Isabella Rose was having a serio

he mumbled, pulling he

continue

e min

ng lo

heartless piece

pped th

le

triumphantly and

phone beg

groa

g to remind me that I'm poor, I

he phone without

el

rning, M

te, professional, and entirely too

is

tive assistant to Mr.

o quickly that her bla

N

was a

use

tever you're sellin

lling anyth

n we have nothi

ke to arrange a meeting

stared at

cou

nder had to inv

celebrity's? Perhaps a billionaire who collected expe

ackwood I'm

en you would

ev

her

d asked me to explain that this is a profes

expressio

comp

arity event. She had assumed he was simpl

y, he was

opport

the details in person. Wou

N

eve

N

row be more

rubbed he

wood pay you to

, ma

blin

ntinued in the s

rsistence isn't listed as a

self, Isabe

iately re

d anything associated with

. I don't work

rrently

intention of wo

erst

are we sti

offer your company a contract wor

le

owly lowere

raised

use

d thousand do

red at

red thousa

lace its aging equipment, rent a proper

expense as though she were prep

d finall

would come f

x-hus

r feel like she was begging

zed her e

s the

nts your company to organize the Blackwood

y m

as received exc

owns half the businesses in this city want

went

leared hi

cannot answer

you don

value my

a laugh

t you're

you,

proposal. I'l

I'll send it

Dan

es

fore I've reviewed the documents, te

e a note

odb

erful mornin

ded th

ds, she sat motio

reamed into

ked into the kitchen and found

uched coffee

e st

o d

bod

has offered you a million dollars

ned the lapt

ad the p

yes w

ad it

looked at

red thousan

es

one e

aren

his l

ssum

e call th

we call t

hat much money without h

atched the

not he

out a chair

be sensible. Wha

lled through

he venue, catering, entertainment, decorations,

a lot

es

's mana

es

he pay

rcent after the planning stage, a

whis

one could solve most of

a leane

cisely what

t not know every detail of her finances, but he kne

rying to

to buy his way ba

ed not

meeting,"

turned to

u lost y

ill have excellent

my ex-h

s a busines

ery opportunity

ck. You're exceptiona

hl

n entire charity gala wit

rly choked o

you even

you tur

hot in

Octo

oesn't care wh

rst out

hrew a nap

ked back at

red thousa

eks of

rritating

uld do

d to d

nnounced. "I'll at

apped he

elle

re coming

smile

hy

need mora

al support ag

xander Bl

onsider

r comfortable shoes i

stood outside the headquarte

ding was

and a golden sign bearing the company's nam

sive suits hurried

stood beside the

polished, powerful

ed how famil

hrough those doors ho

es had greeted her

d smile

s though they couldn't understand what a m

d pretending

telling her not to care w

the day he stopped

aightened he

es belonged

ere as the owner

nder Blackwo

" Chloe

lifted

ea

ered the

t greeted the

ng. How may

ve an eleven o'clock mee

ist glanced a

looked

ose. Mr. Brooks i

n became unus

e foll

anged a glanc

ing like we're royal

e important b

has threatened to fire

s ridi

s

a didn'

e receptionist i

closed, Chloe

inappropriate, I'll

se do

ffe

N

ge ju

hl

I'll

pened on the e

avy suit app

I'm Danie

ecognized

ersistent

el s

of myself as profes

xpensive way of

od has been

gine h

corridor and stopped

ood is wait

ezed Isabe

spered. "Business f

a stare

you get th

evis

uld respond, Danie

here

the phone. His jacket was draped over a chair, a

effortless

eply inconsi

la and immediatel

you,

istant

ike me to br

, pl

looked a

you take

stif

mation is c

e sn

is notepad, apparently

's mouth

Coffee for ev

rd the chairs op

ase,

la sat

looking around the office

vely office,"

," Alexand

pensive-

Isabella

complimen

r looked

e interior d

She deserv

red her face

was going to

d to his chair an

scuss the

nutes, they reviewed t

guest list, the fundraising target,

nswered eve

dn't interrupt her or

iste

mal dinner with a more interactive charity auct

had benefited from the foundation's hos

the event more me

oked up fro

agr

would

shru

prefer thin

ssion gre

e can

landed bet

lowered

etim

atched her

urned to th

has one addition

tely became

requir

ectly with me on

lutel

abe

ion manager, and whoever else is necessary. But I

my com

professional

narrowed

ing I interfere

ersonal history makes this

lexander di

back in

establish

tudied him

o

etings will be scheduled during business hour

how up at my off

ree

ntract as an excuse to

ree

ion, my professional recommendati

cour

rowed h

eeing rathe

prefer an

have better things

r smiled

have an a

contract acr

the final pa

e mistake of signing someth

lation terms, and responsibilities of both

y lawyer to

cour

n anything until

ntirely re

a looke

n't ar

rying to pr

ng her like a

ed her more than his

ve the contract reviewed and re

extended

you, Ms

t his hand f

he sho

gers we

ili

ased him

lcome, Mr.

e st

ially enjoyed the part wher

hl

hat's pr

r laughe

h to her annoyance, that she

bed her

ould l

r stood

end the event docum

in

Isabe

ned tow

ha

t, he seeme

d, "I'm gla

her with one pain

gnore

e meeting wa

efore he could s

until the doors closed before

still in lo

a stare

be ridi

you were the last piece of c

terrible c

love choco

cake because it

dded tho

ellent

ed out int

's phone

cation appeared

RPRISES - CONT

as a secon

Alexa

haven't earned your trust, but I hope

a read

locked

et a polite mes

ct would b

would be n

checked out, she

ing

falling in love with A

en a l

emembered how sh

ked at her with th

ly not if he

logy couldn't

marriage had fallen apart, she refused t

, an anonymous email

d a single

r standing outside a hot

oman Isabella reco

an H

the photograph conta

nd never told

tared at t

s, she wondered whether her di

ctly who she nee

der Bl