Chapter 366

Julian Montgomery froze. His fingers clenched as the realization struck him like a physical blow.

Autism.

Suddenly, Eleanor's unusual behavior made perfect sense. At twenty-two, she should have been worldly, yet she acted with the innocence of a child.

No wonder Penelope had kept her hidden away all these years.

"Did you ever ask for her consent?" Nathan's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "Did you consider whether she wanted to attend that glittering event? Of course not. You never think about others' feelings - that's who you are."

Nathan took a deep breath, his knuckles white around his phone. "Eleanor prefers a quiet life. Stop interfering. You're only hurting her."

Julian remained silent for a long moment before rasping, "Is there... any chance of improvement?"

Nathan's expression darkened as he shook his head. "If recovery were possible, it would have happened years ago."

The memory of Eleanor's terrified face flashed through Julian's mind, making his chest constrict with guilt.

The ringing of Nathan's phone shattered the heavy silence. Leonard Blackwood's name glared from the screen.

Nathan hesitated before answering. "Father."

"Come to my office immediately." The command brooked no argument. "I'll be waiting."

The line went dead.

Nathan stared at the darkened screen, his jaw tightening. Was this really how things would always be between them?

Sometimes he wished Leonard wasn't his father. Maybe then he wouldn't feel this constant, simmering resentment.

When Nathan arrived at Blackwood Industries, the chairman's secretary ushered him in without ceremony.

The scene that greeted him made his blood run cold.

Leonard sat behind his imposing desk, but it was the presence of Cassandra that set off alarm bells in Nathan's mind.

"Nathan!" Cassandra beamed, her sickly-sweet tone making his skin crawl.

To an outsider, they might appear close. Nathan merely nodded, his expression carefully blank.

"I've heard all about the hotel incident from Cassandra," Leonard began, steepling his fingers. "Including how Ms. Kingsley whisked away your honored guest, Isabella Laurent. My team has shown me the Twitter storm."

Leonard's gaze turned icy. "Public perception of our hotel has plummeted overnight. Explain yourself."

"Our PR team worked through the night to mitigate the damage," Nathan replied evenly. "The negative comments have been largely contained."

"Contained?" Leonard's voice dripped with disdain. "The damage is done. Our entire social circle is talking about this debacle. In our world, reputation is everything."

Nathan's jaw clenched.

"In business, there are always competing narratives," he countered. "What matters is who emerges victorious. The doubters will fade when we succeed."

His cold stare shifted to Cassandra. "We should focus on long-term strategy, not short-term optics. Anything less risks catastrophic losses."

Cassandra's smile faltered, her eyes flashing with barely contained fury.

A frantic knock interrupted the tense standoff. The secretary burst in, tablet in hand.

"Mr. Blackwood! You need to see this immediately."

Leonard's face darkened as he scanned the screen. Without looking up, he barked, "Turn on the news. Channel seven. Now."