Lucas’s assistant rushed in, his expression tight with urgency. “Mr. Grant, we have a critical situation!”

Lucas and Eleanor spun around to face him.

The assistant caught his breath. “Our partners… They’re pulling out. Even the ones who’ve been with us for generations are withdrawing their support…”

Eleanor paled. “What? Why? What’s going on?”

“I tried to get answers…” The assistant’s voice grew quieter. “They said… Mr. Blackwood gave the order. They’re afraid of crossing him…”

“Ethan Blackwood?” Disbelief washed over Eleanor’s face. She turned to Lucas, her eyes wide with shock. “Lucas, what happened between you two?”

Eleanor recalled Lucas and Ethan had been inseparable since they were boys, closer than brothers.

Lucas stood up abruptly, his expression turning stormy. His lips pressed into a thin line, his jaw clenched. He strode quickly toward the door.

“Lucas, where are you going?” Eleanor’s voice cracked as she called after him. Lucas didn’t answer. He wrenched the door open and disappeared into the darkness.

“Lucas! Stop!” Eleanor’s desperate plea followed him out.

But Lucas only accelerated, his footsteps echoing on the marble floor.

The heavy gates of Grant Manor slammed shut behind him with a final, resounding thud that made Eleanor’s heart lurch.

Overwhelmed, she sank onto the sofa, her face ashen, her eyes vacant.

Ethan’s actions were deeply suspicious. There had to be a hidden reason behind this.

She summoned the butler, who appeared promptly. “Yes, Mrs. Grant?”

“Contact Martin Spencer, the private investigator. Immediately!”

Determined to uncover the truth, Eleanor waited. The butler gave a curt nod. “Right away, Mrs. Grant.” He hurried off without delay.

Isabella was completely unaware of these events.

She had been buried in her work for days, pouring all her energy into the Starlight Gala design drafts. She pushed herself to the absolute limit, to the point where even remembering to breathe felt like an effort.

After countless sleepless nights, her eyes were bloodshot, her complexion ghostly pale.

Her desk was a warzone of discarded sketches, crumpled like fallen soldiers. A precarious tower of empty coffee cups stood as a testament to her exhaustion.

But finally—it was finished.

Her hands trembled slightly as she carefully placed the final drafts into a portfolio. A heavy sigh of relief escaped her lips. Without wasting another moment, she got into her new black SUV and headed for Silverwood Estate.

It had been a long time since she was last in Switzerland, and she had finally managed to renew her driver’s license.

At Silverwood Estate, sunlight bathed the manicured grounds. The air carried the faint, sweet scent of blooming flowers.