Chapter 58

Chapter 58

The sound of keyboard typing echoed especially clearly in the space. The dense text and data on the screen were all her work from the morning, but she was still far from achieving the results she had in mind.

She'd heard that although Stanley came from a military background, his business skills were on par with William's, and he was notoriously difficult to work with.

Stanley was ruthless in his methods, sharp in his judgment, and cold in temperament. He was incredibly picky and demanding with partners - if anything didn't meet his standards, he'd reject everything outright without any consideration for saving face.

So she absolutely couldn't let her guard down.

Thinking of this, Isabella rubbed her throbbing temples and took a sip of her long-cold coffee.

In the bottom right corner of the screen, a message from William suddenly popped up.

"Is there anything you'd like to eat?"

Isabella froze, complex emotions welling up inside her. After hesitating for a moment, she only replied with one sentence.

"Thank you, Mr. Brown, but I don't want anything."

She and William were ultimately from different worlds, so she shouldn't harbor any fantasies, and naturally couldn't get too close to William.

William never lacked socialites around him, much less someone who could rightfully stand by his side.

And that person, even if it wasn't Amelia, could never be her.

Isabella took a deep breath, forcing herself to pull back those chaotic thoughts.

The only thing she could do now was make this proposal perfect.

Not just for William, but for herself - after all, she wasn't a parasitic vine that needed to cling to someone to survive.

Even on her own, she could establish a firm foothold at the Brown Group.

At 3 PM, Isabella finally pressed the save button.

The proposal was finalized - logically tight, data detailed, risks controlled, returns clear. Even she couldn't find any flaws in it.

She sent the file to William's email and printed out a deluxe version before packing up her things, preparing to catch her breath and go downstairs for a meal.

She had just reached the elevator when steady footsteps sounded behind her.

Isabella turned around and found herself looking straight into William's deep eyes.

He had obviously just finished working too. His suit jacket was draped over his arm, two buttons of his shirt collar were undone - he had less of his usual sharpness and more of a lazy weariness.

But even so, he was still so dazzling that people didn't dare look directly at him.

Isabella nervously greeted him.

"Mr. Brown, what a coincidence!"

William narrowed his eyes, then raised the meal box in his hand.

"Not a coincidence. I came specifically to bring you food."

Isabella was completely stunned.

The CEO of the Brown Group is actually bringing food to a small employee like her? And hadn't she told William she didn't want anything? Yet William still brought her food?

A faint warmth passed through Isabella's heart, but thinking of the huge gap in status between her and William, she finally managed a smile.

"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Brown, but I've already made plans to eat with colleagues. Maybe you could give this meal to someone else."

Isabella hurriedly tried to leave, but William quickly blocked her path with long strides.

William's gaze locked onto her delicate face, his expression clearly showing displeasure.

"I went to buy this for you personally. If you don't eat it, you're looking down on me, and I can deduct your salary."

Hearing "deduct your salary," Isabella instantly froze, opening her mouth but unable to say anything.

In the end, she could only take the meal from William's hands and follow him back into the elevator.

She had no choice - William was her boss, and with just one word, he could decide her salary.

For the sake of money, she could endure it.

But while enduring, she still couldn't have too much contact with William.

Isabella followed William back to his office. William had her sit on the sofa to eat, and she obediently complied.

She had only taken a few bites when William saw the strategic cooperation proposal she had submitted.

William glanced at the densely packed proposal content, then at the faint dark circles under Isabella's eyes. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"You worked hard. Let me take a look first."

Isabella couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Who would have thought that one day, a workaholic like William would actually tell her she worked hard? It was simply unbelievable.

William turned pages quickly, but read each one carefully.

The office light fell on his sharply defined profile. After finishing her food, Isabella quickly went over to stand nearby, her heartbeat speeding up uncontrollably.

A few minutes later, William closed the file, looked up at her, his eyes showing undisguised approval.

"Very good."

Though his words were brief, they carried significant weight.

"Given how picky Stanley is, he won't be able to find problems with this proposal."

Isabella breathed a sigh of relief, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly.

"That's good. As long as I didn't cause trouble for Mr. Brown."

William looked at that faint trace of a smile in her eyes, his heart stirring, his tone unconsciously softening.

"Not causing trouble - you helped me tremendously."

He paused, as if thinking of something, then added another sentence.

"Tomorrow afternoon's meeting, come with me."

Isabella was startled, hardly daring to believe it.

"I should go along? Mr. Brown, isn't that inappropriate?"

Generally, for this level of cooperation negotiation, William would only bring the project director or senior executives. He rarely brought his secretary, and even Chase didn't have this honor. Yet William was agreeing to let her go?

William gave a light "mm," his tone especially firm, seemingly with a hint of pride.

"You proposed; only you know the details best. Stanley asks tricky questions - with you there, I can rest easy."

He trusted her, and it was complete trust.

Isabella's heart warmed, and she nodded solemnly.

"I understand, Mr. Brown. I'll definitely be well prepared."

"There's nothing else today, go home and rest well."

William glanced at the time.

"I'll have the driver take you."

"No need, Mr. Brown. I can just take a cab myself."

Isabella hurriedly declined nervously.

She didn't want to be too special, and even less did she want to give others ammunition for gossip.

They say words can kill - she didn't want to be drowned by her colleagues' gossip.

William thought about it carefully, probably considering this point as well, so he didn't insist, only reminding her.

"Then be safe on your way home."

Isabella didn't linger. She returned to her desk, grabbed her bag, and left directly.

Not being eager to leave work means there's something wrong with your brain!

It wasn't until she entered the elevator and the doors slowly closed that Isabella, thinking of William's handsome and profound face just now, gently leaned against the elevator wall and covered her burning ears.

She had originally thought she only had some good feelings toward William, but unexpectedly, ever since William confessed to her, every time she saw William, she couldn't help but blush, and her heart would race.