ISABELLA
Christian adjusted his blazer, preparing to leave, but my mind was still reeling from the unexpected reunion with Ava. It felt surreal—like I had been stranded in the middle of a storm, and suddenly, I had found shelter.
I didn’t realize I had been staring at Ava for too long until Christian’s deep voice pulled me back.
“I have a meeting in an hour,” he said, his gaze lingering on me for a second longer than necessary.
I blinked, my fingers tightening around my coffee cup. “Already?”
His lips pressed into a thin line, as if he was hesitant to leave. But eventually, he nodded. “I’ll have Ethan pick you up when you’re ready.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw Ava lean back in her chair, arms crossed, expression unreadable. She had been quiet since Christian revealed the surpri
