Chapter 297

The sleek private jet bearing the Kingsley crest landed at Elmsworth Airport under the cover of night.

Isabella descended the stairs, her auburn waves tumbling over the fur-lined collar of her designer coat. The waiting limousine door swung open to swallow her whole.

Since the Victoria Sterling scandal, Alexander had kept her under virtual house arrest - no phone, no friends, no outside contact. His attempt to quarantine her from further scandal.

She'd tried everything. Tears. Screaming matches. Even refusing meals for three days straight.

Margaret Kingsley, torn between maternal instinct and her son's iron will, finally brokered a compromise. Isabella would return to their Aetheria estate for "reflection."

Winter's arrival became Alexander's reluctant permission slip.

Now, after months of isolation that had frayed her nerves to breaking point, Isabella seethed at her brother's absence. "Where is Alexander? Why isn't he here?" Her stiletto connected with the back of Preston's seat.

Preston Carter had known Isabella since pigtails and scraped knees. Though Alexander's most trusted security chief, he'd always had a soft spot for the tempestuous Kingsley heiress. His hesitation spoke volumes. "Mr. Kingsley's schedule has been... demanding."

"Demanding?" Her manicured nails dug into the leather. "He always made time before! Not one call in three months!" A single tear betrayed her fury. "He's forgotten he even has a sister!"

The dam broke. Sobs wracked her frame.

Preston's resolve crumbled. Leaning close, he murmured, "Miss Isabella... there's something you should know. But you must remain calm."

She snatched the proffered handkerchief. "Out with it."

"Mr. Kingsley has been... preoccupied with Ms. Valentina."

Her head snapped up. "That talentless hack?"

"There's more." Preston's voice dropped further. "They've been cohabiting at the Skywatch villa."

The limousine interior suddenly felt airless. "Impossible! No woman has ever set foot in Kingsley Manor!"

"Not the manor. A separate property."

"Take me there. Now."

The Kingsley villa stood like a pearl among the Skywatch district's elite homes. While lacking the ancestral estate's grandeur, its manicured grounds offered privacy - the perfect love nest.

Alexander, notorious playboy who'd once canceled an entire business trip when his sister skinned her knee, hadn't left Valentina's side in weeks. Even Lily Bennett, his longtime housekeeper, marveled at the transformation.

"Alexander! Your surprise is ready!" Valentina's voice trilled across the snow-dusted garden. The crimson wool cloak framed her porcelain features like a winter rose.

Lily watched from the terrace. Even she, immune to most feminine wiles, found the girl's enthusiasm infectious. No wonder Alexander was smitten.

"Careful - icy patches everywhere." Alexander's warning carried more tenderness than Lily had heard in years. He'd carried Valentina everywhere since her illness, as if the marble floors might steal her away.

The garden glittered under its frosty blanket. Among the crystalline trees, Valentina moved like a cardinal in fresh snow - impossible to ignore, impossible to resist.

"Look!" She pointed triumphantly at a lopsided snowman. "I made him for you!"

Alexander's initial delight curdled upon inspection. The snowman bore his face - via an unflattering black-and-white printout.

"Why this photo? I have hundreds better."

Her nose scrunched adorably. "I snuck it! Wanted to surprise you."

"But monochrome?"

"The color printer was out of ink."

Alexander sighed, adjusting her woolen cap. A gift was a gift, even if it made him look like a Depression-era gangster.

Chaos arrived on four paws. Coco, his Doberman, launched at the snowman with gleeful abandon.

"Coco! Heel!" Too late. The snowman's head went rolling.

"Alexander... your head fell off." Valentina observed.

Coco, interpreting this as a new game, began dribbling the icy skull like a soccer ball.

"Look! He's playing keep-away with your head!" Valentina clapped.

Alexander's roar shook snow from the branches. "Coco! You're dog stew if you don't drop that right now!"

The Doberman whimpered, pressing against Valentina's legs.

"No! Don't hurt him!" She seized Alexander's hand with unexpected strength. "I'll rebuild it. Better this time!"

Alexander's anger dissolved. He stroked her cheek. "Only because you asked, little one." Then, softer: "Coco, you'd be sleeping outside tonight if not for your mother's mercy."

The endearment slipped out. His pulse stuttered.

But Valentina was already gathering fresh snow, blissfully unaware.

Or was she?

The question burned hotter than any winter chill.