When Isabella’s phone rang, she was having dinner with James. She picked up the phone, glanced at the caller ID, saw it was David’s number, and directly hung up.
James looked at her suspiciously. “You’re not going to answer?”
“No need to,” Isabella shrugged nonchalantly. She knew exactly why David was calling her. She had no inclination to return and listen to Mrs. Ada’s sarcastic remarks. In her family’s eyes, since she had married Andrew, he should be at their beck and call; otherwise, it was considered unacceptable.
James, still puzzled, didn’t ask further and instructed the waiter to serve the dishes. One by one, the exquisite dishes were placed on the table. After the last soup was served, the waiter respectfully said, “Mr. James, your dishes are all here.”
“Thank you,” James nodded with a smile.
The waiter left with the tray, slowly closing the door of the private room. Just as he was about to turn around, a hand suddenly reached over from behind and pressed on his shoulder.
“Uh!” The waiter instinctively wanted to shout, but the person behind him covered his mouth.
“It’s me, keep it down,” said the man in a low voice. After speaking, he removed his hand from the waiter’s mouth and asked, “Is everything done?”
The waiter nodded. “It’s all done. The drugs have been put in the food, wine, and drinks. Nothing was missed.”
“Good,” the man nodded with satisfaction, taking a thick envelope from his jacket pocket and handing it to the waiter.
The waiter squeezed the envelope, satisfied with the amount of money inside but still a bit uneasy. “It won’t cause any fatalities, will it?”
“I told you to use an aphrodisiac, not poison. I’m doing them a favor, letting them have a good time,” the man replied with a lewd smile. After laughing, he warned, “Is the door locked? Keep an eye out, don’t let anyone disturb them. If my plan is ruined, swallowing this money will be easy, but spitting it back out won’t be pleasant.”
“I understand, I understand,” the waiter replied, staying nearby to keep watch.
Meanwhile, inside the private room, James picked up a fork and handed it to Isabella. “Try this, see if it suits your taste.”
Isabella took the fork from him, her eyes scanning the dishes on the table. “These are all my favorite dishes. It’s rare that you remember what I like.”
“We grew up together; of course I know your preferences,” James said with a smile, placing a piece of steak on her plate with his fork.
In fact, he knew her habits, likes, and tastes by heart. He even remembered his mother once saying that two people who knew each other well would live very comfortably together.
James hadn’t paid much attention to this before. It wasn’t until he lived with Zoey, whose personality, habits, and social circle were vastly different from his, that he realized how many conflicts could arise. Most of the time, he chose to endure, but when he couldn’t, they argued or gave each other the silent treatment. Zoey never seemed to care about his feelings; even if he stormed out in anger, she would still dress up and happily go to parties.
James found such days tiresome and felt helpless. He often wondered if there were significant differences between Isabella and Andrew. Did they have any conflicts or arguments?
However, he saw no trace of worry on Isabella’s face, only happiness. She was sipping lychee juice through a straw, looking like the pure little girl she once was.
James poured himself a glass of wine, drinking it alone. The taste felt bitter.
“About the past, it was my fault. I hope you can forgive me. From now on, I’ll be your brother.”
“Since you’re so sincere, I’ll forgive you.” Isabella smiled brightly, her tone indifferent as she continued to eat.
With her head down, James could only see the top of her golden hair. After a moment of silence, he hesitated and asked, “Doesn’t Andrew mind?”
“Mind what?” Isabella looked up, clearly confused. “Mind our past relationship?”
James’ expression turned slightly awkward; he hadn’t expected Isabella to be so blunt.
“Don’t worry, Andrew isn’t that petty,” Isabella said casually. Andrew indeed wasn’t petty, just easily jealous.
James hadn’t touched much of the food, focusing instead on drinking. He noticed that whenever Isabella mentioned Andrew, her eyes sparkled with joy, showing just how deeply they cared for each other.
James drained his glass of wine, feeling a bitter taste as it slid down his throat. Whether it was from drinking too much or not, he felt his body getting hotter, his throat burning as if it were on fire.
“Waiter, bring me some ice water,” James called towards the door. He just wanted something cold to cool down.
But despite calling several times, no one responded.
In a high-end restaurant like this, there wouldn’t typically be many guests, and the staff were usually very attentive. It was unusual for no one to respond after being called several times.
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, James staggered to his feet, walked to the door, and tried to push it open. However, no matter how hard he pushed, the door wouldn’t budge; it was clearly locked from the outside.
At this moment, alarm bells went off in James’ mind. He turned to look at Isabella, seeing her cheeks flushed red like apples, her eyes blinking at him.
“James, why did the room suddenly get so hot?”