Chapter 13

Seeing that Hannah wanted to say more, Isabella cut her off gently, "It's just a minor issue. I can handle it myself. Too many people might complicate things."

Hannah didn't argue but reminded Isabella to call her if she needed any help.

Once everyone had left the office, Isabella took a moment to think before pulling out her phone to text Christopher: [Mr. Harrison, got some questions about the new proposal. Got a sec?]

He quickly replied: [Sure.]

Isabella grabbed her laptop and took the elevator up to the top floor, where Christopher's office was.

Before she could knock, Lena Lewis, the secretary, stopped her. "What do you need?"

Isabella explained her purpose, but Lena rudely snatched the project file from her hands and flipped through it carelessly.

"This is just a small project. Does it really need Mr. Harrison's personal attention? Or are you after something else?"

Lena had been Christopher's secretary for five or six years. Her boss was handsome and charming, and she had long had feelings for him. Naturally, she was wary of any woman who sought Christopher out.

If she could handle the matter herself, she would find a way to send them off.

After skimming the Vertix Atelier project, Lena concluded that Isabella was just looking for an excuse to get close to Christopher.

She placed the project file on her desk and said dismissively, "Leave it here. I'll show it to Mr. Harrison, and if there are any issues, I'll let you know."

Normally, Isabella preferred to avoid unnecessary contact with Christopher, but today's project issues were clearly his doing. If she didn't address them now, the Vertix Atelier project might not proceed smoothly.

She replied calmly, "I've already contacted Mr. Harrison. If you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself."

Though Isabella's expression remained neutral and her tone was mild, Lena felt challenged.

"I said leave it here, and that's final. If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility."

Lena was convinced Isabella had exaggerated the project's importance just to get close to Christopher. She had seen many women like this over the years.

At that moment, the door to the CEO's office opened, and Mike stepped out. He paused upon seeing Isabella and greeted her, "Miss Carter."

Lena was surprised that Mike, Christopher's executive assistant, knew Isabella. Usually, even heads of smaller companies were deferential to Mike, but here he was, treating Isabella with respect.

Lena began to reassess Isabella and noticed for the first time how beautiful she was.

A woman's intuition set off alarm bells in Lena's mind. She sensed that Isabella might be someone special, but she didn't dare ask Mike directly.

Reluctantly, she handed the project file back to Isabella.

Isabella took the file and walked straight into Christopher's office.

Mike, ever perceptive, had noticed Lena's behavior. "Lena, Miss Carter is a friend of Mr. Harrison's. The little things you do to others, Mr. Harrison might turn a blind eye to, since you're helping him avoid trouble."

Mike's gaze fell on Isabella's slender and aloof figure as he warned, "But this one, you absolutely cannot offend."

He didn't elaborate further, knowing Lena would understand.

Christopher's office, located on the top floor of the Nexus Technologies building, had a distinctive scent of cedarwood mixed with aged leather and paper—subtle yet unmistakable.

The room was sparsely decorated, dominated by black, white, and gray tones, exuding a sense of high-end, understated luxury.

As Isabella entered, Christopher's gaze lightly fell on her.

She got straight to the point, "Mr. Harrison, I'd like to discuss some issues with the proposal."

Christopher didn't respond immediately. Instead, he signed a document with fluid strokes before saying, "I have an online meeting starting soon. Wait here; it won't take long, just half an hour."

Isabella had no choice but to sit on the sofa.

The office was permeated with Christopher's familiar yet distant cedarwood scent, making Isabella uneasy.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a message from Benjamin: [I'm here. I want to see you.]

Isabella's grip on her phone tightened. Since Benjamin had gone to Eldridgeville and she had promised to give him an answer upon his return, his messages had become increasingly forward.

Isabella, usually composed except for two years ago when she was with Christopher and when her grandmother passed, felt conflicted about Benjamin.

She acknowledged that he could offer her warmth, something she craved as she had no family left. Yet, she knew deep down she didn't have strong romantic feelings for him.

She replied: [There's an issue with the project. I need to handle it. See you tomorrow.]

After sending the message, she felt a bit relieved.

The office was comfortably air-conditioned, and as Isabella sank into the soft sofa, Christopher's steady voice during his meeting lulled her into a light sleep.

When she woke up, Christopher had finished his meeting and was engrossed in his documents.

Startled, Isabella sat up straight. She couldn't believe she had fallen asleep in Christopher's office.

She quickly wiped her mouth and was relieved to find no drool.

She pretended to smooth her hair and, feeling a bit impatient, asked, "Mr. Harrison, are you done yet?"

Her voice, still tinged with sleep, sounded husky and lazy, carrying a hint of unintentional annoyance.

Christopher looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't wake you because you seemed tired. Why are you upset with me now?"