Chapter 11 Give Me Your Hand
Isabella sat at her desk, staring at the screen, her mind in disarray. She couldn't believe what had just happened. This was the first time someone had ever protected her like this, besides Nina,. And that person was a man she had been intimate with. Isabella was deeply moved.
Next to her, Laura was sobbing, and a few female colleagues surrounded her, offering comfort.
"Don't be upset, Laura. Your makeup will be ruined," one colleague said.
"Yeah, Laura, Mr. Landon didn't say anything to you. You’re the beautiful and capable. Mr. Landon wouldn't blame you," another added.
Laura looked up and caught sight of Isabella. She glared at her fiercely and said, "So what if I'm beautiful? So what if I'm capable? I still can't compete with some conniving woman!"
Everyone looked at Isabella with a questioning gaze, probably speculating about her relationship with Sebastian.
The office door opened, and Sebastian walked out, Jack following him.
Sebastian glanced at them briefly, and the people surrounding Laura immediately dispersed and returned to their seats.
Laura looked at Sebastian with red eyes. She was beautiful and came from a good family. She was very popular in the department. Her teary eyes were very captivating. She was sure that as long as Sebastian looked at her, he would definitely fall for her.
But Sebastian didn't look at her. Instead, he looked at Isabella in the furthest corner.
"Isabella," Sebastian spoke, and the whole office held their breath to listen.
Isabella stood up, her cautious demeanor making Sebastian feel a pang of sorrow. He usually didn't pay attention to department business, but since the camping trip, some kind of magnetic force had been drawing him toward Isabella.
"Take your notebook and come with me," Sebastian said and walked towards the elevator.
Isabella lowered her head and followed him in front of everyone's gaze.
As the elevator doors closed, the office remained silent.
After a while, someone suddenly asked, "Isabella... where is she from?"
Laura slammed her phone on the table and ran to the restroom to cry.
---
The Maybach drove along on the asphalt road. Isabella glanced at the man sitting next to her uneasily and asked, "Where are we going, Mr. Landon?"
"We are going to discuss a collaboration," Sebastian replied calmly, looking at his phone.
Isabella was puzzled, "Why did you bring me along?"
His department had dozens of people, many of whom were outstanding workers, while she was just an intern. Even though he had verbally confirmed her full-time position in the morning, she was still a novice. However, no matter what, it was not her place to accompany Sebastian on business trips.
Sebastian took his gaze away from his phone. "The Landon Group does not overlook talent and is always eager to train new people."
"But I'm just a novice..." Isabella's voice was low, and she wished she could bury her head in the sand.
"You should be confident." Sebastian glanced at her swollen left hand and spoke in a deep voice. "I’m the boss, so you should believe in my judgment."
They had arranged to discuss the collaboration at a high-end restaurant. Sebastian, Isabella, and Jack arrived first. The other party had not yet arrived.
They went into a private room.
After closing the door, Isabella realized that Jack was missing.
"Come over here." Sebastian had sat on the couch and opened a small box on the table.
Isabella walked over and found that it was a small medical kit. He had probably prepared it in advance.
Sebastian took out some disinfectant and cotton swabs. "Give me your hand."
Isabella froze when she realized what he was about to do. "Mr. Landon, I..."
Sebastian probably thought she was slow and pulled her over, accidentally pressing his fingers onto Isabella's hand.
Isabella gasped in pain, her facial features almost twisted together.
Sebastian let go of her hand and grabbed her wrist, flipping her hand over, only to see a large red and swollen patch on her fair skin, as well as blisters.
Sebastian frowned slightly. "How did your hand get injured like this?"
He dipped a cotton swab into the disinfectant and wiped it onto her hand.
When the cotton swab touched the blister, Isabella shook in pain.
Sebastian stopped. "I need to puncture the blisters on your hand."
Tears welled in Isabella's eyes when she heard that.
Sebastian found a needle in the medical kit. "Bear with me, it might be a little painful."
His voice was unusually gentle, causing Isabella's heart to soften, and she couldn't help but look at him.
Sebastian had a well-defined appearance, as if his facial features had been carefully sculpted by God. At this moment, his jaw was tight, and he seemed more nervous than her. Isabella felt that many women would like a man like him, even if he wasn't wealthy.
Sebastian pierced each blister on her hand one by one. When he looked up, he met her watery eyes. He felt a thudding in his chest. He smiled faintly. "Do I look good?"
Isabella's face turned red, and she looked away only to discover that the blisters on her hands had been pricked. She had been so focused on looking at him that she hadn't noticed the pain.
Sebastian helped her apply some medicine and wrapped her wrist in gauze. "Don't get any water on the wound. Be careful not to let it get infected."
"Thank you, Mr. Landon," Isabella blushed.
---
A moment later, Jack led a group of partners into the room.
All the other people were men, and they seemed a little surprised when they first saw Isabella. When Andy Williams shook hands with Sebastian, he joked, "This is the first time I've seen you bring a female secretary for a business talk, Mr. Landon. You’re very sincere."
Isabella felt slightly surprised when she heard that.
The entire meeting lasted for over two hours, and Isabella sat behind Sebastian the whole time, filling her notebook.
"I'm pleased to collaborate with your company, Mr. Landon," Andy stood up and shook hands with Sebastian.
Sebastian replied politely, "The honor is mine. I’ve booked suites for all of you. You can rest in your rooms for a while. Can we have dinner together tonight, Mr. Williams?"
"Of course, I'd be delighted, Mr. Landon," Andy said, glancing at Isabella. "See you tonight, Ms. Miller."
Isabella nodded politely.
As she watched them leave, Jack let out a sigh of relief. "We made it."
Isabella was taken aback. "Does this mean the collaboration is successful?"
She had overheard that the project's total investment would reach several billion dollars.
"Yes, we’ve reached a collaboration agreement," Jack beamed with joy and started flattering Sebastian. "Do you know, Isabella, this collaboration project has been delayed for a year. If Mr. Landon himself hadn’t come to negotiate with them, we might not have been able to reach an agreement. Mr. Landon is amazing."
Sebastian glanced at him coldly. "You'd better go to the kitchen instead of flattering me. Success or failure will depend on tonight's dinner."
Jack immediately wiped the smile off his face. "Alright, Mr. Landon, I’ll go now."
---
After they returned to their suites, Sebastian went to rest in his room.
Isabella, seeing that there was nothing else to do, also went back to her room. As she lay down, her phone rang.
She looked at the name flashing on the screen, pursed her lips and answered the call.
