Chapter 172 The Power of Love
The normally carefree and giddy Emily suddenly found herself being shy.
The power of love, huh...
Outside the conference room, Kane smiled and glanced at the text message notification. As much as Mr. Lawrence and his wife had been making fun of him, they'd really facilitated progress between him and Emily-and the progress was fast.
Tucking his cell phone into his pocket and grabbing his papers, Kane finally made his way into the conference room and stood next to Sebastian.
Sebastian gave him a nonchalant look and said nothing.
He never meddled in gossip, but this time, he had his reasons. Wouldn't it add another layer to his relationship with Isabella if his right-hand man and Isabella's close friend became a couple?
After leaving Emily, Isabella took a detour to Brittany's office, only to find it empty.
" Miss Everly has called in sick." The secretary told her.
"Sick leave?" Isabella remembered Joshua and Brittany's earlier encounter in the elevator." For how long?"
Three days.
Something didn't feel right to Isabella. She politely thanked the secretary and left. After trying to call Brittany without success, Isabella's grip on her cell phone tightened. She decided it was time to confront Joshua.
As she waited in the elevator, her phone rang with a message from Brittany - "Isabella, I'm fine. Just had too much to drink last night and need a couple days off. Don't worry about me."
The more Brittany insisted that she was fine, the more sceptical Isabella became.
She barged into Joshua's office, bypassing his secretary, who protested, "Mr. Sinclair is busy ...... Please, Mrs. Lawrence, don't put me in a difficult position."
Everyone knew who Isabella was, she was the undisputed mistress of the Lawrence Group and no one dared to stop her.
"If I wait, Joshua won't get to see me," she replied, and assured the secretary, "You won't be implicated."
Isabella pushed the office door open decisively, leaving the secretary outside.
Joshua, sitting leisurely at his desk, greeted her with a relaxed posture, " What can I do for you, Mrs. Lawrence?"
" You wouldn't have agreed to see me if I hadn't barged in, would you? " Isabella said, recognizing his calm demeanor despite surely hearing the commotion outside. He sat there, his face unchanged, as if nothing had been wrong.
---
As Sebastian's brother would have done!
"Nobody's going to stop you," replied Joshua, shrugging his shoulders and sitting back in his chair." I think I'll wait here for you."
Isabella didn't waste time with pleasantries." What did you do to Brittany?"
"What could I do to her?"
"In the elevator, you were so harsh she almost cried—I saw it with my own eyes! Now she's not at work, took a three-day leave, and she's not answering her phone... Do you expect me to believe you've got nothing to do with this?"
Joshua looked at her fixedly." So, you're here to fight for Brittany."
"She's my friend," Isabella said firmly, "I can't stand by and do nothing."
"Friend... Yeah, lately, you seem to be her only new friend."
"Why can't you leave Brittany alone? You're about to get engaged to Nicole, she's from a rich family, she's beautiful, and you handpicked her." Isabella pressed." Why do you continue to pester Brittany?"
Joshua just smiled." I can understand why you're unhappy. But Brittany taking a vacation? I'm just learning about it from you."
"Nothing to do with you?"
"Hasn't she been drinking with you all night? Sounds more like it had something to do with you"
"But in the elevator ......"
"I just asked her a couple questions."
"Do you expect me to believe that?"
"Mrs. Lawrence," Joshua continued, "I suggest you stay out of this. You don't understand what's going on between Brittany and I. You don't understand it at all."
"You and her? You mean break up? Because you cheated on her? I'm well aware of all that."
"What about what you don't know?"
"What would I not know?"
"There's a lot you don't know." Joshua smiled, with a calmness and friendliness that was disturbingly disproportionate to the interrogation." Actually, I'm glad Brittany has a friend like you."
"Why won't you leave her alone, Joshua? Haven't you hurt her enough?"
"I'm the last person in the world who wants to see Brittany get hurt."
Isabella scoffed, "Yeah, lies are too easy for you. I'm starting to think you're the one who hurt her the most."
He shrugged, "That's why I said you don't know."
She retorted, "Of course, you and Sebastian are always towering over us mortals. You have your plans, your games ...... never cared about the feelings of others."
Joshua didn't respond, just watched her silently.
It took a few seconds before he spoke again, "I think I'm beginning to understand why Sebastian is so ...... fond of you." He bristled, not voicing his final thought.
Isabella burst into a rage, "What's the point of stammering if you have something to say? Are you afraid to or what?"
"I'm a man, the same as Sebastian." He retorted.
"You ...... " she cracked.
"Besides," Joshua interjected, "you have your own troubles to deal with, so don't worry about me and Brittany, okay?"
"My life is fine. What kind of mess are you talking about?" She questioned.
Joshua looked at her pointedly, "Between you and Lynda, I'm betting on you."
Isabella was stunned and dumbfounded.
"But your enemies are not limited to Lynda," Joshua continued, "I'll be waiting for your wedding to Sebastian."
"What do you mean by ...?" She had just started to speak when he interrupted her.
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out," Joshua dismissed her, "Or I could have my secretary show you out."
He always wore an easy smile and seemed so down to earth, but Joshua was cunning, there was no doubt about it.
"You know what," Isabella said, locking eyes with him." You're going to regret the way you treat Brittany. You claimed you wouldn't hurt her, but your behavior caused her pain!"
Unperturbed, Joshua replied, "Why don't you spend more time with her? Go shopping, have a meal, watch a movie, but drink less alcohol, it's not good for your health."
"I don't need your advice to know that." She snapped.
With that said, Isabella turned and walked away, feeling intensely upset for Brittany.
Why fall in love with a man like that? He may not have Sebastian's coldness, but Joshua's heart was just as hard.
Both men had hearts of stone.
But love is love, isn't it? At least, Joshua had loved Brittany with all her heart.
And for herself?
It was doubtful that Sebastian had ever loved her.
"Joshua watched the door click shut behind her. The smile faded from the corners of his mouth.
Taking three days off, was Brittany avoiding him?
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