Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Isabella didn't dare waste a single moment. She quickly freshened up and rushed to the Brown Group.

Before she even reached her desk, she vaguely sensed that everyone in the department was staring at her.

Isabella's heart skipped a beat.

Why were these people looking at her like that?

Could it be that William was really going to fire her?

After all, when someone at the Brown Group had been fired before, these people had looked at that person the same way.

Isabella's heart instantly jumped into her throat.

She walked inside nervously, and after just a few steps, she saw several female colleagues gathered around her desk in the distance, chatting excitedly about something.

Just then, someone noticed Isabella first and waved at her enthusiastically.

"Isabella, come here quickly! Someone sent you flowers!"

Flowers?

Isabella froze for a moment, then quickly walked over to her desk. Only then did she see a bouquet of red roses on her desk, with a card attached.

The card only had a signature—

An admirer.

Isabella immediately guessed that the flowers were from William.

After all, besides William, no one else would be this formal.

Isabella looked up and instinctively glanced toward the conference room.

William was currently in a meeting in the conference room, so she would need to deliver some documents he'd need later.

But now...

Isabella bit her lip, looking at the bouquet in front of her, her ears unconsciously turning red.

William suddenly sending her flowers made it even harder for her to know how to face this boss of hers.

"Isabella, I can't believe someone's pursuing you! He must be handsome and rich, right?"

"Isabella, it seems like you haven't had a boyfriend since you came to the Brown Group. If you end up with this guy, you have to treat us to dinner!"

Her colleagues started gossiping one after another.

Isabella felt embarrassed.

William was indeed handsome and rich, but she was just an ordinary employee and naturally couldn't accept William's kindness toward her.

Isabella deflected their questions while pointing toward the conference room.

"I still need to deliver documents to Mr. Brown, so I'll head over now."

With that, she fled the gossip scene.

By making such a big show of sending her flowers, wasn't William just putting her on the hot seat?

With so many eyes watching at the Brown Group, if people found out the flowers were from William, those gossiping female colleagues would probably gang up on her.

She didn't want that day to come.

Isabella arrived at the conference room door and vaguely saw William's tall, upright figure.

She quickly composed herself, pushed open the door, and respectfully placed the documents beside William.

William glanced at her briefly, then looked away and continued discussing project proposals with the executives in the conference room.

His reaction actually made Isabella feel relieved.

Although William had made such an inappropriate gesture, in the heart of a workaholic like William, work came first.

This way, she didn't have to worry about William doing anything more inappropriate.

Isabella returned to her desk and sat down, waiting for William's next instruction.

But twenty minutes later, what came wasn't an instruction, but Chase delivering a dress.

"Ms. Taylor, this was personally selected by Mr. Brown. He wants you to wear this dress and accompany him to Mr. Martinez's private party."

Isabella was shocked. She asked again in disbelief.

"Chase, are you sure you heard correctly?"

Recently, she'd heard Saskia talk a lot about Stanley.

The Martinez family was a noble family from overseas, with influence abroad that was even more far-reaching than the Brown Group.

Stanley had returned to the country this time to expand domestic projects.

And the Martinez family's private party could only be attended by people from wealthy families. Under these circumstances, William wanted to bring her along.

Then she would definitely become a target and would definitely be targeted by Amelia.

Under Isabella's troubled gaze, Chase smiled and nodded with certainty.

"Of course, I heard correctly. Ms. Taylor, Mr. Brown is bringing you because he trusts you. You must not disappoint Mr. Brown's expectations."

Wasn't this basically moral blackmail?

Isabella sighed and reluctantly accepted the dress.

It was just a party, wasn't it? As long as she could keep her job, even if it was a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, she was willing to venture in.

In the afternoon, after Isabella finished the tasks William had assigned her, she followed William to Sunset Vale Manor.

Sunset Vale Manor was Stanley's current residence, with countless servants and bodyguards.

Isabella got out of the car and looked at the building with its distinctive architectural style, unable to stop herself from sighing inwardly.

Such a huge manor, and only Stanley and Amelia lived there?

Didn't they find it empty?

Sure enough, poor people couldn't understand the lives of the rich.

Isabella took a deep breath. Just as she was about to go in with William, William suddenly extended his arm toward her.

"Take my arm."

That short sentence almost made Isabella blush, and her tongue nearly got tied.

"Mr. Brown, that's not really appropriate, is it? With so many people there later, if I show up on your arm, people will easily misunderstand our relationship."

"Are you afraid of people misunderstanding our relationship? Or are you saying it's embarrassing to be seen with me?"

Isabella's eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head.

"Mr. Brown, you're the object of admiration for countless women. How could I possibly find it embarrassing?"

Isabella quickly reached out and took William's arm, smiling obediently at him.

"Meeting Mr. Brown must be my good fortune, and walking alongside Mr. Brown is my honor!"

William narrowed his eyes. Although he didn't say anything, his thin lips curved into a barely perceptible arc.

It had to be said, Isabella had gotten better and better at complimenting him these past days.

If it were anyone else, he would have had security drag them away long ago.

But Isabella was different. Hearing Isabella's flattery, he found it quite pleasing.

Entering the manor, Isabella followed William to the front hall.

At a glance, a dozen or so wealthy young people were scattered in different corners, chatting and laughing.

However, when she and William appeared, their gazes all turned toward them, focusing on her, their eyes showing some scrutiny and examination.

"Is that Mr. Brown's new female secretary? She really is beautiful!"

"I heard Mr. Brown values this female secretary highly. What's her background?"

"What background could she have? She's just some poor person from the countryside, trying to latch onto Mr. Brown and climb the social ladder!"

The murmurs rose suddenly, reaching Isabella's ears clearly. Isabella bit her lip and instinctively moved closer to William.