CHAPTER 9: I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN

CHAPTER 9: I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN

Isabella clenched her hands and gathered her courage; she wasn't going to deny that he was intimidating.

"Yes!" she said firmly.

Sebastián looked her up and down with disdain.

"You? A woman who goes to bed with a man she barely knows? Who told you that you're qualified to tell me how to raise my son?"

His words hurt her; he was calling her a prostitute, and she wasn't one.

"You don't know what exactly happened, I'm not what you think. Besides, I didn't kidnap your son. I..."

"No? Then why is my son with you? Tell me, what are you trying to do by getting close to my son?"

Sebastián moved closer and closer until Isabella's back hit the wall. It was inevitable that his eyes roamed over her, and to him, she was beautiful. Even though she seemed like a common woman who probably sold her body, she was still beautiful. He looked at her full and provocative lips, her green eyes, her dark lashes, her white and soft skin. And a faint memory of the previous night made him swallow hard. Even her scent captivated him; it was as if his body was familiar with her.

"I'll only give you this warning: don't come near me or my son again, understand? Stay away from him. Or else, face the consequences."

Just then, Sebastián's phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, his lips twisted into a grimace.

"What's up, Inesa?"

Inesa Phillips was the daughter of the second largest shareholder of the company. Sebastián Ashford was the only son of Rogert Ashford, who had founded a hotel company with his best friend that had grown into a global conglomerate with different brands.

"You need to come immediately," said the woman on the other end, her voice tinged with urgency. "This is serious."

"What's happening? Don't beat around the bush," Sebastián was starting to get annoyed. The pressure from the situation with Isabella and now this was pushing him to his limit.

"There's a video of you all over the internet... I don't know what happened, but it clearly shows you offending and humiliating your date. I think this has impacted our future contract with the UK. They seem very unsettled. What are we going to do?! You know this contract is vital for the company."

Sebastián's face paled upon hearing this.

"Understood, I'm on my way. Keep everything under control until I get there," he said before hanging up the phone.

He turned to Isabella, who was still leaning against the wall, watching him with a mix of confusion and concern. He moved closer and closer, and it was inevitable that his eyes roamed over her, and to him, she was beautiful. Even though she seemed like a common woman who probably sold her body, she was still beautiful.

He looked at her full and provocative lips, her green eyes, her dark lashes, her white and soft skin. And a faint memory of the previous night made him swallow hard. Even her scent captivated him; it was as if his body was familiar with her.

"Don't forget my warning. I don't want to see you again," he said. "Don't push your luck."

Isabella watched him walk away, her lips pressed together in frustration.

"Arrogant bastard, who the hell does he think he is?" she murmured. "I don't want to see you again either, mister, whatever your name is."

She sighed deeply and was about to go back in to see her father when his attending doctor approached.

"How are you, Mrs. Becker?"

Isabella shuddered at hearing herself called that.

"Doctor Spencer, it's good to see you. I came to check on my father's condition."

The man nodded slightly and adjusted his glasses.

"Your father's condition remains delicate. The heart attack significantly affected his body, but what worries me the most is his constant concern for his company."

She lowered her head.

"Yes, for my father... it's not easy to have lost everything."

"That's why I recommend you talk to him; maybe if you convince him to do his part, he can recover faster."

"Yes, you can count on it. I... will do everything in my power to help my father get through this."

The doctor gave her a smile.

"I know you will."

Isabella took a deep breath and was about to enter when the doctor stopped her.

"Mrs. Becker... I'm sorry to say this, but... I've received information that the medical expenses have not been covered for several months..."

Isabella's face filled with embarrassment.

"I..."

"I'm aware of what happened with your businesses, but your husband..."

"He is no longer my husband!" she clarified. "I am no longer Mrs. Becker, so you can call me Isabella, but don't repeat that last name."

The doctor was taken by surprise.

"I understand, I'm sorry, I didn't know... however, the administration department is impatient about the delay. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but the overdue bills must be paid, otherwise..."

"Don't worry," she interrupted him, "I will pay the medical bills. I just want my father to continue his treatment."

The doctor nodded slightly.

"Alright, I truly hope you can get out of this situation, Miss Collins."

"Thank you."

The man gave her one last look and left. Isabella stood there, staring into space, but with one thing on her mind: she needed money, so she had to find a job.

After visiting her father, Isabella went to her only friend Lucy's house. The two had studied business administration together, and both had gotten married, only Lucy had been luckier.

"I'm sorry to bother you," she said, her face full of embarrassment.

"Hey, what bother? We're friends, besides, Patrick will be happy to see you. As soon as I told him you were staying for a few days, he was thrilled."

Isabella could barely smile; these were not the reasons she had hoped to see her friend again.

"So, are you going to talk? I know you're dying inside and believe me, it may sound cliché, but I told you so. That jerk Marcus never sat well with me."

"I know, I should have listened to you," Isabella paused, remembering her friend's warnings.

"Or accepted my cousin's love, I'm sure he would have made you happy."

"Please, stop, stop rubbing my mistakes in my face. Yes, I was stupid and careless, but now... now I just want to protect my father." Isabella's eyes, though filled with tears, also held determination. "I need a job, help me find a job."

Lucy pulled her into her arms and sighed.

"You know I will. We'll talk to Patrick, I'm sure he'll find something. Don't worry."

Half an hour later, Lucy hung up the phone with a smile.

"See? I told you Patrick would find something."

Isabella's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Really? Does he have something for me?"

"Yes, he said his boss needs an assistant, and you're perfect for the job."

"Assistant?" Isabella paused, reflecting.

"Yes, you can start with that, and later on, you can aim for a better position."

"No, it's not that, it's just that... I don't know if I could..."

Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Isa, you need to drop that pessimistic attitude. If you want to beat that jerk Marcus, you need to show some toughness. Besides, having Sebastián Ashford as your boss could be beneficial, I'm telling you."

The name sounded somewhat familiar to Isabella.

"Sebastián Ashford?"