Never Again Yours (Isadora and Magnus) novel Chapter 202

"At least this much," Rowena declared, dramatically holding up eight fingers.

“Isadora, do you even need to start a business? You could sell this and open your very own luxury design studio right away.”

Even Isadora couldn't hide her surprise at that number.

She’d always known Victor Fitzgerald wasn’t one to go cheap, but this… this was beyond anything she could have imagined. Suddenly, the bracelet on her wrist felt impossibly heavy.

“I read about this in a magazine,” Rowena went on, her excitement growing. “This has to be a limited edition from the Northmarch Michelle collection. Every single piece from that brand is a one-of-a-kind treasure. But the real question is—do you know what sapphires symbolize?”

Isadora shook her head.

Rowena’s eyes sparkled. “In ancient Greece, they stood for loyalty, deep affection, and devotion.”

Hearing that, Isadora’s lashes fluttered ever so slightly.

But almost immediately, she brushed that thought aside. She remembered how casually Victor had treated the bracelet yesterday—he’d practically tossed it aside when she hesitated to accept it.

He probably had no idea what sapphires were supposed to mean. He must have just bought it on a whim, nothing more.

*

After lunch with Rowena, Isadora returned to Brocade Heights, her emotions tangled and unsettled.

She unlocked the door to find Victor lounging on the sofa in a gray dress shirt, looking utterly relaxed. One arm was tucked behind his head, the other draped across his forehead, his legs—clad in perfectly pressed black slacks—carelessly crossed at the edge of the couch.

At the sound of the door, Victor slowly raised his hand and lazily opened his eyes. They were as dark as polished obsidian, fringed with long lashes, and when he looked at her—still heavy with sleep—there was an intensity in his gaze that sent a shiver down her spine.

Standing in the doorway, Isadora was caught off guard, lost in the depths of his eyes.

For a moment, the air between them seemed to hold its breath. Neither of them spoke; they simply stared at each other in silence.

The bedroom light was off. Only the faint glow of moonlight spilled in from the balcony, tracing silver patterns on the floor.

Isadora couldn’t quite make out his features in the dim light, but his burning gaze held her captive, rooting her to the spot.

The only sounds in the apartment were their quiet, mingled breaths and the steady tick of the clock on the wall.