Chapter 112

NOAH “Noah, I’ve been texting you, but you’re not replying. Did I do something wrong? Do we have a problem?” Isabel asked. Avery had invited her to dinner at our house in Atherton. The entire family was gathered around the table when she suddenly directed the question at me, catching everyone off guard. I didn’t even hesitate. “Can’t you take a hint?” I said coolly. “I thought you were smart enough to understand. Or do I need to block you for it to finally sink in?” The table fell silent. Isabel’s face reddened—whether from embarrassment or sheer awkwardness, I couldn’t tell—but she still managed to force a stiff smile. “Uncle, what are you saying?!” Avery cut in quickly. She turned to Isabel at once, clearly trying to smooth things over. “Don’t take my uncle seriously. He’s just joking.” But I wasn’t joking. Everyone in my family knew I had no interest in Isabel. And I was hardly the type to joke around, especially about something like this. The few times I had met her were purely out