Chapter 81
Laura hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "Actually, I was planning to tell Amboni something this weekend."
"What is it?" Isabella looked up curiously.
Laura covered her face with her hands, her voice muffled as it came through her fingers. "Today is his birthday. I planned a surprise party at his apartment. I invited a few friends, and even his favorite band is coming to perform a spontaneous show."
Isabella couldn't help but smile. "That sounds amazing. He'll love it."
"Yeah, that was the plan," Laura said, lowering her hands. Her smile faded, replaced by a hint of frustration. "But just now, Mr. Luca suddenly asked him to handle some weekend track business. You know Amboni. He can't say no to Mr. Luca."
Isabella felt a pang of sympathy. "I'm so sorry, Laura. That's really disappointing."
Footsteps and voices echoed from the corridor outside the office.
"Yes, Miss, a reserved spot in the parking lot has been arranged for you. Your license plate is already in the system."
Laura immediately pressed a finger to her lips, signaling Isabella to be quiet.
Then they heard Vitale's voice.
Deep, steady, with that polite yet distant tone he used when discussing business.
"I believe Amboni has everything arranged for you. If there's anything else you need, feel free to contact him directly."
A woman's voice followed. "You're always so thoughtful, Vitale. Father says you've been so busy lately that you even skipped family dinners, but at least for me, you still make time."
Isabella and Laura exchanged a glance, silently tiptoeing toward the door. They peered through the glass wall into the corridor.
The sight made Isabella's breath catch for a moment.
Vitale stood in the middle of the corridor, dressed as always in a perfectly tailored dark gray suit. His red hair gleamed like dark silk under the overhead lights.
Beside him stood a woman.
She was tall, almost as tall as Vitale, with a figure like a fitness magazine cover model—perfect proportions.
Her long legs were clad in black skinny pants, and she wore a wine-red silk blouse with the top two buttons undone, revealing delicate collarbones and subtle curves.
Her deep brown hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and her makeup was flawless.
In the corridor, Marina Lawson said something, her gaze casually sweeping across the offices on either side before landing on the glass wall where Isabella stood.
Their eyes met through the glass.
She recognized Isabella.
And Isabella recognized her. Marina was one of her best friends from college.
The girl who claimed to come from a simple farming family and dreamed of opening a bakery.
Blood rushed to Isabella's head.
Lies.
All lies.
A wave of shock, betrayal, and a tinge of jealousy overwhelmed her.
Before Laura could stop her, Isabella yanked open the office door and strode out.
Marina watched Isabella approach, her smile deepening.
Isabella stopped three steps away from them, straightening her back. "Good afternoon. I'm Isabella, Mr. Luca's executive assistant. Welcome to Tyson Group, Miss. Is there anything I can assist you with?"
The corridor fell into an eerie silence.
Amboni's mouth opened slightly, his eyes darting between Isabella and Marina.
Vitale raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on Isabella's face.
She could see the corner of his mouth twitching upward, that familiar smirk—full of amusement and admiration—starting to form.
He absolutely loved this jealous side of Isabella.
Marina recovered first, elegantly extending her hand. "Hello, Assistant Isabella. I'm Marina Costa. I don't think I need any help right now. Vitale will take care of things for me."
"We have some matters to discuss that might not be convenient for you to join. So if you have other work, feel free to go ahead."
The exclusion in her words was glaring.
Isabella grabbed Marina's wrist directly. "I insist on helping you. I'm Mr. Luca's assistant, and assisting visitors is part of my job. Whatever you need to discuss, I'm sure I can provide the necessary support."
Vitale finally couldn't hold back and let out a low chuckle.
It was soft, but full of delight.
He looked at Marina, the playful glint in his eyes almost spilling over. "Do you two know each other?"
Marina and Isabella spoke at the same time.
"No."
"Yes."
Vitale rubbed his temple and turned to Amboni. "Looks like the ladies need some time to catch up. Should we step aside, Amboni?"
Amboni's gaze flicked toward Isabella's office.
Laura was still hiding behind the door, peeking out with half her face and wide eyes showing.
Remembering how fiery Laura looked last night, his heart skipped a beat.
"Yes, Mr. Luca," he said, pulling his eyes away and keeping his tone serious. "If you don't want to get hit by a woman, I think we should step aside for now."
"Alright." Vitale turned and walked away.
Isabella grabbed Marina's arm, pulled her into her office, and shut the door behind them.
Marina sat down, pulled out a pack of slim cigarettes from her small handbag, and lit one up.
She took a deep drag, slowly blew out a smoke ring, and studied Isabella through the haze with her deep brown eyes.
"So," she repeated, her tone probing, "the guy you're obsessed with now—it's not that red-haired jerk out there, is it?"
Isabella froze, steadying herself before asking, "Did Amira tell you, or was it Sonia?"
Marina laughed. "Did anyone need to tell me? The way you looked at Vitale just now, and the way he looked at you—like you wanted to devour him and he wanted to swallow you whole. The whole corridor was thick with whatever's going on between you two."
Isabella felt her cheeks heat up. "Marina."
"Just admit it." Marina's smile turned sly. "You've slept with him, haven't you? How many times? How's he in bed? I've heard Eldoria men are either amazing or a total disaster. Vitale seems like... well, the confident type at least."
"That's none of your business," Isabella snapped, but her defenses were crumbling.
Facing Marina, it was always hard for her to keep up a facade for long.
It was like this in college, too—Marina had a piercing bluntness that could strip away anyone's mask.
"Fine, then answer another question for me." Marina's expression turned a bit more serious. "Why didn't you tell me you're Vitale's weak spot?"
Isabella shot back, "And why didn't you tell me you're the daughter of a mafia family?"
Marina's smile vanished.
She stared at her cigarette for a few seconds before crushing it hard into the saucer under Isabella's coffee cup.
"I didn't want to admit I'm a mafia daughter," Marina said, her voice low, carrying a bitterness Isabella had never heard before. "You know I hate this blood in my veins. Those four years in college were the freest time of my life—no bodyguards trailing me, no need to weigh every word for family interests. I could just make friends, dream about opening a bakery, and bake bread in the sunlight."
She paused, turning her head to look at Isabella. "And by the way, that bachelorette party Sonia organized—I'm the one who pushed for it."
Isabella frowned. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying," Marina's smile turned mysterious, "that VIP list for that night? I provided it. I knew Vitale would be there, meeting a middleman."
Isabella's heart skipped a beat. "You set up that encounter?"
"Set up? No, I just created an opportunity." Marina shrugged. "Fate needs a little nudge sometimes. And I could tell you needed a man who could actually match you, not those soft artist or scholar types."
"Vitale's a jerk, but he's a jerk with substance."
She stood up, walked over to Isabella, and her expression suddenly became incredibly serious. "Now, answer one last question, and I'll leave you alone. How good is he in bed? On a scale of one to ten, what's his score?"
Isabella stared at her, then couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Marina, you're still the same."
"And so are you, Isabella." Marina smiled, gave her a quick hug, then stepped back, her expression returning to that lazy elegance. "Alright, catching up is over. I've got to go meet with your boss."
She headed for the door but paused with her hand on the handle, not turning around.
"One more thing," Marina's voice was soft, almost a whisper. "If I told you my father sent me here not just for business but also to try and rekindle things between Vitale and me, what would you think?"
Isabella's blood ran cold.
Marina turned around, a smile on her face that Isabella couldn't read.
Was it a joke? A test? Or a warning?
"Just kidding," Marina winked. "Probably."
Then she opened the door and tossed out one last line before stepping out. "But since you said your relationship is complicated, maybe I'll try a little flirting with him to see how he reacts? Purely for academic curiosity."
Isabella stared at her, all the softness in her emotions evaporating in an instant.
She marched to the door, and just as Marina stepped out of the office, Isabella braced her hand against the doorframe, blocking her path.
Her voice was calm, but every word cut like ice. "You can go ahead and try."