Chapter 272: Meeting The Love Rival

Richard found himself staring at Isobel far more than he should have.

There was something about her that drew people in without effort. She had a natural warmth that made children gather around her like bees flocking to flowers.

Her laughter was infectious, her smile genuine, and even when she was doing nothing more than answering a child’s endless questions, there was a softness in her that made her impossible to ignore.

Richard knew that better than anyone. After all, he had known Isobel since she was a baby in a swaddling cloth.

But then his mind returned to what he had witnessed earlier.

Morgan stepping down from the helicopter...

Waiting for Isobel...

Holding out his hand and carefully helping her down.

The gesture was simple, almost insignificant.

Yet Richard couldn’t forget it.

There was something unmistakably protective in the way Morgan looked at her.

And for some reason, that realization made Richard’s chest ache.

For so many years, he had been the one standing beside Isobel.

He was the one looking after her, protecting her, making sure she was never alone.

But now...

There was Morgan.

And there was also Kristoff.

Richard’s jaw tightened slightly.

Just how special was Isobel to Morgan for him to personally bring her here in a helicopter?

His gaze returned to the woman surrounded by children.

He couldn’t help wondering when exactly the little girl he remembered had grown into someone who could command the attention of so many powerful men.

Richard finally strode toward them.

The children were still bombarding Isobel with questions.

"What was it like?"

"Was it scary?"

"Did you see our orphanage from the sky?"

"Could you touch the clouds?"

Isobel laughed.

"It was only a twenty-minute ride. And it was my first time, too. What am I supposed to tell you?"

The children stared at her expectantly.

Isobel’s eyes drifted toward the large hammock beneath the sprawling tree at the back of the orphanage.

A nostalgic smile touched her lips.

She remembered the days when she and Richard would lie on that same hammock, swinging beneath the shade while pretending they were riding Aladdin’s magical carpet.

She pointed toward it.

"Well... it’s kind of like swinging on that hammock."

The children looked at the hammock.

"Really?"

"Yes." Isobel nodded solemnly. "Except instead of swinging between the trees, you’re flying through the sky."

The children’s eyes widened.

"It’s like riding a magic carpet."

"Wow!"

"Just like Alladin and Jasmine?"

"Exactly like Alladin and Jasmine."

The children erupted into excited chatter.

Isobel laughed at their enthusiasm.

"Next month, Wonderland Amusement Park will finally open. I’ll take all of you there."

The children fell silent.

Then one little boy with the missing front teeth stared at her with sparkling eyes.

"Aunt Isobel, are you serious?"

"Of course."

"You’re really taking us?"

"I promise."

The children cheered.

"But first..." Isobel clapped her hands. "You’d better get ready for your presentation. I want to see all of you perform your best."

That was enough to send the children scattering in every direction, their laughter filling the orphanage courtyard.

Only then did Isobel notice Richard standing a short distance away.

Her entire face immediately brightened.

"Richie!"

She hurried toward him and wrapped her arms around him in a quick, affectionate hug.

Richard stiffened for half a second before instinctively returning it.

"How long have you been here?" she asked.

"More than two hours."

His voice was calm, but his eyes lingered on her face.

"I thought you weren’t going to make it."

"I thought so as well," Isobel smiled apologetically. "But Morgan suddenly had an urgent meeting in Aldea, so I tagged along."

A faint flicker crossed Richard’s eyes.

Morgan.

His expression barely changed, but something inside him tightened.

Isobel didn’t notice.

Instead, her attention shifted toward the elderly woman who had just returned from the restroom, accompanied by Rena and a foreign-looking woman.

"Is that Grandma Sharon?"

"Yes," Richard answered.

Before he could say anything else, Isobel was already hurrying across the hall.

"Mama Rena! Grandma Sharon!"

She threw her arms around Rena first, hugging her tightly.

Then she turned to Grandma Sharon and planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Grandma Sharon, it’s been such a long time!"

Grandma Sharon laughed warmly and patted Isobel’s cheek.

"Look at you, girl. You’ve grown taller. And even more beautiful."

Isobel giggled.

Then her gaze shifted to the elegant young woman standing beside Grandma Sharon. She tilted her head curiously.

"Grandma, who is this beautiful lady?"

Grandma Sharon smiled.

"Ah, this is my granddaughter, Kristal. She came all the way from Fiorenza. She’s here on vacation."

"Nice to meet you, Kristal."

Without hesitation, Isobel leaned forward to give her a cheek-to-cheek greeting.

Kristal froze.

She instinctively took half a step backward.

Isobel immediately noticed.

"Oh! I’m sorry."

She pulled back, slightly embarrassed.

"I got carried away. I guess we have different customs."

Kristal quickly composed herself and extended her hand instead.

"Nice to meet you, Isobel."

Her smile was polite.

But there was a faint guardedness in her eyes.

"I heard that you and Richard grew up together here."

"That’s right."

Isobel’s smile returned.

"Richie was actually the one who found me and brought me here."

As she spoke, she casually reached out and tugged Richard’s sleeve, drawing him closer.

Kristal’s gaze dropped.

It landed on Isobel’s hand resting naturally on Richard’s arm.

Her expression remained perfectly composed. But her fingers tightened slightly around the strap of her handbag.

No one noticed.

Isobel, completely oblivious, continued talking.

"It was because of Richie that I met Grandma Sharon in the first place. She always brought us so much food and so many gifts."

Her eyes softened with nostalgia.

"I still remember how happy we used to be whenever Grandma Sharon came to visit."

Richard smiled faintly.

He remembered those days, too.

But Kristal wasn’t looking at the past.

Her eyes remained fixed on the easy familiarity between the two of them.

She had come here thinking she would finally get to know the people who had been part of Richard’s childhood.

She hadn’t expected to meet a woman who could hug him so naturally...

touch him so casually...

and call him Richie as though no one else had ever had the right to that name.

Kristal lowered her gaze.

For some inexplicable reason, she suddenly felt a tiny, unreasonable irritation toward Isobel.

She didn’t even know her.

And yet...

The more she watched Isobel laugh with the children, hug Grandma Sharon, and smile at everyone around her, the harder it became to dislike her.

That, perhaps, was the most frustrating part.

How was she supposed to hate the woman who Richard had his eyes on?

... the woman who was her rival?

Isobel was simply...

too lovable!