Chapter 468

Chapter 468:

She was wearing a sleek, solid black one-piece swimsuit. It was not revealing, but the tailoring was flawless — clinging to her toned waist, flat stomach, and long, athletic legs. Years of running and high-stress work had kept her in peak physical condition. There was no trace of the ruined body Belle had imagined.

Carter let out a low, appreciative whistle.

“Wow,” Carter said simply.

Isolde ignored him. She stepped down the stone stairs and slid gracefully into the hot water.

At that exact moment, Belle and Daron walked through the bamboo entrance. Arthur helped a stiff-backed Grayson navigate to a padded lounge chair at the edge of the terrace.

Belle strutted forward in her tiny red bikini, a confident, seductive smile fixed on her face. She looked toward the pool and froze.

Carter was not looking at her. His eyes were entirely on Isolde.

𝘚𝘵𝗈𝗋𝗶e𝗌 𝗒𝘰𝘂 𝘸о𝘯’𝘁 р𝘂t 𝖽o𝘸𝘯 о𝘯 𝗴𝗮𝘭ո𝘰𝘷е𝘭𝘴.c𝗼𝘮

Belle’s smile shattered. She stared at Isolde’s figure in the water, and jealousy burned like acid in her throat.

Grayson eased himself onto the lounge chair, hissing quietly in pain. He looked up and saw Isolde in the water. His throat went completely dry. He swallowed hard. That was the woman who used to sleep in his bed. Now she was smiling at another man.

Daron noticed the tension. He decided to break it by being loud.

“Well, look how crowded it is!” Daron shouted, walking toward the edge. “Mr. Sterling, your taste in women is… very unique.”

Carter turned in the water. His playful smile vanished instantly. His gray eyes turned to ice.

“This is the VIP section,” Carter said, his voice carrying easily over the bubbling water. “I do not remember sending an invitation to a dog.”

The entire spa went dead silent.

Daron’s face turned the color of a bruised plum. He stood frozen on the wet stone tiles.

“Who… who are you calling a dog?” Daron stammered, his fists clenching at his sides.

Carter leaned lazily against the rocky edge of the pool, resting his chin on his hand.

“Whoever is barking right now,” Carter replied smoothly.

Isolde let out a soft, sudden laugh. The sound echoed over the water — light and amused — and it hit Daron’s ego harder than a physical slap.

Grayson gripped the arms of his lounge chair. His jaw muscles bulged.

“Carter, Daron is my associate,” Grayson said, his voice a low, threatening rumble. “I expect you to show some respect.”

Carter raised one eyebrow. He did not look intimidated in the least.

“Respect is earned, Lancaster,” Carter said coldly. “It is not inherited through a family trust fund.”

Carter pushed off the wall and swam over to Isolde, stopping beside her. He casually rested his arm on the wet stone wall directly behind her shoulders. It looked exactly as though he had his arm wrapped around her.

“Let me introduce you properly,” Carter announced to the room. “Isolde Carson. CloudPath’s newest strategic partner.”

Belle let out a shrill, hysterical laugh. “Partner? Her? What does she know about aerospace technology?”

Carter looked at Belle with an expression of deep, genuine pity.

“She knows things you won’t learn in three lifetimes,” Carter said. “For example, she knows how to use her brain to solve problems, instead of using her body to climb ladders.”

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