He Wouldn't Claim Me — Another Man Did-Chapter 72 - 65: Birthday

After Isla Prescott won the award, student enrollment at her studio and traffic on her social media both saw a boost.

For the entire next month, she was unbelievably busy. She was constantly on the go, and it felt as if her time had fractured into a QR code, where every scan only revealed another to-do item.

In Shane Sterling’s words, she "had to time every breath."

At the end of the month, the Taoli Cup organizers invited her to the Nordenburg Grand Theater to shoot a promotional video.

As the Taoli Cup champion, Isla Prescott naturally couldn’t afford to drop the ball. To ensure she was in peak condition on the day of the shoot, she started light fasting two weeks in advance and still had to squeeze in an hour of dance practice every day after work.

This past month, though exhausting, had also been fulfilling.

The end of the month arrived quickly. The day before the shoot, Isla Prescott flew to Nordenburg.

Her flight was in the morning, while Shane Sterling was returning to the country that afternoon. They missed each other completely. The video call they had planned for that evening was also canceled because Isla Prescott had a dinner with executives from the Nordenburg Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

On the day of the shoot, Isla Prescott arrived at the set very early.

The promotional video was split into two parts: the first was for the Taoli Cup, and the second was a shoot arranged by the Nordenburg Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

As the Taoli Cup gold medalist, Isla Prescott had the biggest part. By the time she wrapped for the day, the sky was already growing dark.

Her phone had been in her bag, and she hadn’t had a chance to look at it all afternoon. When she finally checked it, she saw several missed calls from Annabelle Leighton.

Unsure why Annabelle Leighton had been trying to reach her, Isla Prescott immediately called back.

"Hey, Annie."

"Isabelle, I finally got through!"

"I’ve been on set all day. What’s wrong?"

"Did you know it’s Shane Sterling’s birthday today?"

Isla Prescott’s mind went blank. "I didn’t know."

"I had a feeling you didn’t know. I only just found out myself. I was having dinner at Autumn Crest Villa when I saw Ivan Fulton and the others celebrating Shane Sterling’s birthday. What are you going to do? Are you going to rush back? I feel like birthdays are pretty important."

Upon hearing this, Isla Prescott immediately minimized the call and started searching for flights.

Luckily, she managed to snag a last-minute ticket on a 6:30 PM flight to Meritopia.

"I got a ticket," Isla Prescott told Annabelle Leighton. "I’m heading back to the hotel to pack now."

"Okay, I’ll arrange for a driver to pick you up."

"Thanks, Annie."

"Don’t mention it."

Isla Prescott didn’t even have time to take off her makeup. She quickly changed into her own clothes and rushed back to the hotel to pack.

--

Shane Sterling’s birthday followed the same routine every year: a meal and some drinks with his childhood friends, like Ivan Fulton, and that was it.

At home, besides his younger brother, Ezra Sterling, who had sent him a birthday message that morning, he’d heard nothing from anyone else. He was used to it and held no real expectations.

During the meal, Ivan Fulton pulled his chair over, getting closer to Shane Sterling.

"So, after dinner with us guys, are you still on for drinks?"

"Yeah."

Ivan Fulton raised an eyebrow. "What about Isabelle? Aren’t you two spending the day together?"

"She’s on a business trip to Nordenburg."

"A business trip? On your birthday?"

"It’s not like my birthday’s a national holiday. Is she not allowed to have a business trip?"

Ivan Fulton clicked his tongue. "So defensive. I’m just feeling disappointed on your behalf."

Shane Sterling swirled the glass in front of him, saying nothing.

’It wasn’t that he was disappointed, per se. But deep down, of course he wished she were by his side.’

Seeing his silence, Ivan Fulton tactfully dropped the subject of Isla Prescott.

"Hey, how come Silas Lockwood isn’t here yet?" someone at the table asked.

"Didn’t you see his message in the group chat? He said he’s running late and will meet us directly at Nocturne later."

At the mention of Silas Lockwood’s name, Shane Sterling’s expression darkened.

His mind inevitably drifted to the day Isla Prescott had told him about her ex, and an unpleasant tightness constricted his chest.