Chapter 429
Nathaniel settled onto the edge of the bed.
“We wait.”
The room was completely sealed.
No sound could escape, not even if they screamed.
Their phones had been confiscated outside.
Contacting Oliver was impossible.
They were trapped until he decided to release them.
Isabella’s brow furrowed deeply.
“How long must we stay here?”
“That depends on how long he believes his father requires,” Nathaniel stated plainly.
A flush crept up Isabella’s neck at his implication.
She scanned the room desperately.
The windows were securely locked from the outside.
The door was their only exit, and it was solid, immovable.
No tools were available to force it open.
“Try to rest tonight,” Nathaniel suggested, his voice calm. “We will find a solution in the morning.”
Isabella recalled his promise not to overstep.
She forced herself to relax slightly.
Oliver would surely let them out tomorrow.
He wouldn't let them starve.
She noticed some old architectural blueprints and checkers strategy books she’d left in the room previously.
She moved to the desk, deciding to occupy her mind.
The wall clock showed 8 PM.
Having slept all day, sleep felt miles away.
Nathaniel seemed equally alert.
Isabella could study her designs, but Nathaniel’s work documents were outside.
He had nothing to do.
He came and stood behind her, looking over her shoulder.
She was sketching the framework for a new skyscraper.
He picked up a pencil and added a few precise lines.
“A pyramidal base here increases structural integrity and allows for greater height.”
Isabella studied the modified foundation.
His adjustment was brilliant, a masterstroke of engineering.
Combined with her original vision, the design would be revolutionary.
She stared at him, impressed.
“How do you know this? Blackwood Industries doesn’t deal in architecture.”
Blackwood Industries was a global investment titan, not a construction firm.
They hunted profitable markets, not designed buildings.
Yet, every project they backed was a guaranteed success.
She assumed Nathaniel only understood finance and investment.
His knowledge of structural engineering was a complete surprise.
A faint, knowing smile touched his lips.
“I possess many talents. You will discover them all after we are married.”
Married.
She nearly choked.
Why did he constantly bring that up?
“I... I need to focus on this drawing,” she mumbled, bowing her head and pretending he wasn't there.
Fortunately, Nathaniel didn’t press further.
He picked up one of her advanced checkers manuals instead.
The publications were dated, from years ago.
The mentors who had given them to her were legends in their fields.
Time slipped away unnoticed.
It was 2 AM.
Exhaustion finally pulled at Isabella.
She turned to Nathaniel.
“Oliver isn’t watching. We don’t have to share the bed. You take the floor.”
She couldn’t risk a repeat of earlier… incidents.
His eyes darkened, a storm brewing in their depths.
“Your memory is conveniently selective when you’re sober.”
“You said you wouldn’t mention the kiss again!” she retorted, irritation flaring.
He countered smoothly. “After everything that has transpired between us, you relegate me to the floor?”
Without waiting for a reply, he stretched out on the bed beside her.
Isabella was rendered speechless by his audacity.
He was utterly unreasonable.
Was she destined to be stuck with him, even without an audience?
Was this his new permanent arrangement?