Chapter 7: She Went to Hawthorne Manor and Ran into Sophie

Sebastian Whitmore narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at her. "What were you thinking just now? I want the truth."

Isabella dared not tell the truth. If Sebastian Whitmore found out she had been fantasizing about him, he might kill her.

Isabella collected her thoughts and put on an innocent look. "I was thinking about tonight's dinner."

Sebastian Whitmore raised an eyebrow—she really dared to say anything.

Although Isabella appeared honest and simple, Sebastian Whitmore felt that this was definitely not her true nature. This woman was very cunning.

Sebastian Whitmore stared at her and asked, "Do you know why I transferred you to the Secretary Office?"

"Yes." Isabella continued with her honest act. "Mr. Reed said it was because I’m plain."

Sebastian Whitmore twitched his mouth. "..."

"You really have... self-awareness." Sebastian Whitmore was at a loss for words. It was the first time he had encountered such an 'obedient' secretary.

"You won't have a chance to eat dinner by yourself tonight. Get ready, you're coming out with me."

If Isabella didn't know Sebastian Whitmore's schedule, she might have misunderstood his words as something else.

"Yes, Mr. Whitmore." Isabella respectfully handed over the freshly brewed coffee.

Sebastian Whitmore said, "You may leave."

Isabella quickly left.

Back in the Secretary Office, Isabella finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Sebastian Whitmore really didn't remember that night.

This was a good thing; Isabella just wanted a job to survive in this city. She had no parents and had to rely on herself for everything. She didn't have unrealistic dreams of marrying into wealth.

She knew how hard it had been to get where she was today. Ordinary people who work hard can only live ordinary lives, but even a small mistake could ruin her current peaceful life.

If she could do well in this job, her future would be much better. The salary and benefits offered by Whitmore Corporation were very generous.

At that moment, Linda walked in, and Isabella quickly asked, "Linda, why isn't Mr. Reed here today? He usually accompanies Mr. Whitmore to events, but I didn't see him today."

"Mr. Whitmore's girlfriend is moving into his house, so Mr. Reed is helping her," Linda replied and then asked, "You didn't know? You work closely with Mr. Whitmore; how can you not know anything?"

"Mr. Whitmore has a girlfriend? Do we know her?" Isabella was surprised and felt a fleeting sense of loss that she didn't even realize herself.

"No, but she's the first woman to move into Hawthorne Manor," Linda said. "She could very well become Mrs. Whitmore."

Knowing that Sebastian Whitmore had someone he liked, Isabella decided to bury that night’s incident deep within herself.

Isabella quickly adjusted her emotions and accompanied Sebastian Whitmore to the evening event.

Drinking was inevitable at such events. Before entering the restaurant, Sebastian Whitmore asked her, "By the way, can you drink?"

Isabella answered honestly, "Three bottles of beer is my limit."

The night she slept with Sebastian Whitmore, she had drunk four and blacked out.

Sebastian Whitmore frowned. "Your tolerance is too low; you need to practice."

"Yes, Mr. Whitmore, I will do my best," Isabella promised earnestly.

At the dinner party.

Since Isabella couldn't drink much, she naturally couldn't help Sebastian Whitmore block many drinks.

Sebastian Whitmore never showed his true feelings; even if he drank too much, he remained composed and well-mannered.

Isabella stood by and couldn't help but think about how aggressive she must have been that night to end up in bed with Sebastian Whitmore.

"Mr. Whitmore, you have a new secretary again? This one isn't as pretty as the last one," Joe Foster, president of Greenbriar Enterprises, teased. "Why don't I find you some pretty ones? Women are like vases; beautiful women are pleasing to look at. It must be annoying to look at your secretary all day."

Isabella thought this Joe Foster was sharp-tongued enough until she heard Sebastian Whitmore's response.

Sebastian glanced at Isabella calmly while drinking his wine and said, "She keeps me alert."

Isabella: "..."

Why didn't he just say she looked safe?

It was the first time Isabella experienced Sebastian Whitmore's sharp tongue.

After several rounds of drinks, tonight's event ended relatively early without requiring much from Isabella. If it had been an important event, Sebastian wouldn't have brought her along anyway.

The event ended around midnight. As his secretary, Isabella had to send Sebastian Whitmore home.

Everyone knew that Sebastian Whitmore lived at Hawthorne Manor. Isabella accompanied by the driver took him back there; by the time they arrived, it was nearly 1 AM.

Sebastian Whitmore handled alcohol well; he fell asleep in the car after drinking and needed assistance getting out when they arrived. The driver helped him inside while Isabella provided additional support.

Together they managed to get him to the master bedroom on the third floor. Sophie, who lived on the second floor and heard them arrive, excitedly ran upstairs in her pajamas knowing that Sebastian Whitmore was back.