Sweet Flash Marriage with the Restrained Tycoon (Isabelle and Damien) novel Chapter 263

Chapter 263 A Trial by Fire

Chapter 263 A Trial by Fire

He didn’t voice any objection, effectively accepting the arrangement, but his eyes met Damian’s in a silent, shared understanding.

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After Sophia and the others stepped out, she turned back and re–entered the room alone.

Jonathan and Jaxson didn’t follow her in, remaining outside to wait.

Isabelle and Damian were slightly taken aback to see Sophia return.

Tear streaks were still visible on Sophia’s face–likely from crying throughout the night. Her eyes were swollen, with heavy shadows beneath them. Her voice emerged hoarse and subdued as she spoke humbly, “Dami, I’m sorry.”

Choking back another sob, she continued, “What I did that night was wrong, but I swear on my life, I had nothing to do with what happened to Abigail and Isabelle. If I’m lying, may I never make it back from that remote assignment.”

She practically rushed the words out between quiet sobs, then turned and hurried from the room immediately after.

Damian watched her go, his expression largely unchanged.

Isabelle sat still for a moment, suddenly wondering whether this whole situation might genuinely not be Sophia’s doing.

Still, what exactly had happened that night?

She turned her eyes to Damian and asked, “Which night is she talking about? What happened?”

They hadn’t spread the story widely, but the senior family members who needed to know had been informed. They’d kept it quiet mostly to spare Sophia’s dignity.

Damian didn’t avoid it. He poured her a glass of water and said, “She tried to get into my room, realized it wasn’t going to work, and ended up being confronted by Jonathan instead.”

He phrased it tactfully, but Isabelle grasped the meaning.

“Do you think Sophia could have been behind the fire?” she asked.

“Even if Sophia is impulsive, she wouldn’t keep causing trouble for you repeatedly and leave such obvious evidence behind. She’s definitely been framed.”

“Then who could it be…?” Isabelle pressed her lips together thoughtfully.

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Chapter 263 A Trial by Fire

Damian stayed quiet.

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Even if Sophia wasn’t responsible for this incident, being sent to manage projects in a remote region was what she deserved.

As for the fire itself–it wasn’t over yet.

A cold gleam flashed in his eyes.

The day Isabelle was discharged from the hospital was overcast and drizzly, the sky a flat gray and the roads slick with rain.

The medical ointment on her leg had grown damp from the humidity, and by the time they returned to the villa, it felt sticky and uncomfortable, amplifying the throbbing pain.

The burn, about the size of her palm, had lost a thin layer of skin and showed signs of mild inflammation.

She leaned back against the living room sofa as Damian walked over with a fresh tube of ointment. He gently patted the area dry, then began applying the medication.

His movements were practiced and careful.

Isabelle propped her head on her hand, watching him intently.

“Mrs. Cross, if you keep staring at me like that, I might actually blush,” Damian said, a faint smile touching the corner of his mouth.

Isabelle tilted her head, meeting his gaze. “You? Blush? I was under the impression you had the thickest skin of anyone I’d ever met.”

Damian gave a low chuckle and looked up at her. This woman used to act as though he were some sort of predator–nothing like the easy way she teased him now.

“Mr. and Mrs. Cross,” Susie said from nearby, smiling softly at the affectionate scene.

Isabelle lowered her eyes, a faint warmth rising in her cheeks.

Even though she and Damian had grown much closer, she rarely felt flustered around him anymore–but being observed by others still brought a hint of shyness.

“Yes, Susie?” Damian asked, his tone still light.

Susie didn’t often see Damian smile so readily, but ever since Isabelle had arrived, a certain

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Chapter 263 A Trial by Fire

ease seemed permanently etched on Damian’s face.

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“A delivery came earlier today–a scar treatment cream, addressed to Mrs. Cross,” Susie said, holding out a small, neatly packaged box.

Isabelle paused, puzzled. She hadn’t been expecting anything.

Damian glanced at Isabelle’s expression, then took the cream. It was a high–end foreign brand known for its effectiveness–Damian had already ordered the same one, which was upstairs and not yet needed.

So who had sent this?

“Did the courier say who sent it?” Isabelle asked.

Susie thought for a moment. “I believe they mentioned the sender’s last name was Dorfman.”

Last name Dorfman?

Aside from that rather confident Collin, no one else in their circle with that surname came to mind.

Damian’s eyes clouded over. Was this deliberate?

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