Chapter 727

Isabella's heart was torn in two.

Was Henry really leaving? Just like that?

Henry strode toward the grand oak door, his hand reaching for the polished brass handle.

A breathtaking young woman stood waiting outside. Her breath caught when she saw Henry, cheeks flushing pink. "G-Good evening, Mr. Lancaster."

Henry studied her with cold detachment. "Do we know each other?"

"Everyone in Metropolia knows you, sir. Though I doubt you'd remember someone like me."

This woman had been carefully selected by Isabella herself. She understood her role perfectly - to please this powerful man.

Any man connected to the Lancaster empire had to be extraordinary. Wealthy. Influential. Powerful beyond measure.

The woman had arrived prepared, but seeing Henry in person left her speechless. It felt like hitting the lottery. The legendary Henry Lancaster himself?

Henry noticed the naked desire in her gaze. His lips curled into a mocking smile. "Let's begin right here then."

"Here?" The woman glanced nervously at Isabella still standing in the room. "With Ms. Lancaster present?"

Henry's laugh was ice. "She arranged this. I'm sure she won't mind the show."

Isabella's fingers turned to ice. She should have known Henry wouldn't make this easy. Of course he'd take pleasure in humiliating her this way.

Henry's gaze never left the woman. "One chance only. Stay or leave."

"I'll stay." The answer came instantly. She stepped forward, hands trembling as they reached for Henry's belt. "May I?"

Henry offered no resistance.

Isabella watched as the woman's manicured fingers began loosening the silk tie of Henry's robe. The sight made her stomach churn.

She couldn't bear another second. Spinning on her heel, Isabella fled the room.

"Mr. Lancaster, she's gone."

Henry's eyes darkened as he watched Isabella disappear down the hallway.

Outside the mansion, Isabella collapsed into the leather seat of her Bentley. Tonight she'd surrendered her bedroom - her entire home - to Henry and his new companion. The engine purred to life.

But where could she go?

Her chest ached with a familiar bitterness. After all these years, the painful truth remained - she still loved Henry.

Two decades hadn't erased her feelings. The thought of him with another woman was unbearable.

Yet the ghost of Eleanor stood between them always. That woman's memory was a knife in Isabella's heart. As long as Eleanor's shadow lingered, there could never be reconciliation.

Hot tears spilled down Isabella's cheeks before she could stop them.

She was crying.

Crying for Henry. Again.

The car door suddenly wrenched open. A deep voice cut through her sobs. "What's this about?"

Isabella froze. Looking up through tear-blurred vision, she saw Henry looming over her, his expression unreadable.

Her mind went blank. How was he here? What about the woman? The questions tangled in her throat.

"Why aren't you—"

"Disappointed?" Henry's smirk was razor-sharp. "Did you actually think I'd touch her?"

Isabella gaped. "But you wanted—"