Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Christopher took a sip of his coffee, shrugging. "Yeah, she didn't like it, and I didn't need it either. So, I just gave it away."

Earl's eyes widened. "Dude, that was a hundred-grand piece of jewelry! If you didn't want it, you could've given it to me!"

Seeing Christopher's indifferent expression, Earl quickly added, "I could've given it to my girl, you know? You're really wasting good stuff!"

Earl felt both frustrated by Christopher's wastefulness and curious about Isabella. Suddenly, a thought hit him. "Wait, don't tell me you have a thing for her?"

"Listen, women like her are just for fun. Don't get serious, or they'll cling to you like glue."

Christopher denied it immediately. "I have no such intentions."

Earl breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip of his coffee, his gaze drifting back to Isabella. 

The more he looked, the more he appreciated her beauty and elegance. An idea sparked in his mind.

He leaned closer to Christopher, eyes gleaming mischievously. "Since you're not interested, how about a bet?"

Christopher looked up, remaining silent, waiting for him to continue.

Earl's grin widened. "I bet you can't make her your girlfriend in two weeks. If you succeed, I'll give you my brand-new Lamborghini. If you lose, you let me drive your Maybach for six months. Deal?"

Earl was confident he'd win. Despite Christopher's good looks and wealth, he wasn't exactly smooth with women.

He figured Christopher wouldn't be able to win Isabella over in just two weeks. And he'd been eyeing Christopher's Maybach for ages, itching for a chance to drive it.

Christopher wasn't keen on such a childish game at first, but then he remembered Isabella's dreamy eyes when she talked about her preference for ordinary men yesterday.

Suddenly, he wanted to see if someone like him, who didn't fit her ideal type at all, could win her over.

Turns out, Christopher won the bet. Isabella had always been drawn to Christopher's looks.

Plus, he was always respectful and courteous in their interactions.

After a few heartfelt conversations, Isabella's feelings started to shift.

If only she had known the cost of falling for him, she would've never agreed in the first place.

Isabella had a restless sleep that night, her mind filled with memories of the past.

But when she woke up the next morning, Christopher was already gone.

His housekeeper had prepared breakfast for her and said, "Mr. Harrison had an early meeting today. He asked me to let you know he arranged for you to take the day off so you can rest."

After a quick breakfast, Isabella didn't push to go to work.

Since she had the day off and hadn't slept well, she decided to go home and catch up on sleep.

She was woken up in the afternoon by a call from Ryan. "Isabella, make sure you're free tomorrow night. The water park project you worked on is finished, and the client specifically requested your presence at the celebration dinner."

This water park project was Isabella's first major responsibility and the company had treated her well, so she had no reason to refuse.

"Alright, I'll be there tomorrow."

Ryan replied, "Great, I'll send you the time and location later."

The next day, after wrapping up work at Nexus Technologies, Isabella was about to head to the celebration dinner.

The owner of the water park, Samuel Martin, suddenly called her. "Isabella, I'm downstairs at your office. Since you're heading to the dinner, I can give you a ride."

During the water park project, Samuel had been pretty considerate of Isabella. He would occasionally take the project team out for meals, and Isabella had developed a good rapport with him. 

So, although she was a bit puzzled by Samuel's offer, Isabella agreed.

As she got into Samuel's car downstairs, they happened to pass a black Maybach. Mike, sitting in the driver's seat, glanced at the license plate. 

"Mr. Harrison, that's Samuel's car. His water park project did quite well, but I heard he's been having serious issues with his wife lately."

Christopher didn't respond, merely turning his head to look outside, his emotions unreadable.

Isabella initially thought the celebration dinner would be a casual affair with food and drinks. But upon arriving at the hotel, she realized Samuel had organized a more formal event—a small banquet.

As they parked in the basement, a fellow guest approached Samuel to greet him. "Congratulations on your company's smooth listing. Don't forget us when you hit it big."

With the company's listing, Samuel's net worth had tripled, and he exchanged a few polite words with the guest. 

However, Isabella noticed the guest's gaze kept drifting towards her, assessing her.

After the guest left, Samuel turned to Isabella with a request. "Isabella, tonight's not just about celebrating the water park project. It's also my company's listing celebration. I'd like you to be my date. Would that be too forward?"

Isabella was taken aback, finally understanding why Samuel had personally come to pick her up. 

Given his previous kindness, Isabella agreed.

Samuel breathed a quiet sigh of relief and quickly directed her to the ninth floor to change and get ready. 

Once Isabella was prepared, Samuel personally came to escort her.

As they entered the venue, Isabella felt the curious and scrutinizing gazes of the guests. 

Ryan approached her, looking anxious. "Why did you agree to be Mr. Martin's date?"

Isabella, sensing Ryan's urgency, found it odd but explained briefly, "I didn't think it would be a big deal, so I agreed. After all, Mr. Martin has been quite kind..."

Before she could finish, a woman suddenly stormed into the banquet hall. 

Evelyn Martin charged straight at Isabella, grabbing her hair with a shrill voice that pierced the room. "So, you're the slut who's been hanging around my husband? Dressed like a tramp, who are you trying to seduce?"

Evelyn was Samuel's wife, who had stood by him as they built their business from scratch. 

But recently, she discovered that Samuel had been keeping a mistress for the past two years and often flaunted her at events. Unable to swallow this betrayal, Evelyn had followed him here.

Evelyn's words were like a bombshell, silencing the previously buzzing room. Everyone stopped their conversations, turning their attention to the scene unfolding. 

Some were curious, some were entertained, and some discreetly pulled out their phones to record.

Isabella's face turned pale. In her stunned state, Evelyn snatched the wine glass from her hand and poured it over her. 

The red wine soaked through her white dress, leaving a dark, spreading stain.

As the murmurs around them grew louder, Isabella tried to defend herself, but Evelyn's grip tightened. Her nails dug into Isabella's arm, her voice sharp. 

"Why aren't you saying anything? Don't think Samuel's affection will help you rise above your station! As long as I'm here, you'll always be the other woman."