Chapter 62

Chapter 62

"I don't have a choice either."

After Martin finished speaking, he looked down at his watch. "Well, that's it for today. I need to head back and take care of some company matters."

He stood up unhurriedly. "I won't take up any more of Ms. Taylor's time. As for the proposal, I do hope Ms. Taylor can speed things up a bit. If we fall behind schedule, that would be a real problem."

Isabella kept a smile on her face and politely saw Martin out. After closing the office door, her expression darkened, a flash of impatience crossing her eyes.

If Martin kept pressing this issue, it meant the approval would be delayed. When would the construction site be able to start operating?

Thinking about how little time she had, Isabella felt anxious. She looked at the proposal on her desk, feeling restless and frustrated.

If she had to revise it, it would require major changes, taking more than just a day or two. The construction site couldn't afford any more delays—if they fell behind, there was no way they could deliver the project on schedule.

Isabella's gaze fell on her phone on the desk. As if thinking of something, she picked it up and made a call.

William's deep, magnetic voice came through the phone.

"What's wrong? Why the sudden call?"

At this moment, Isabella didn't even realize how much she was relying on William. She held the phone close, curling up into the sofa, as if seeking a sense of security.

There was a hint of barely noticeable grievance and anxiety in her voice.

"I had a meeting today. Harold planted someone on the team, and sure enough, he's not easy to deal with. He immediately started picking apart my proposal. Now the project is stuck and can't get through approval."

Isabella explained everything that happened today in one breath, her tone indignant, like a little girl complaining about her troubles, with a touch of petulance in her voice.

"I was planning to get approval today and start construction tomorrow, but now we're stuck at the approval stage. We can't even begin construction. This won't work—there's no way we can deliver the project on schedule like this."

At this point, her tone grew somber. She pressed her lips together and continued.

"Harold probably can't wait for me to fail this project. His target might not just be this project—he's probably set his sights on the Taylor Group itself. He's probably trying to get his hands into the Taylor Group."

Both Hayden and Isabella had figured out Harold's intentions. Hayden was on high alert, his heart hanging in his throat, afraid that Isabella would fail.

"Harold's guy is giving you a hard time?"

There was a moment of silence on William's end. When he spoke, his tone was as deep as always, yet protective, carrying a calming strength.

His brief words helped settle Isabella's heart a bit, and she felt less agitated.

"Yes, but I really can't wait any longer. The approval needs to go through right away; we can't do a trial run tomorrow. And from what I can tell, that's exactly his plan—he doesn't want the project to move forward."

Isabella's tone was calm, but inside, she was in turmoil.

This was her bargaining chip, and her first step in establishing herself at the Taylor Group.

If Harold really managed to get his hands in, forget about her—even Hayden wouldn't have much say.

"So what do you think I should do? I can't just sit here and watch the schedule slip away. I'm dying to start the trial run. I've already lined up the equipment and workers—just waiting for approval."

Faced with this situation, Isabella really didn't know what to do, and she found herself talking more.

She walked to the window and looked down at the endless stream of traffic below, her hand at her side, slowly clenching into a fist.

William sensed her unease, his heart tightening, and he softened his voice.

"Do you want me to help you solve this problem?"

Isabella paused, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes.

If she let William solve it, it would naturally be easy. But if they dealt with one Martin, there would be another Martin.

Harold had already set his sights on the Taylor Group. With such a big prize, how could he resist? His next moves would probably be even more underhanded and ruthless.

Better to keep Martin around, but she couldn't fall into Harold's trap. The project had to continue, and it had to be delivered perfectly.

"No need, I'll handle it myself. It's better if I deal with this kind of thing on my own."

Isabella's voice was flat. She looked down at the traffic below, gradually forming a plan in her mind.

Only then did she realize she'd been chatting with William for nearly half an hour. Isabella's ears turned red, and her tone became unnatural.

"Sorry, I must be taking up your time. I just panicked a bit earlier and didn't know who to talk to about this. After thinking it over, I ended up calling you."

William chuckled softly.

"It's fine, there's no such thing as taking up my time or not. It's okay, all problems can be solved. If you have any issues, just call me. I'm always here."

His voice carried a reassuring strength. Isabella's anxious heart had already been soothed, and she felt warmth in her chest.

"Okay, bye."

After hanging up, Isabella picked up the proposal from her desk and, after asking where Martin was, went to find him.

When she arrived, Martin was leisurely drinking coffee, showing no signs of the busyness he'd mentioned.

Seeing Isabella approach, his eyes darkened briefly before quickly returning to normal. He stood up to greet her, his expression unchanged.

"Mr. Taylor arranged an office for me. Ms. Taylor is indeed clever to find me so quickly."

His words carried hidden meaning, but Isabella didn't want to waste time sparring with him. She placed the proposal on the desk and pushed it toward him.

A hint of amusement flashed in Martin's eyes.

"Ms. Taylor works fast. You've already revised the proposal so quickly."

Isabella shook her head, her eyes perfectly calm, showing no trace of anxiety.

"I haven't changed anything in this proposal. Mr. Collins, as I told you before, the project timeline is very tight. We can't waste time on such trivial matters."

"I'm planning to submit the proposal directly to Mr. Rogers. Every detail, process, and even the budget in this proposal meet the project requirements. I'm sure Mr. Rogers isn't a petty person."

Martin's expression changed, though he still wore a polite smile, showing no signs of anything amiss.

"Ms. Taylor, there's no need to bother Mr. Rogers with such small matters. As the director, I have to pay attention to more details than others. What Ms. Taylor calls small issues are not small matters in my view."

He placed his hand on the proposal on the desk, his posture composed.

His words made it clear that he still wouldn't approve it. Isabella remained completely calm.

"Then I won't waste any more of Ms. Taylor's time."