A tall man in a khaki trench coat stood behind the woman, steadying her as she stepped down from the piano bench. Both had their backs to Emily Blair, their faces hidden from view.

For reasons she couldn't quite explain, Emily found herself compelled to wait until the two turned around.

Slowly, they did.

Emily's expression froze for a moment.

It was Benjamin Gomez.

And with him was a woman Emily recognized only from photographs-a stranger in real life.

For a heartbeat, she just stared, unable to process what she was seeing.

Then the pair noticed her, too.

Benjamin's face didn't change; he raised his eyebrows in mild surprise and nodded politely.

Emily regained her composure and nodded back.

The woman beside Benjamin let out a soft laugh. "Benjamin, is that a friend of yours?"

Benjamin took her hand and led her over. "Yes, a friend. We haven't seen each other in ages."

Emily's gaze lingered on the woman, curiosity blooming.

Up close, the woman looked different than she did in photos. In pictures, Emily had always thought she resembled Isabella Austin.

But in person, the similarity faded.

Where Isabella was cool and reserved, this woman radiated warmth and kindness- there was nothing intimidating about her.

Benjamin made the introductions. "This is Emily Blair. And this is my girlfriend, Juliana Silva."

Juliana gave a friendly nod. "Hello, Ms. Blair."

Even her voice was nothing like Isabella's.

"Hello," Emily replied.

Benjamin smiled, making small talk. "It's been such a long time. How have you been?"

"Not bad," Emily said. "You seem to be doing well, too. New girlfriend, you two look happy together—congratulations."

He chuckled. "Just fate, I suppose."

Emily nodded. "Weren't you living overseas for a while? What brings you back?"

"Work, mostly. And Juliana grew up abroad-she's barely been back here, so I brought her along to see the place."

Grew up abroad?

"Really? She certainly blends in well," Emily said. "I wouldn't have guessed— Juliana, your English is excellent."

Juliana's eyes sparkled with pride. "Both my parents are American. They made sure

I spoke English at home, so I manage well enough."

Emily studied Juliana's face for a moment.

There were no signs of plastic surgery her features were bright, her smile genuine.

It was the kind of face that inspired immediate goodwill.

"I see. Well, that explains it," Emily said. "If you two have things to do, don't let me keep you."

Benjamin squeezed Juliana's hand. "Alright, we'll head out. Take care."

As they brushed past, Juliana gave her another warm nod.

Confusion gnawed at Emily.

Maybe she'd misjudged the situation. Maybe Benjamin's girlfriend had nothing to do with Isabella Austin at all.

Just then, her phone vibrated—a message from Tristan Davis.

He told her that there were no records of Juliana Silva undergoing any cosmetic procedures at Aetheria in recent months.

Reading the message, Emily felt more certain she'd been mistaken.

She frowned and looked up.

Emma George was just stepping out of the nearby coffee shop.

Across the street, Benjamin and Juliana were waiting by the curb, probably for a ride.

Emily glanced around, her gaze landing on a sleek black Bentley pulling out from the gated community.

The Bentley stopped at the curb.

She had a hunch—a faint sense of what would happen next.

Sure enough, the next moment, Isabella Austin's parents got out of the car, heading

straight into the office building without a glance in her direction.

In that instant, Emily noticed several things at once.

Emma George's eyes were fixed on the Austins; the moment they disappeared

inside, Emma immediately followed after them.