Sweet Flash Marriage with the Restrained Tycoon (Isabelle and Damien) novel Chapter 166

Isabelle let out a quiet sigh of relief and strode toward the hospital room.

Back in the room, Damian was still leaning against the wall, a slight frown on his face as he listened to the murmurs from the woman in the bed. He held his phone, having just called her parents.

Sensing a presence at the door, he looked up.

Isabelle walked in, placed the takeout bags on a nearby table, and as she passed him, her eyes caught a faint smudge of lipstick on his collar.

She quickly looked away, her heartbeat stumbling erratically.

Seeing her enter, Damian immediately moved to help, completely unaware of the mark on his clothes.

It was just a short while. How did lipstick get on him?

Isabelle grabbed his shirt firmly. "What were you doing just now?"

Only then did Damian notice the stain. His eyes darkened, jaw tightening.

I just used the wheelchair to take her to the bathroom. I didn't even carry her. How did it get there?

As Damian leaned closer, Isabelle saw the mark more clearly.

It was Celeste's shade of lipstick.

Isabelle released his shirt and said calmly, "Eat something first. I got pumpkin soup for Ms. Snow. We can heat it up when she wakes." She opened a food container and handed him a disposable spoon.

As she finished speaking, she rubbed her thumb hard against the lipstick mark on his collar.

Damian winced at the pressure but said nothing, bearing it.

"That lipstick color doesn't suit you. Let me give you a different one," Isabelle said, pursing her lips.

Before he could process her words, she looped her arms around his neck, stood on her toes, and kissed the corner of his mouth.

So that's what she meant by "a different one".

Damian bent down slightly, one hand circling her waist, the other cradling the back of her head, deepening the kiss.

He felt more certain now—Isabelle had fallen for him. Why else would she react so strongly? He'd felt the wave of anger when she first walked in. At the time, he didn't know where it came from, but it left him feeling oddly pleased.

This was that specific kind of possessiveness one person felt for another.

Isabelle slowly pushed to create space between them.

But Damian tightened his hold.

So this is what it feels like when a woman gets jealous.

It was a first for him. A part of him hoped Isabelle would stay just like this—loving him a little more, getting jealous a little more often.

Right now, Isabelle was utterly within his grasp, unable to break free.

How dare they act like this right in front of a patient? Do they think I'm dead?

It's infuriating.

They have no shame.

"I'm going to use the restroom," Isabelle said. Her appetite was gone after just a few bites.

The room had its own bathroom—she just needed some air.

Celeste is troubling me. Even though Damian has made his stance clear, she's still a loose cannon. Something unpleasant could happen at any time, and there's not much I can do about it.

"I never thought I'd see you looking so deflated. Not a good sign," Collin said, appearing beside Isabelle out of nowhere.

She smiled weakly. Without a word, they both moved to a quieter, empty corridor to talk.

"What kind of person is Celeste?" Isabelle asked.

Collin said, "I've only met her once. She wanted to study under Mr. Whitaker, pulled some strings, and arranged a dinner. Mr. Whitaker wasn't impressed. Her parents are university professors—respectable enough—so he met with her out of courtesy. That was it. Nothing came of it."

He leaned against the wall, idly tapping his foot on the floor, his gaze lingering on Isabelle, who was leaning against the opposite wall.

"How could you tell Celeste isn't a good person?" she pressed.

Collin just smiled, not answering.

Celeste's major was Market Management. She'd studied Fashion Design on her own and was considered fairly talented—she'd even designed for some socialites in their circle.

The reviews were middling, though—nothing remarkable.

She'd only learned it to follow Damian. His focus for the past couple of years had been entirely on Cross Boutique, and she wanted to be part of that world.