Chapter 4: The Chairman

"The new chairman is arriving next week."

"I know." Isabella didn’t even lift her eyebrows. She kept her head down and hummed distractedly while pushing around what was in her bowl. She had no appetite.

Sitting across from Isabella was her good friend, Zoe Finn. She saw Isabella's absent-minded expression and waved her fork in front of her face. "Hey, come back! What's up these past few days? You've been so out of it. You're constantly making mistakes at work. Did something happen?"

Isabella always took her job seriously. She was currently the executive assistant to Halycon&Co regional director. Known for being efficient and precise, Isabella's recent string of errors hadn't gone unnoticed. Zoe had already seen her mix up meeting briefs twice—unthinkable for her.

"Nothing." She shook her head, not in the mood to talk.

Jilted, betrayed by her best friend, and a one-night stand... these kinds of situations, how could she put them in words?

That unbelievable night already happened a week ago, but Zachary had been calling her nonstop, fraying her already shredded nerves.

He cheated until it resulted in a baby. What was the point of calling her?

Zoe picked up the cues and didn't push further. She changed the subject. "By the way, do you know who the new chairman is?"

"Who is it?"

"Vincent Sinclair!" Zoe visibly brightened. "The board chairman handpicked him to oversee Halycon&Co. Manhattan's getting some serious eye candy."

Vincent Sinclair?

The corner of Isabella's mouth twitched. Even the kale and quinoa salad she was eating lost its flavor.

How could she not know who Vincent Sinclair was? It wasn't just that he was one of New York's most powerful heirs, or that his face had half the Upper East Side swooning. 

He was Chloe Dubois' older brother. Back in university, Isabella had met him once or twice through Chloe but she'd forgotten how he even looked. Now that she remembered Halycon&Co was part of the Sinclair Group, it made sense.

"Why do you look like you couldn’t care less?" Zoe looked disappointed at her friend’s lack of enthusiasm. "Vincent Sinclair. He's not your average exec. Do you even understand the hype right now?"

"You're clearly caught up in it," Isabella arched a brow and interrupted. "I can tell you're excited. Just make sure you ogle hard enough for the both of us."

Zoe rolled her eyes with a laugh. She was about to reply when Isabella's phone, sitting face-up on the table, buzzed.

She glanced at the screen, and her face shifted.

"It's Zachary. You take the call. I need the bathroom anyway," Zoe said, oblivious to the full context as she stood to leave.

Isabella waited until Zoe was out of sight before answering.

"Zachary, from now on, treat Chloe well," she said calmly, voice low. "I know everything. I wish you both happiness. But don’t call me again."

She ended the call before he could reply.

She was still putting the phone down when Zoe came rushing back through the restroom door.

"Isabella! Hurry! You need to get back upstairs—the new chairman just walked in!"