She didn't retreat.

Instead, she stepped further into the room, her gaze boldly sweeping over Ethan.

"What a pleasure to meet you again after the Starlight Gala. I didn't expect our paths to cross so soon," she purred, her voice dripping with honeyed sweetness.

Ethan shot her a glacial look, his tone icy. "I have no recollection of that." He continued dressing, completely ignoring Zoe's flirtatious demeanor.

Her smile tightened, a surge of resentment boiling inside. She hadn't anticipated such blatant indifference, him acting as if she were invisible.

"Mr. Blackwood, your memory seems rather selective." Zoe pressed on, masking her irritation. "I'm Zoe Tremblay from the Tremblay family. Chief designer at Apex Design Collective."

Ethan finished buttoning his shirt and met her gaze, his patience visibly thinning. "Do you need something?"

"Not... not really." Zoe felt a pang of guilt under his intense scrutiny but refused to back down. "I simply wanted to say hello. It feels like fate, us meeting here."

"I don't believe in fate," Ethan replied coldly, turning towards the bathroom to freshen up.

Zoe's face paled, then flushed with deep embarrassment.

The lounge door swung open again.

"Ethan, what's taking so long to change—" Olivia Sterling's voice cut off abruptly the moment she spotted Zoe.

Isabella entered behind Olivia, her heart plummeting at the scene.

Caught off guard, Zoe quickly masked her panic.

"Ms. Sterling, Isabella, hello," Zoe exclaimed, feigning surprise.

Olivia offered Zoe a knowing smile, her voice laced with insinuation. "Well, hello, Miss Tremblay. What an unexpected surprise."

"I must have entered the wrong room," Zoe stammered, her expression stiffening. She knew Olivia was a formidable woman and wanted to avoid any direct confrontation.

"Oh? Really?" Olivia raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "This lounge is exclusively reserved for Ethan. How could you possibly make such a mistake?"

Caught off guard, Zoe struggled to find a plausible excuse.

Ethan emerged from the bathroom, immediately sensing the thick tension in the room, his frown deepening.

Isabella felt a suffocating pressure crush her chest, standing completely motionless.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, yet she felt no physical pain.

Zoe noticed Isabella's visible distress and allowed a slight, triumphant smirk to touch her lips.

She cast a final, flirtatious glance toward Ethan, her voice softening. "Mr. Blackwood, I'll take my leave now." With that, she turned and sashayed out of the lounge, the sharp click of her high heels echoing on the floor.

Olivia glanced between Isabella and Ethan, her eyes sparkling with playful amusement. "Oh my, young people are always so... impulsive. I'm just an old-timer, I'll leave you to it."

With a graceful turn, she gently closed the door behind her, leaving Isabella and Ethan completely alone.

The lounge was now thick with an unbearably awkward and tense atmosphere, so stifling it was hard to breathe.

Isabella bit her lip hard, striving desperately to maintain her composure.

She reminded herself fiercely that she and Ethan were on the very brink of divorce.

None of this should matter to her anymore. She took a deep, shaky breath and turned to leave. But in the very next instant, a strong hand clasped her wrist tightly, pulling her back forcefully. Her back hit the solid door with a dull thud.

"Ethan, what are you doing?" Isabella exclaimed, struggling to free herself from his grip.

Ethan remained utterly silent. Instead, he leaned in and captured her lips in a fierce, dominant kiss. It was intense and charged with pent-up anger and a torrent of unspoken feelings.