Chapter 255: Client Supervision
Isabella forced herself to joke with Richard.
"Mr. Spencer, have you ever considered that maybe you're no different from William to me?"
Richard didn't take offense. In fact, he looked pleased. "That would be my honor."
Olivia was nestled in Isabella's arms. After waking from her nap, she blinked drowsily at Isabella, wondering what she and Richard were discussing.
"Mommy, are we there yet?"
Olivia had been especially clingy these past few days. Isabella worried that a long business trip would make her anxious, so she'd decided to bring her daughter along.
Isabella gently stroked Olivia's head, her voice softening. "Almost."
Olivia yawned, then asked Richard curiously, "Why didn't you bring Julia? I wanted to play with her. Mommy said this place is really fun!"
Their destination was Majestic City, one of the more underdeveloped cities in the region. Beyond the urban center stretched vast tracts of abandoned land.
Isabella and Richard had been invited by the local government to conduct a site survey.
If everything checked out, Infinity Ventures' future flying car manufacturing facility would be built here.
It would boost local employment and development while reducing Infinity Ventures' operational costs—a win-win situation.
They'd booked online at the city's best hotel. While the accommodations weren't exactly luxurious, they were at least clean.
Isabella carried Olivia inside. While unpacking, Olivia hovered nearby, eager to help.
"Mommy," Olivia said, carefully folding her little clothes and placing them in the closet, "I won't have anyone to play with these next few days. Can I come with you when you go to work?"
Isabella smiled and gave her cheek a gentle pinch. "Shouldn't you be asking if you can come with us?"
"Of course you can. But we'll be walking on some pretty rough terrain. If you get tired, you have to tell me right away."
The city's development level—or lack thereof—told the whole story. Majestic City was far from prosperous.
The streets were chaotically planned. Their taxi had slammed on the brakes several times during the drive from the airport, leaving Olivia nearly carsick.
She nodded vigorously, promising Isabella she'd be good, then threw herself even more enthusiastically into unpacking.
Once they'd settled in, Isabella received a message from Richard inviting them to dinner.
Though the city wasn't particularly developed, the local cuisine had real character.
The sweet-and-sour spice was mouth-watering—though it left Olivia chugging water nonstop.
A woman at the next table watched Olivia with an amused smile, clearly charmed.
"Next time, you can order the non-spicy version. It's just as delicious!"
Olivia refused to admit defeat. Eyes watering and nose running, she insisted she could handle spice just fine.
If only her bright red eyes didn't betray her.
After dinner, they wandered the area.
The evening here was beautiful. The nearby mountains brought a cool breeze that swept through the streets, leaving everyone feeling refreshed and relaxed.
It was completely different from Seaside City.
"If this place could be developed into a tourist destination, the residents' quality of life would improve dramatically, wouldn't it?" Isabella breathed in deeply, savoring the moment.
"That's exactly what we're here to help with," Richard said. "Maybe what we do here will change an entire city. Maybe we can turn this place into something closer to our vision."
It was idealistic talk, but everyone needed dreams. Isabella didn't argue.
They strolled a bit longer to walk off dinner, then headed back.
Their rooms weren't close together. Richard disappeared into his first, and Isabella continued down the hall with Olivia.
Suddenly, she spotted a dark figure near her door.
It looked like a tall young man. Isabella's internal alarms went off immediately.
She nearly froze, eyes locked warily on the shadow.
The figure seemed to sense her presence. He lifted his hand, triggering the motion-sensor lights, which flooded the hallway with brightness—illuminating his sharp, handsome features.
William.
She had no idea how long he'd been standing there. By the time Isabella spotted him, exhaustion was written all over his face.
Isabella pulled her keycard from her pocket and moved to unlock the door. As she did, William lunged from the side and caught her wrist.
His presence was overwhelming as he leaned down and captured her lips in a brief, deliberate kiss.
He didn't push further—but it was enough to terrify Olivia.
Olivia's face crumpled. She burst into tears and ran at William, tiny fists pounding against him like rain.
It was the first time Isabella had ever seen Olivia this emotionally unhinged. Acting on pure instinct, she slapped William hard across the face.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? Have you lost your mind?"
Olivia was an incredibly sensitive child. Her emotions were easily affected by external stimuli. As far as Isabella was concerned, William had done this deliberately, to provoke her.
Isabella scooped Olivia into her arms, gently patting her back to calm her down.
"I'm here as the client to oversee the project," William said, his excuse paper-thin.
Isabella didn't respond. She simply stared at him coldly and told him to get out of their room.
She had nothing to say to William. If he was here for work, then there was no reason for them to speak privately.
The next morning, William stuck to them like gum on a shoe.
Once he learned they were scouting locations for the flying car manufacturing plant, he became even more shameless.
"I can invest," he said smoothly. "Whether you need the money or not, Summit Holdings can provide support. And even if you don't need it, you could use the extra capital to improve vehicle research costs. It might enhance safety features."
Safety and development costs were, admittedly, closely linked.
But Isabella didn't believe for a second that William was doing this to help them.
He just wanted to show off.
It made him even more insufferable.
Isabella shot him a withering glare.