Magnus’s eyes darkened instantly.
Sophia lifted her hand from the table and wrapped it around Elias’s arm.
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind,” she said lightly. “But the problem is that Elias doesn’t really like interruptions during his private time.”
She leaned slightly closer to Elias.
“Since we’re meeting here privately,” she continued, “I don’t think he’d like unexpected company.”
Magnus watched the two of them closely. His eyes moved from Elias to Sophia. Seeing how close they were sitting together made the anger inside him rise.
His hands slowly clenched into fists, but he remained silent.
Elias met Sophia’s gaze. He smiled back at her calmly.
Then his hand moved and covered the hand Sophia had wrapped around his arm. His fingers closed around hers firmly. His hold tightened slightly as he pulled her hand closer.
“I don’t mind,” Elias said casually.
He glanced briefly toward Magnus before returning his gaze to Sophia.
“It’s fine. I can tolerate it for one meal.”
He looked at Sophia with a confident smile.
“It’s good to have some company.”
Sophia’s gaze immediately turned into a glare when she heard Elias’s words. The smile on her face disappeared instantly as she shot him a sharp look.
But Elias continued speaking as if he hadn’t noticed.
“I think it’s good to have some company,” he said lightly. “After all, it’s not every day that I get to meet the people our lovely Sylvia works with.”
As he spoke, he shifted slightly closer to her. He wrapped his arm around Sophia’s shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze, letting out a soft laugh while completely ignoring the glare she was shooting at him.
Across the table, Magnus saw everything.
He watched their closeness in silence.
The way they kept leaning closer to each other… the casual intimacy between them… the way they touched each other without hesitation in public—it all made him extremely uncomfortable.
His jaw tightened.
Every small movement between them only made something inside him twist uncomfortably.
Isabella kept glancing between them as well.
The more she watched their closeness, the more irritated she became.
Before Sophia could say anything else, Magnus spoke first.
“Good,” he said coolly. “Let’s sit together.”
Without waiting for a response, he slid into the seat across from them and settled comfortably.
Isabella quickly followed and took the seat beside him. Now the four of them sat facing one another across the table.
Isabella glanced again at Sophia and Elias. Her eyes slowly traveled over Elias from head to toe before she spoke, her voice bright with exaggerated excitement.
