Chapter 259 Too Preoccupied
"Jack took a day off," Isabella said with a smile, leaning close to Nina's ear. "He's with Kelsey."
Nina blinked in surprise. "Really? No wonder Mom said Kelsey was acting weird today. She claimed she was at a friend's house, but when asked which friend, she couldn't give a clear answer. Turns out she's with Jack."
Isabella nodded. "I heard it when Jack was asking Seb for leave."
Nina took her hand and walked inside. "I need to tell Mom later so she won't worry."
"Okay."Isabella replied.
Isabella and Nina walked into the house hand in hand, leaving the two men standing silently in the yard.
Richard frowned and looked back at Seb, his gaze lingering on Seb's eyes for two seconds. "Looks like you don't need me to help you inside?"
Seb's eyes shifted. "Mr. Mille, you're quite sharp."
His acting could fool many, but Richard saw through him instantly.
This Richard, truly lived up to being Bruno's right-hand man.
Richard chuckled lightly. "But aren't you worried that deceiving Isabella like this will cause trouble if she finds out?"
Seb remained calm as he looked towards the gate. "Certain matters must be kept from her; the more she knows, the greater the peril she faces."
Richard glanced at him again. "Is it just for her safety?"
Seb met his gaze.
The two men stared at each other, neither speaking.
Just then, Zaire strolled out of the house, eyeing the group with a hint of exasperation. "Are you two planning to just stand out here and dry out like raisins?"
Richard finally looked away from Mr. Landon. "Just catching up with Mr. Landon."
Seb returned to his blank stare. "Don't slander me. I have no interest in emotional bonding with men."
Zaire just rolled his eyes in response.
Everyone took their seats.
The lunch spread was impressive, with Richard and Nina, Isabella and Seb paired off at the table.
Seeing the cozy setup, Margaret noticed Zaire alone and found it rather awkward. She nudged him with her foot and whispered, "Where's Miley? I haven't seen her in days. Why didn't you bring her along?"
Zaire shrugged. "She's busy."
Isabella, having overheard, looked up. "Actually, Miley called me on the way here. She mentioned she was free today and was hoping to hang out. I told her we'd be here for lunch and invited her."
As Isabella finished her sentence, Zaire shot her a sharp glance.
Margaret quickly understood the situation. She put down her fork and said, "I'll give her a call and see if she can come over for a bite."
Before Margaret could get up, the sound of a car engine filled the yard.
Moments later, a servant came in with a smile, "Mrs. Jose, Miss Harper has arrived."
Isabella added, "I told her we were having lunch here and that she should join us. She said she hadn't seen Margaret in a while and was happy to drop by."
Margaret smiled approvingly, "Perfect. Please, show Miss Harper in."
Margaret then asked the servant to set an extra place at the table.
Seeing Zaire still sitting there with his indifferent expression, Margaret gave his leg another nudge.
Zaire jolted. "Mom?"
Margaret shot him a look. "Are you going to just sit there?"
He thought, 'Well, what am I he supposed to do? Stand? Or lie down?'
Just then, Miley walked in.
"Margaret."
Zaire's gaze lingered on Miley for a moment, and he couldn't help but be taken aback by her appearance.
Miley was stunning, and her outfit was on point. Even when she didn't put much effort into her appearance, she was already a head-turner. Today, however, she had clearly gone the extra mile. Her white dress was a far cry from her usual style, and instead of her usual high heels, she was wearing stylish flats.
Margaret admired her with satisfaction. "Miley looks absolutely lovely today. She's a perfect match for our Zaire."
Margaret pulled Miley over and practically planted her next to Zaire, looking more and more pleased with the pairing as she did.
Zaire barely touched his food before making an excuse about a phone call and standing up to leave.
As he reached the door, he glanced back at Miley. "Come with me for a moment."
Margaret shot him a disapproving look and held onto Miley's hand. "Why would she go with you? Let her stay here and chat with me. Business calls are always so dull."
Miley nodded eagerly, "Sure thing, Margaret. I'm happy to stay and talk."
Zaire stood there for a moment, his frustration mounting as no one paid him any attention.
Feeling out of place, he turned and left.
Isabella watched the scene unfold with a smirk.
Seb, noticing her amusement, leaned in and asked quietly, "What's going on?"
Isabella shook her head with a chuckle. "Nothing much."
After lunch, Seb mentioned he had work to handle, and since Jack was out, Margaret insisted Isabella stay. The Jose family's driver took Seb to the Landon Group.
Meanwhile, the women settled in the living room to chat. Richard, finding himself out of place in their conversation, joined Steven in the study for some male bonding.
Margaret had the servant brew a pot of coffee, and the women moved to a quieter room to enjoy their drinks and conversation.
Somehow, the discussion shifted to the Landon family.
"Bella, how are things with you and Seb? Any new issues with Charles?" Nina, ever the worrywart, couldn't help but ask her usual questions whenever they met.
Isabella replied, "Everything's fine so far."
Margaret pondered for a moment before saying, "Charles is probably too preoccupied with his own problems lately."
Her tone hinted that there might be trouble in the Landon family.
Isabella pressed, "What do you mean? Is something happening with them?"
Margaret explained, "I'm not entirely sure of the details, but from what I've heard from some of our mutual friends, there's talk of Charles having an affair. Emma's been inquiring about houses in Mosterwania through a friend. Rumor has it they might be heading for a divorce."
Isabella was taken aback. "Is this reliable?"
She thought, 'Charles, at his age, still causing trouble? And why is Emma looking into Mosterwania properties? Could she be planning an exit strategy?'
The whole situation seemed bizarre to Isabella, but Margaret didn't have any more details.
Isabella decided to keep this news in mind and plan to discuss it with Seb later that evening.
Outside, the sound of a car engine caught her attention. Looking through the window, she saw it was the driver returning from dropping Seb off.
Margaret opened the window to inquire, and the driver explained, "I ran into Mr. Landon's private doctor, Marvin, right after I left. Marvin took Mr. Landon to the office, so I was sent back."
Isabella thought, 'Marvin? What a coincidence.'
But given that Marvin was Seb's private doctor, just like Jack's presence, she felt reassured. With Marvin looking after Seb, he'd be in good hands.
Isabella got up and said, "I'm going to use the restroom."
As she entered and closed the bathroom door, her phone buzzed.
