Chapter 605

Chapter 605:

Through the glass partition, she could see the lounge clearly. Kaiden sat on a leather sofa in his pristine school uniform—and beside him, her arm wrapped possessively around the boy’s shoulders, sat Belle Escobar. Belle was wearing a vibrant red designer dress. She was surrounded by a small circle of wealthy mothers who leaned toward her, laughing at her remarks, their faces arranged into eager, sycophantic smiles. They had clearly read the Wall Street Journal article. They were treating Belle like the new queen of the Lancaster empire.

Isolde stood perfectly still. Her jaw tightened. The sheer, unadulterated audacity of the scene was almost impressive.

She set the gold pen down on the desk. It landed with a sharp, deliberate click.

She turned and walked directly toward the glass doors of the lounge.

The sharp, rhythmic click of Isolde’s heels against the marble floor echoed through the lounge.

𝖯𝖣𝖥𝗌 𝗈𝗇

As she stepped through the glass doors, the animated chatter among the wealthy mothers died instantly. The silence was heavy and suffocating. The women awkwardly stepped back, their eyes darting between Isolde in her sharp grey suit and Belle in her vibrant red dress.

Belle looked up. A flash of genuine panic crossed her face before she masked it with a smug, arrogant smile. The morning news had given her an inflated sense of invincibility.

She raised her voice deliberately, ensuring everyone in the room could hear. “It is truly shocking,” Belle said to the woman beside her, her tone saturated with false pity. “The admissions standards here have really slipped. They simply let anyone walk through the front doors these days p>

Kaiden looked at Isolde. He shrank back immediately, pressing his small body tighter against Belle’s side, his eyes wide with a mixture of guilt and childish hostility.

Isolde did not break her stride. Each step was steady and measured—though only she could feel the sharp, stinging protest from the bandaged cuts on the soles of her feet. She did not look at Belle. She did not look at Kaiden. She walked straight past their sofa, treating them as though they were invisible pieces of furniture, and approached the refreshment table. She picked up a crystal glass and poured herself a measure of sparkling water.

The absolute, chilling dismissal landed harder than a physical slap.

The other mothers exchanged uncomfortable glances. Isolde’s refusal to engage made Belle look desperate and loud.

Belle’s face flushed with anger. She stood up, seized Kaiden by the hand, and marched to the refreshment table, planting herself directly in Isolde’s path. “Gray is incredibly busy today,” she announced, crossing her arms and puffing out her chest in the role of the devoted partner. “He specifically asked me to come and handle Kaiden’s academic review. He knows I have a better grasp of educational development p>

Isolde took a slow sip of water. The ice clinked softly against the glass.

She lowered her eyes and looked at Belle. Her gaze was completely hollow, stripped of anger or jealousy—the detached, clinical look of a scientist observing a mildly annoying insect.

“According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act,” Isolde said, her voice smooth and perfectly modulated, “only a legally recognized parent or a court-appointed guardian has the right to view a minor’s academic records p>

She took one step forward. Belle instinctively took one step back.