Chapter 414
"Hey, what do you think?"
Isabella leaned in close, batting her eyes. "Emilio, don't you think my friend and Atticus would make a great couple? Seriously, their personalities just click."
"I bet Atticus would be over the moon if he married Olivia."
Emilio was completely captivated by her proximity.
In the quiet, enclosed garage, they were sitting so close that Isabella's breath was right next to him.
It felt like he could just reach out and pull her into his arms.
Emilio swallowed hard, his hand itching to touch her shoulder. Just a little closer, and he could kiss her.
And he did just that.
As he inched closer to the woman he adored, a sudden ringtone shattered the moment.
Isabella jerked her head up at the sound, realizing just how close she and Emilio had gotten.
They had almost touched faces.
She hadn't noticed before, but this distance between her and Emilio seemed a bit too intimate.
The phone kept ringing, and Isabella realized the sound was coming from Emilio's clothes. She kindly reminded him.
"Emilio, your phone's ringing. Aren't you gonna answer it?"
"Oh, okay."
Emilio's eyes darkened as he pulled out his phone and answered it.
It seemed to be work-related, as Isabella noticed his tone suddenly became much more serious.
Not wanting to disturb him, Isabella got out of the car. Before leaving, she gestured to Emilio to wait there and that they would contact each other by phone.
Emilio nodded slightly, unable to speak.
Isabella walked into the hall alone, waiting for Atticus to arrive.
As the time approached, she stepped outside to check, and soon heard the sound of a car engine turning off. It was Atticus.
"Isabella, why are you up so early?"
Atticus, dressed in a long black coat that made him look even taller and more imposing, felt a wave of tenderness seeing Isabella in her casual clothes waiting for him at the door.
He couldn't resist reaching out to pat her head.
Isabella smiled and said playfully, "I'm not just waiting for you, Uncle Atticus. Olivia is coming too. I'm waiting for her to wake up."
"Olivia?"
Atticus frowned slightly. "Wasn't today supposed to be just you and Emilio? Why bring her along?"
As her elder, it was already awkward enough for him to accompany her. Adding Olivia to the mix would leave no private space for Isabella and Emilio.
"Olivia came to keep me company. I can't just leave her at home alone, that would be too mean."
Isabella spoke earnestly while secretly observing Atticus's reaction.
She wanted to see how long Atticus could hold out.
Atticus sighed helplessly. He had thought Isabella agreeing to Emilio's date request was a step forward. Who knew she would bring Olivia along?
"Isabella, I don't believe you can't see that Emilio has feelings for you."
"I know."
Isabella interrupted Atticus, her face calm.
Atticus was stunned. So she knew all along.
Before he could say anything, Isabella shared her thoughts. "Uncle Atticus, Emilio and I have known each other since we were kids. How could I not know what he's thinking?"
"If it were before, I might have considered it. But now, I just want to live my life. I'm not ready to jump into another relationship so soon. Besides, Emilio is amazing in every way. He deserves someone better, not someone like me with a past marriage."
She and Emilio were no longer a good match.
Atticus couldn't believe that ending an imperfect marriage had made Isabella feel so insecure.
As the eldest daughter of the Wilson family and the heir to the group, how could she think she wasn't good enough for any man?
Even if she was divorced, so what?
In his eyes, Isabella was the best in the world.
"Isabella, how could you think that way?"
Atticus frowned deeply. "You're the princess of the Wilson family, the apple of our eye. Not to mention our family's power and influence in Evergreen City, you yourself are a shining star. Emilio is just one man. How could you not be good enough for him?"
The more Atticus spoke, the angrier he got.
It was all Michael's fault.
If Michael had cherished Isabella and not hurt her, how could the Wilson family's esteemed daughter have such low self-esteem?
His Isabella used to be a dazzling princess, excelling in business and management, achieving success in every hobby she pursued.
How could such an outstanding person have these thoughts?
That damned Michael. What had he done to Isabella over the past three years?
They must get divorced!
Isabella must not have any ties to that scumbag Michael.
Thinking of this, Atticus remembered Thomas, who was handling Isabella's divorce papers. What was taking him so long?
Thomas was usually efficient when working on Sterling Avenue.
Isabella needed to be truly divorced from Michael to move on and accept new people.
If this dragged on, Isabella would be stuck in this dead-end marriage.
Determined, Atticus took out his phone to call Thomas and ask about the situation.
Isabella stopped him.
"Atticus, don't rush. I haven't finished talking."
"Just because Emilio and I aren't possible doesn't mean others aren't. Atticus, what do you think of Olivia? She's the right age for Emilio, and their families are well-matched in status and background."
"I remember Emilio likes girls with personality. Olivia has been in the entertainment industry for years and has made a name for herself. She's excellent at both singing and acting. What do you think about me introducing Olivia to Emilio?"
Isabella blinked at Atticus, her eyes full of "sincerity."
She wanted to see how long Atticus could keep his cool.
He liked Olivia but wouldn't say a word.
Today, she would try to provoke him. She didn't believe Atticus would have no reaction.
"Olivia and Emilio?"
Just putting their names together made Atticus frown deeply.
Olivia had always claimed to like him. How could she switch so quickly?
Even though he knew Olivia and Emilio wouldn't end up together, the thought of Olivia possibly dating, marrying, or even having children with another man was hard for Atticus to accept.
Isabella watched Atticus's reaction closely but said nothing.
She waited quietly for him to speak.