Chapter 37 A Taste of the Past
Isabella was also stunned and asked him in a low voice, "Didn't you say I should bring a notebook to take notes?"
She raised the black notebook in her hand, looking innocent.
Jack laughed at her. "I said bring a laptop. Why did you come with that? There’ll be a lot to record later, won’t you be exhausted?"
It was the first time Isabella had attended this kind of meeting and she had no experience, so she hadn't thought about that. Besides, she only had one laptop, which Charlie had given her when he didn't need it after graduating from college. Isabella had left it in her dormitory. Even if she had brought it, it would probably crash halfway through the meeting. That would be even worse. Isabella thought for a moment and said, "It's okay, I write fast."
Sebastian, who was sitting in front, said to Jack, "Give her my laptop."
"Sure, Mr. Landon." Jack didn't hesitate and got up to hand Sebastian's laptop to Isabella.
The conference room was quiet, with dozens of pairs of eyes staring at Sebastian.
Occasionally, a few curious glances would sweep towards Isabella. Even though the Landon Group had been established for so long, they had never seen Mr. Landon with a female assistant before.
This was unusual and absurd.
Isabella had never experienced such a grand scene before, and she suddenly felt a bit flustered. "No... it's not necessary..."
Jack simply handed her the laptop and reassured her, "Mr. Landon wants you to use it, so go ahead. You don't have to be shy."
Isabella felt somewhat helpless.
Was she being shy? No, she was actually feeling embarrassed.
The silver-gray laptop was thin and lightweight, barely adding any weight to Isabella's legs. The screen resolution was very high. It was several times smoother than the one Isabella had used before. Isabella quickly learned how to use it. Her fair fingers typed swiftly on the keyboard. Sebastian occasionally turned his head to catch a glimpse of Isabella's hands. It was the first time he realized that Isabella had attractive hands.
Suddenly spotting an error she had recorded, Sebastian leaned closer to her and pointed it out.
Isabella immediately understood and quickly corrected it, whispering, "Thank you, Mr. Landon."
Sebastian caught a whiff of her fragrance and suddenly asked, "Did you change your perfume?"
Isabella was taken aback. Thankfully, his voice was low, and someone happened to be speaking at that moment, which drowned out his words. But his question still startled Isabella. "No..."
"I seem to remember that you’ve never used this scent before."
Isabella wondered, what scent had she used before? How did he know?
Isabella's brain nearly crashed. "I don't wear perfume, Mr. Landon."
Sebastian seemed somewhat fixated on that question and pressed on. "Where does the fragrance on you come from, then?"
"It's..." Isabella felt embarrassed. After all, how could someone discuss scent with their assistant during a meeting?
But Sebastian continued to stare at her with his intense gaze, waiting for her answer.
After hesitating for a while, Isabella's face turned red. "It's... body wash."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. He pretended to casually adjust his cuff, shifting his gaze away. But he could still sense that faint fragrance emanating from her. He felt that scent interfering with his thoughts, causing him to be somewhat distracted during the meeting.
---
After the meeting, Isabella went to the restroom.
Sebastian stared at her figure, lost in thought.
"Mr. Landon?" Jack interrupted his thoughts, noticing that something was off with him. "What's the matter?"
"Have you noticed..." Sebastian spoke slowly, "Isabella acting strange?"
"Huh?" Jack was confused. "What do you mean, Mr. Landon?"
Sebastian was about to speak when someone suddenly rushed over and collided with him. Papers scattered all over the floor, and the girl looked panicked as she apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Did I bump into you?"
The girl in front of him was young and beautiful, with a delicate appearance. But Sebastian felt nothing for her. He raised his hand and patted the spot where the girl had touched him, looking slightly displeased.
Jack spoke with a hint of rebuke, "Which department are you from?"
"I'm from the Assistant to the President's department."
Jack understood. "You're the new intern, right?"
"Yes." The girl raised her own work ID and looked steadily at Sebastian. "My name is Samantha. Are you... Mr. Landon?"
Sebastian glanced at her and said in a flat voice, "When did the requirements for the assistant department become so poor, Jack?"
He meant that Samantha was not suitable for the assistant department.
Jack nodded. "I'll handle it right away."
Just then, Isabella came out of the restroom.
"Bella." Samantha greeted her warmly as soon as she saw her.
Isabella frowned, thinking, the more she didn't want to see someone, the more they appeared in front of her.
Sebastian looked at Isabella and asked, "Do you know her?"
Isabella was about to explain when Samantha took the initiative to hold her hand. "Isabella and I were college classmates, roommates, and good friends. Isn't that right, Isabella?"
Isabella felt flustered. She quickly pulled away from Samantha and stood aside, keeping her distance. "We used to have a good relationship, but not anymore."
"Bella..." Samantha looked disappointed.
Jack said, "Come with me."
Samantha stared. "Help me plead with Mr. Landon, Bella. I just started this job. I don't want to lose it like this."
Isabella looked at Sebastian, surprised. "Are you firing her?"
Sebastian nodded. He looked at her with gentle eyes. "If you help her plead, I can reconsider."
Isabella quickly shook her head.
She didn't want to help Samantha at all. She would rather Samantha leave as soon as possible.
"Looks like you really dislike her?" Sebastian pressed the elevator button and casually asked, "Why?"
Isabella bit her lip and said, "She stole something from me."
