Chapter 54 The Kingsley House
Isabella’s POV
The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of the Kingsley estate.
I had seen the house before, but it still made my brain pause when we pulled up.
The place wasn’t just big—it was the kind of elegant, old-money mansion that looked like it belonged on the cover of a luxury magazine.
Tall windows glowed warmly against the evening sky, and the long stone driveway curved around a fountain in the center of the courtyard.
Alexander stepped out first and held the door for me.
“Ready?” he asked.
I looked up at the massive house and let out a small breath.
“Sure.”
His mom stepped out onto the porch.
“Finally,” she called down the steps, her voice warm but teasing. “I was starting to think you two got lost.”
Then her eyes shifted to me, and her expression softened instantly.
“Isabella, darling. Come here.”
I barely had time to react before she wrapped me in a warm hug.
“You look beautiful,” she said, holding me at arm’s length to look at me properly.
“Thank you,” I said with a smile. “Sorry we’re late.”
“Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart,” she said warmly. “We’re actually still waiting for James. He’s usually the one who shows up early and starts eating before anyone else even arrives.”
Alexander let out a quiet laugh beside me.
“James is running late?” he said, clearly amused. “Oh, this is going to be a very entertaining night for me.”
His mother looked at him with mild confusion.
I shot Alexander a warning look.
He cleared his throat.
“Right… well,” he said casually, “I guess we’ll just wait for him.”
We started walking toward the living room, and that’s when I saw Sarah talking with Alexander’s sister, Ava.
The moment they noticed us, both of them moved at the same time.
Sarah ran toward me.
Ava ran straight for Alexander.
“Bella!” Sarah said, grabbing me into a tight hug.
At the same time, Ava threw her arms around Alexander.
“I missed your ugly face,” she told him dramatically.
Alexander laughed.
His mother gasped from behind us.
“Ava! I’m offended,” she said. “If he were ugly, he wouldn’t be on the cover of every business magazine in the country. Besides”—she winked at me—“I make beautiful children.”
Ava groaned immediately.
“Mom,” she said as we walked toward the living room, “don’t even start talking about babies right now.”
His mother laughed and waved a hand dismissively,
“You guys enjoy yourself, I am going to help the chief” before heading back toward the kitchen.
Sarah and I sat down next to each other on the couch.
Alexander started to sit beside me, but Sarah immediately pointed a finger at him.
“Hold on,” she said. “Let me have my best friend for at least five minutes before you drag her upstairs.”
Alexander raised an eyebrow.
“You assume a lot.”
Sarah smirked.
“I can read it all over your face. The way you’re looking at her? You’re about two seconds away from kidnapping her.”
Ava flopped into a chair nearby.
“Yeah,” she said casually. “He definitely looks like he wants to jump her.”
I stared at both of them.
“Come on you guys we just got here”
They both looked at Alexander and me at the same time.
Then Ava pointed between us.
“Maybe stop staring at each other like you’re about to rip each other’s clothes off.”
Sarah nodded in agreement.
“Seriously. You two are about five seconds away from climbing each other.”
My face turned bright red.
Alexander, on the other hand, looked completely unbothered.
He leaned back casually and said,
“I’m glad someone here understands the situation.”
I groaned and buried my face in my hands.