Chapter 767

Isabella Austin hesitated for a moment but finally nodded.
Andrew Lane arrived five minutes before Benjamin Gomez. By the time Benjamin stepped into the private room, Andrew had just finished reviewing the file his assistant handed over.
The assistant stood off to the side, head bowed so low it was almost hidden, his breathing light but quick. There was something awkward and uneasy about his expression, and if you looked closely, a sheen of sweat dotted his forehead—even though the air conditioning in the room was set low.
Andrew’s face remained unreadable as he closed the file and handed it back. “Keep it safe. Don’t let anyone else see it,” he said coolly.
The assistant nodded. “Yes, Mr. Lane.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, someone knocked on the door. Andrew said, “Come in.”
It was Benjamin Gomez.
One man stood at the threshold, the other sat directly across from the door. Their eyes met, something unspoken and turbulent passing between them.
Andrew spoke first. “Have a seat.”
Benjamin shrugged off his coat and draped it over the chair, then sat down across from Andrew.
Without waiting for an invitation, he reached for the teapot and poured himself a cup, saying, “It’s not often we get to meet. I think you and I should have a good talk, Mr. Lane.”
Andrew picked up his own cup and took a small sip. “My parents are still abroad, and they won’t be back for a while. They asked me to send their regards.”
Benjamin smiled politely. “Thank you. I understand.”
They exchanged a few pleasantries-nothing personal, nothing contentious. The conversation fit their relationship as cousins: cordial, but distant.
Andrew watched as Benjamin finished his tea in one gulp, then changed the subject. “Your company’s main operations are still overseas, aren’t they, Mr. Gomez? When are you heading back?”
Benjamin paused, setting his cup down with a faint smile. “In a hurry to see me go, Mr. Lane?”
Andrew dodged the question. “Mrs. Lane has been extremely busy lately. I’m afraid she might not make it back in time to see you off when you leave.”
Benjamin met his gaze, lips pressed together in a thin line.
Andrew didn’t look away.
The remaining assistant in the room was practically trying to disappear, head nearly tucked between his knees, wishing he could become invisible.
Benjamin forced a smile. “No worries. There’ll be other opportunities.”
Andrew’s voice grew heavier. “You know what I’m talking about.”
The smile vanished from Benjamin’s face, replaced by a faint, mocking laugh. “So it took you this long to figure it out?”
Andrew lowered his eyes, watching as the assistant refilled his cup.
It wasn’t that Andrew lacked perception—it was just hard for him to believe that
Isabella would ever do something like this.
He kept his voice low. “What did you do to her?”
Benjamin dropped the pretense. He was in control now, and he knew it.
He smirked. “Maybe you should be asking what she did, not me.” Andrew said nothing.
Benjamin continued, “She’s been with me all this time, but she never stopped thinking about you. Or your son. I gave her a choice-she chose to stay. I didn’t force her.”
It took Andrew less than a day to uncover that Isabella and Benjamin had been living together for some time. Still, he hadn’t been able to find out much.
Andrew had always known Isabella was intelligent, ambitious, and knew how to look out for her own interests. The Lane family, and his place in it, meant a lot to her- these were things she would never let slip so easily.
That’s why he just couldn’t believe Isabella would make this decision on her own. He was far more inclined to think Benjamin had done something to leave her with no way out.