Chapter 106 Not Very Smart
ISABEL’S POV
I froze in my seat. I tried to maintain my composure as I let out an awkward grin.
“You’re making a mistake. Please check it again.”
The waitress already seemed frustrated, but she still ran it through the machine, and it came out with the same result.
I looked at Austin, panic written all over me. His hands were folded in front of him, with a smug look on his face. The waitress almost flung my card onto the table as she handed it back to me. I felt so embarrassed.
“Is there any other way you can pay for your bill?” she asked, and that was when Austin finally sat up, reaching into his pocket. He handed the waitress a black card, and I couldn’t help but swallow hard.
Why the fuck was I thinking of handling the bill when he had a black card? If that wasn’t foolish of me, I didn’t know what else to call it.
The waitress smiled at him like he was a lifesaver before walking away. “There has to be some kind of mistake with her machine.” I said.
Just as I said the words, a text from my bank came in. It stated that my account had been frozen.
“What the hell?!” I said, balling my hands into fists on my lap.
I knew it wouldn’t be anyone other than my parents. They had to be the ones responsible for the whole thing. It was already too much for me to take in.
“You’re not very smart, are you?” Austin asked, and I gritted my teeth.
“What are you talking about?”
“Wasn’t that the account they opened for you? And they were the only ones funding it.”
I gave him a small nod. He shrugged. “Then you should know that it would be the first thing they’d cut you off from. Their money.”
I ran my hand through my hair. I should have thought of that. There was enough money in there to take care of me for a year, even with my lifestyle.
“I should probably just go home then,” I said, and he shook his head.
“Don’t you want to go shopping anymore?” he asked, and I frowned.
“What game are you playing?” I asked. “I already told you that my card has been blocked.”
“Doesn’t mean we can’t shop. Bills on me.”
“So… what do you want in return?”
“Move in with me, and you get the life you want.”
“I can’t move in with you. Why would I do that?”
“Because… I need a manager for my business. You haven’t forgotten that my father is dead, right? I’m taking over his company now.”
I had no idea that his father was dead, but I nodded anyway.
“I can be your manager from afar. Why do you want me to stay with you?”
He shrugged again. “Because it will be convenient for me. And for you too.”
I had been to his house countless times back in the day. We both designed that house. I never got to stay in it because the relationship came to an end. But now, I was being given the chance.
“Fine,” I finally said, and he smiled as he got to his feet, taking my hand in his before leading me into his Aston Martin.
He led me into one of the most expensive clothing stores in the area, and he even helped pick out the gowns that he thought he would like his manager to wear. Everything seemed perfect — convenient.
The two of us stopped at a restaurant to get something to drink. “Why are you suddenly wanting to come back to me? You could have easily said no when I asked you for help.”
He smiled. “I believe we can help each other, Isabel. My company is going downhill. Like I said before, I need a manager — to manage the company while killing all competitors. And I saw how you managed to do that without breaking a sweat when it came to your company.”
I allowed myself a small blush. I loved it when the few people who knew I had a business praised me. It was something I could never really get enough of.
“I don’t think that should be a problem.”
“Good,” he said, shrugging. “You handle the business and make sure I make sales, and things will go just fine for the both of us. That’s a fair exchange now, isn’t it?”
I gave him a small nod.
I was genuinely glad that I could move out of James’ house. I wasn’t going to spend another night hearing him moan his ex-girlfriend’s name while I was trying to sleep.
I was finally going to get my own room all over again. And even if I were to share a room with Austin, I wasn’t sure I was going to complain. Once again, he was just going to be a tool while I figured out the real plan to bring Anna down, kill my father’s company, and make Ryan mine, just as he was supposed to be.
I sipped my orange juice as I tried to hide my smile. It was going to be more than a pleasure working with Austin after all these years.
It was sad that he was also inheriting his father’s family, just as I should have. As much as I wanted to be jealous of him, I couldn’t. He was nothing less than a friend, to some extent. He was a confidant as well.
I looked up at him. “By what time will the news be off the stations?” I asked.
“Whenever you move in with me.”
“How about tonight?” I asked, and he smirked, pulling out his phone.
“Let me start making the calls then.”
He was just about to press his phone to his ear when I stopped him.
“By the way, I forgot to ask… what’s the name of your father’s company?”
He gave me a one-sided smile. “Greenlife Med,” he said.