The restaurant was the kind of place designed for quiet power — soft candlelight, polished mahogany, and the muted hum of wealth in every detail. It should’ve been the perfect backdrop for a business meeting.
But the air felt heavier than it should.
Isabelle sat across from Marcus in a corner booth, the atmosphere intimate and exclusive. The clink of glasses and low murmur of conversation filled the space around them, but the weight of the conversation ahead kept her on edge.
“Sebastian wants to invest,” she said, her voice low and steady — though the words tasted complicated on her tongue. “He’s interested in buying shares.”
Marcus’s brows lifted, his easy charm cooling into something sharper. “Sebastian Hale. Investing in your company.” His eyes stayed on hers, measuring. “And how do
