Chapter 53
Laura's face was lit up with clear excitement. "Isabella, Simon said he needs to go over the final report on the factory incident to update Mr. Malone, so I brought him in."
Isabella glanced at the closed door of Vitale's office.
Through the frosted glass, she could make out two blurry figures talking.
"Should we talk here or go somewhere else?" She stood up, smoothing her skirt, "Mr. Luca is with a guest, and I don't want to disturb him."
Simon gave a proper gentleman's bow, "Whatever you prefer, Ms. Lorraine."
He extended his hand, and out of politeness, Isabella offered hers. To her surprise, Simon bent down and kissed the back of her hand.
The touch was warm and slightly damp, but it made her yank her hand back as if she'd been burned.
"Let's talk here," Isabella said, stepping back, her tone noticeably colder.
She didn't want to be alone with Simon.
Some instinct was warning her—danger.
Laura saw the whole thing, her expression complicated.
When Simon turned away to take a phone call, she whispered to Isabella, "I know I shouldn't be upset, but I'm jealous. God, getting your hand kissed by such a handsome man—you should be thrilled."
"I just feel disgusted," Isabella muttered, wiping her hand with a tissue.
Laura laughed, though her smile seemed forced.
When Simon returned from his call, he quickly picked up on the shift in the air.
He slipped his phone into his pocket and spoke casually, "Mr. Malone asked me to pass on a message. If you're willing to work for him in Eldoria, the pay will be double what you're getting now."
Laura gasped, "You didn't mention anything about poaching Isabella when you came in with me!"
"I did, dear Laura," Simon said with a smile, "You were just too busy smiling at me to hear it."
Laura's face turned red, half from embarrassment and half from frustration.
Isabella patted her hand reassuringly before turning to Simon, "You must know I'm already Mr. Luca's assistant. Are you seriously trying to steal me right in front of him?"
Simon raised his hands in mock surrender, "Sorry, that's not my intention. But Mr. Malone cares a lot about his cousin, Mr. Luca. He needs to be sure…"
He paused, searching for the right words, "Sure that the people around Vitale can be trusted."
"I don't care about their relationship," Isabella said, her voice growing colder, "I won't betray Mr. Luca. I hope you understand that."
Simon leaned against the desk, looking relaxed, "By the way, I'm no longer Victor's assistant. I'll be working in the HR department at Tyson Group, so…"
He gave a meaningful smile, "Mr. Malone really does need a new helper. He's all alone, you know."
Isabella frowned, "Are you joking?"
"Well, partly," Simon said with a shrug, "But I am starting at Tyson Group, that's true. As for the offer just now…"
He straightened up, his expression turning serious, "It was a loyalty test arranged by Mr. Luca. If you'd agreed, it would've been dangerous."
Anger flared up inside Isabella, "You'd better not ask me things like that again. When I'm mad, even Mr. Luca gets scared. Feel free to test that if you want."
She stepped forward, locking eyes with Simon, "And stop looking at me like that. I don't like it."
"What look?"
"That looks like you want to eat me alive."
Simon chuckled, "That might be a side effect of working with Mr. Malone too long. We call it 'professional scrutiny.'"
He changed the topic, "So, how about I test your loyalty? Are you up for the challenge?"
Vitale's office door was still shut, and Judy hadn't come out yet.
Isabella felt a wave of irritation, both from Simon's provocation and from how long Judy had been alone with Vitale.
"Fine," she said, lifting her chin, "Ask away."
Simon's questions started off normally.
How the factory accounts were handled, details of the partnership with Parrish, and strategies for dealing with the Costa incident.
Isabella answered smoothly, every response professional and spot-on.
But slowly, the questions turned personal.
"I heard your father is a well-known lawyer in Lumaria?"
"Yes."
"After your mother passed away, he never remarried?"
Isabella's fingers tightened slightly. "Does this have anything to do with work?"
"Just curious," Simon said with a smile, "Has Mr. Luca ever met your father?"
"No."
"Does he plan to?"
"That's none of your business."
Simon didn't back off and kept pushing, "How long have you been working at Tyson Group?"
"One month and seven days."
"Where were you before this?"
Isabella hesitated for a moment, "A small trading company."
"Why were you let go?"
"That's not important."
Simon pressed harder, "There's a rumor that you were fired for having an affair with your boss."
Laura couldn't hold back, "That's too much!"
Isabella raised a hand to stop her, her voice eerily calm, "It's just a rumor. I was fired because my performance was too good and threatened some people's positions."
Simon nodded, seeming satisfied with the answer.
But then he dropped the most cutting question yet.
"I also heard that you lost your first night on a cruise ship, and the winner was your then-future brother-in-law, Colt. Is that true?"
Time seemed to freeze.
Laura covered her mouth, her eyes wide.
Isabella slowly stood up, her face pale, but her eyes burned like tempered steel.
"I'm done talking," she said quietly, her voice carrying an undeniable authority, "Please leave."
Simon didn't move. Instead, he gave an almost cruel smile, "Did I say something wrong? Aren't these facts?"
"The fact is," Isabella said, each word deliberate, "you've crossed a line. Now, get out."
Simon chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender, "Ms. Lorraine, no need to get upset. We should talk this out, right? Did my question make you uncomfortable? Sorry, I should've been more careful."
Isabella let out a short laugh, the sound sharp in the tense air, "Why would you think a stupid question like that could throw me off?"
She stepped forward, meeting Simon's probing gaze head-on, "We both know this can't be Vitale's doing. He'd never let himself or anyone close to him be dragged into such cheap humiliation. So it's Victor, isn't it?"
Isabella paused, anger blazing in her blue eyes, "What exactly does Victor, sitting far away in Eldoria, want? And what answers are you trying to get with these questions?"
The playful smirk on Simon's face vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating look.
He stood up and slowly stepped closer to Isabella, trying to intimidate her with his height and presence.
But Isabella didn't back down.
She even tilted her chin up slightly, as if welcoming the challenge.
They stared each other down for a long ten seconds.
Finally, Simon shook his head and gave a genuine smile, not the calculated one from before, but one with a hint of admiration.
"Mr. Luca is really lucky," he said, stepping back to a safe distance, "To have a woman like you, with both beauty and courage. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Martinez."
Isabella gripped a heavy, hardcover book in her hand, ready to swing it at this dangerous Simon if needed.
Laura stood behind her, the last trace of infatuation gone from her eyes, replaced by pure caution.