Chapter 16
The following day, after lunch, Isabella planned to head back to Canneville.
Before leaving, Wendy pressed a card into her hands. Isabella knew this was Alex’s doing, and since she couldn’t refuse, she accepted it reluctantly.
Anne hitched a ride with her. She had just started her first year at Canneville University. The two didn’t talk much during the drive. When they reached the university gate, Anne turned around just as she was about to get out and shyly thanked her.
Isabella smiled. “It’s nothing.” She wasn’t the kind to warm up quickly to people. Her relationship with Ryan was much closer, mainly because he was lively and outgoing, never shy.
As Anne got out of the car, Isabella suddenly called out, “Anne, do you have my number?”
Anne blinked, then nodded. “Yes. Dad gave it to me.”
“Good. If you ever need anything while you’re in Canneville, don’t hesitate to call me, okay?” Isabella made sure to fulfill her role as the responsible older cousin.
Anne gave a polite smile. “Okay.”
After dropping Anne off, Isabella headed straight to her studio.
The renovations were complete, and Theodore had hired two assistants. When she arrived, he introduced them briefly. They went by Avril Lurke and Arlan Smith.
Coincidentally, Arlan was also a student at Canneville University. He was about to graduate and was here for an internship. Going forward, he would primarily assist Isabella with her
work.
Once the four of them had ironed out the workflow, Theodore discussed the projects they had taken on over the past few days. The two of them meticulously divided the tasks.
Theodore was a complete workaholic. Unlike Isabella, who treated the studio like a personal passion project, he genuinely wanted to build it into something big and successful.
Seeing his dedication, Isabella admired him greatly. She was determined not to slack off, so at the end of the day, she took the initiative to text Mason. She got straight to discussing their potential collaboration.
Mason suggested they meet at his office the next day.
The following morning, Isabella figured she should look more formal for the occasion, so she dressed in business attire. When she got downstairs, she ran into Xavier, who was in black workout gear.
Chapter 16
He had just finished exercising and was slightly sweaty around the temples, holding a water bottle. The sight of him immediately reminded her of the awkwardness from the other night, making her want to avoid him.
But Xavier, as always, managed to get on her nerves. “You’re dressed like you’re in sales. Have you switched careers and are handing out flyers now?”
Isabella paused, turned to him, and shot back, “Better than lounging around doing nothing all day like you.”
He considered this for a moment and surprisingly nodded in agreement, looking every bit the shameless rogue.
Isabella was greeted by a young assistant after arriving at JW and was guided to the 11th floor and into a large, 750–square–foot conference room. The air conditioning was blasting, offering a cool reprieve from the sweltering sun visible through the windows.
The assistant brought her a cup of coffee and asked her to wait a moment.
Soon, the door opened again, and a middle–aged man in a suit entered.
He wasn’t Mason. The man introduced himself as Liam Swift, the art director. As expected, it was him she would be negotiating with for the collaboration.
Chapter 17
