought.

"Since it's not my fault, why don't you stay with me? I booked a couple's suite for tonight; it's really fun and exciting," the man whispered, nibbling Amelia's earlobe.

"Sorry, my parents are very strict. I have to go back by evening, or my mom will be upset. Let's meet another time!" Amelia said, hailing a cab, ready to head home.

"Dear, isn't your family quite wealthy? Why isn't your driver picking you up?"

"Well, my parents worry about people being after our money, so they usually ask me to keep a low profile. I can't reveal myself. I should go now!" Amelia lied, feeling guilty as she climbed into the cab.

The man thought about how her eyes had lit up at designer handbags in the mall. Low profile? But she doesn't seem low-profile at all, he thought, recalling her enthusiasm.

Over the past few days, he'd spent a lot of his savings on Amelia, even taking out online loans to win her heart. Marrying her would secure his future. He had doubted whether Amelia was truly wealthy, but when he secretly searched for images of her clothes online, they were all high-end brands, some designed by Dely Studio, not easily available to the public.

Maybe I'm overthinking it. These rich girls often pretend to be poor to find true love, the man thought.

Back at home, Amelia slipped inside quietly, hurriedly changing out of the stolen dress and sneaking it back into Isabel's closet without washing it.

"Amelia, when did you come back?" Hannah asked.

"Just now," Amelia replied.

"Have you had dinner? Dinner is ready."

"Yes," Amelia answered obediently.

Hannah observed her for a moment but saw nothing unusual and felt relieved.

Isabel returned, her mind still reeling from Blake's kiss. It was the first time someone had kissed her so thoroughly, and that man was irresistible. She remembered Seraphina once saying that women would feel weak after kissing a man. At the time, she hadn't believed it. She wondered, A man's kiss isn't poison; how could it make me weak! Today, however, she experienced it firsthand. When Blake kissed her, she felt powerless, unable to push him away, slowly succumbing to his tenderness.

"Isabel, you're back. You look distracted," Hannah asked worriedly.

"Mom, I'm fine," Isabel reassured her.

Amelia smirked silently. Being kissed by a man, no wonder she looks like that. Back when I was deceived by Liam, I felt the same way, she thought.

"Have you eaten dinner? Join us," Hannah asked.

"Blake and I already ate. I'm going to my room," Isabel said before heading upstairs. Passing Amelia, Isabel gave her a brief glance. Feeling exposed, Amelia lowered her head and began eating, muttering to herself, "Can't see me, can't see me..."