Chapter 487

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the café windows as Olivia Sinclair stirred her latte with deliberate calm. "To be honest, it's the same designer who was caught up in that plagiarism scandal," she said, watching Alexander Montgomery's reaction.

Alexander's eyebrows shot up, but he remained silent, the air between them thickening with unspoken thoughts. Olivia took another sip, savoring the rich flavor while giving him space to process. By the time she finished her third cup, Alexander finally stood. "I'll consider your proposal, Miss Kensington," he murmured before striding out.

The moment the Montgomery family car disappeared from the underground garage, Sebastian Montgomery started the engine. He glanced at Liam Blackwood, who reclined in the backseat with his eyes closed. "Mr. Blackwood, should we follow him?"

Liam rubbed his temples, exhaling slowly. "No need. How long was he with Olivia?"

Sebastian checked his watch. "Only twenty minutes. That's hardly enough time to negotiate anything."

Yet Liam smirked. "You clearly don’t know Olivia well enough."

His amusement faded as quickly as it had come. "I barely got five minutes with her before she kicked me out. Who am I to judge?"

Sebastian nearly responded but held his tongue, sensing Liam’s bitter tone. Then, a notification chimed—Olivia’s text. The stormy expression on Liam’s face vanished instantly. The message was brief: "Pick up Isabelle."

Liam snapped into action, urging Sebastian to drive faster. It wasn’t just an order—it felt like a lifeline.

During their stay in Westhaven, Olivia had enrolled Isabelle in a specialized class to keep her engaged, knowing the girl would grow restless at home. Winston usually arrived an hour early to collect her. But today, Olivia had summoned Liam instead, sparing Winston the need to mobilize security.

Despite Liam’s past failures, Olivia had always believed he was a good father. But that belief was about to shatter.

Within half an hour of receiving Olivia’s message, Liam stood outside the building, scanning the area. No sign of Isabelle.

Unease prickled at his skin as he stepped inside. Then, a faint sob reached his ears—Isabelle’s. His pulse spiked as he rushed toward the sound.

Pushing through the door, his stomach dropped at the sight before him.

Isabelle sat hunched over, tears streaking her cheeks, while Eleanor Blackwood loomed above her. Though Eleanor’s smile was gentle, her eyes were ice.

"Come now, darling," Eleanor cooed, her voice honeyed but sharp. "You broke my things. Surely you know how to apologize?"

Isabelle lifted her chin, defiance burning through her tears. "That’s a lie! I didn’t break anything! You hit me first! You should be sorry!"

Eleanor’s smile flickered, replaced by something darker. Oliver Hart stepped in hesitantly. "Miss, she’s just a child. She doesn’t understand—"

Eleanor cut him off with a glare. "Oh, please. She may be a child, but I can’t stand the sight of her."

Liam surged forward, scooping Isabelle into his arms. He leveled a glare at Eleanor. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Eleanor’s expression melted into sweetness, but her words were venom. "I couldn’t find you, so I had to take matters into my own hands. Liam, why did you lie to me? You and Olivia were married. You even have a child. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?"