Chapter 319

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Esme, your lecturer for today. Welcome to my class!" Esme's voice rang out, clear and confident, filling the room.

Nina, who had been clapping enthusiastically, suddenly froze.

Throughout the hour-long class, Esme only took a short break to show off some of her past work.

As the class wrapped up, people started getting ready to snap some photos.

Isabella stood up, leaned on the railing, and scanned the crowd but couldn't spot Nina.

"Where's Nina?" Isabella muttered to herself.

Quentin, standing behind her, chimed in, "You saved my mom last time, and I've been wanting to treat you to a meal to say thanks. You also mentioned we should hang out when your fiancé gets back. When's good for you?"

Isabella remembered saying that, but with everything going on lately, it had slipped her mind.

Quentin was now a shareholder in the Landon Group, and Esme was Nina's favorite teacher. This dinner seemed unavoidable.

"How about tomorrow night? My fiancé and I can make it work," Isabella suggested.

"Sounds good," Quentin agreed, "I'll wait for your message."

Just then, Isabella's phone rang. It was Nina, asking where she was.

Not wanting to reveal she had watched the whole class from the VIP section, Isabella decided to keep it vague. "I'll be right there," she said and hung up.

After saying goodbye to Quentin, Isabella took the elevator down.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Nina by the floor-to-ceiling window, staring at the falling sycamore leaves, lost in thought.

Isabella walked over.

Nina snapped out of it but looked a bit off. She grabbed Isabella's hand and said, "Let's go home."

"Nina, why are your hands so cold?" Isabella asked, squeezing her fingers.

"I'm fine," Nina smiled, but it was clear she was distracted.

Once in the car, seeing Nina's state, Isabella decided to drive herself.

Nina didn't object. She leaned back in the passenger seat, deep in thought.

After a while, Isabella asked, "How was the class?"

Nina paused, "It was just okay."

If Isabella hadn't been there, she might've believed her. But she had attended the whole class and found it fascinating. She couldn't believe Esme's class would be "just okay" to someone like Nina, who loved design.

"Just okay?" Isabella questioned.

Nina shrugged, "I was in the last row, so it was pretty average."

Isabella thought that during tomorrow's dinner, she could find an opportunity for Nina. Maybe Esme could even give her a private lesson.

"Same time tomorrow? I can come with you again," Isabella offered.

Nina shook her head, "I have something to do tomorrow, so I might not make it. You should stay home and take care of Sweetie. If I come, I'll let you know."

Isabella glanced at Nina. Something was definitely off. Before the class, Nina had been so excited, even bringing extra pens for notes.

Isabella thought, 'How could Nina be so down after just one class?'

That night, Isabella did some digging online about Esme.

What she found blew her mind. Esme was a design prodigy, racking up prestigious awards left and right. She was a big deal in the design world. Plus, her students weren't just in jewelry; top dogs in various fields had learned from her.

Isabella thought, 'Esme's a real heavyweight. If Nina can learn from her, she's set for life.'

Isabella filled Sebastian in on the dinner plans for tomorrow night, and Sebastian wasted no time booking the best spot in Lakina.

"There's something else I need to tell you," Isabella hesitated but decided to spill the beans about Siena.

Sebastian asked, "What is it?"

Isabella replied, "It's about Siena."

A sudden knock on the door cut her off.

Siena's voice came through, "Isabella, I need to talk to you. Can you come out for a sec?"

Isabella opened the door. "It's late. What's up?"

Siena peeked into the room and then whispered, "I need to talk to you. Can you come out for a moment?"

"Okay." Isabella closed the door and followed Siena to her room.

Siena was staying in a room on the first floor that used to be empty. The room was lit, and the bed was a bit messy. Once inside, Isabella asked, "What's the matter?"

Siena closed the door, walked to the bed, and lifted the blanket. Isabella's eyes widened at the sight of a red patch on the sheets. "You're bleeding?"

"Yeah." Siena looked flustered, one hand on her abdomen. "Isabella, my stomach hurts. Could something be wrong?"

"Bleeding during pregnancy is definitely not good." Isabella was nervous. This was serious. "I'll call Sebastian to take you to the hospital."

Siena grabbed Isabella's arm. "But I don't want Sebastian to know. Can you come with me?"

"Why?" Isabella was confused. "Bleeding during pregnancy is no joke."

Siena said, "I know. I'm scared so I called you. I feel like I might lose this baby."

Isabella said, "If you can't keep it, then you can't. Siena, as I said before, you really need to think carefully about whether to keep this baby."

Siena said, "Alright. Isabella, my stomach hurts a lot. Can you take me to the hospital? Don't tell Seb; I don't want him to know." Siena pleaded, her face almost devoid of color.

Isabella hesitated but finally nodded. "Okay, I'll get the car keys. Wait for me in the yard. It's chilly at night, so wear a coat."

"Okay. Thank you." Siena let go of her hand.

Isabella went upstairs, where Sebastian was playing with Sweetie.

Isabella walked over and said, "I'm heading out for a bit."

Sebastian looked up. "Where to?"

Isabella answered, "Siena needs some daily necessities, so I'm going with her to grab some."

Since Isabella said so, Sebastian didn't press further.

"Okay." Sebastian nodded. "By the way, what were you going to tell me earlier?"