"Yeah, please do tell us," the man sitting next to her encouraged.Ann crossed her arms across her chest and pursed her lips before saying, "I just don't have a good feeling about her, that's all.""That cannot be a good reason to not hire her," someone pointed out. "It sounds as if you have a personal grudge against her. You need to give a good reason why you don't recommend her for the position.""I do not have a personal grudge against her," Ann claimed firmly. "But yes, I know her from school. We were classmates. That's why I know she had a reputation for stealing other girls' boyfriends." Ann shrugged. "I wouldn't put it past her to have seduced the professor to have him accept the design as originally hers.""Oh my God," the other panellist said, covering her mouth in shock. "That's horrible.""You mean she is a cheat?" the man asked. "That's very disappointing. I had high hopes for her."Ann rolled her eyes. "She probably wouldn't have graduated with a certificate if she wasn'
Isabelle looked up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She eyed the pamphlet in his hands and shrugged. "Yeah."Then she looked away again and focused on her laptop. But Jacob didn't miss her tone, and how her face fell at his question."And?" he urged."I didn't get the job.""Oh," he mumbled, frowning. "Can I take a look at your resume?""Sure."He took the document and sat back on the sofa. The more he scrutinised the document, the deeper his frown grew. From what he was seeing, it didn't make sense that she wouldn't pass an interview at the Larson Group.According to her resume, she was a top student at her college and even won a scholarship after winning a design contest. That aside, she had recently won a design championship. Both were enough proof that she was a brilliant upcoming designer."Why were you rejected?" he asked after looking through her resume."Probably because I didn't pass the exam," Isabelle replied. But even as she said that, she doubted it. She
Isabelle walked into the kitchen to the sight of Jacob standing over an overturned recycling bin, with several shattered beer bottles at his feet. He had a broom in one hand and a dustpan in the other, still as he looked at the mess he had made.When Isabelle appeared, he looked from the mess to her and then back again. "I...uh..." he began, then went to rub the back of his neck, but realised that was impossible with the dustpan in his hand. So he dropped his hand and shrugged.Isabelle was relieved that he didn't seem to have hurt himself. But she couldn't help but be amused at how he looked standing there looking at the mess he had made as if not sure how it had happened.He cleared his throat and looked at her. "I was sweeping and then...I hit the bin."Yeah, she had guessed as much. Stepping forward, she reached for his broom. "Let me clean it up.""No," he said, stepping back. "Careful," he added, looking down at the shattered glass. "Don't step on them."Isabelle stepped back fr
When Isabelle got to the Larson Group building, she headed up to the floor she had been on the previous day. However, ✓ when she emerged at the waiting room leading to the room she had been interviewed in, a well-dressed lady approached her."Are you Isabelle Cruz?" she asked politely."Yes, that's me," Isabelle replied."Welcome to Larson Group, Ms Cruz. I'm Linda, the vice president's assistant. Please come with me, the vice president is awaiting you."Isabelle blinked. "The vice president?" "Yes. I'll show you the way."Isabelle went with the lady, surprised at the turn of events. She had expected to be led to an interview room. Why did the vice president want to see her?As they went, she noticed that many people stared at her. Did they know her? The previous day, nobody had really paid her any attention. But then she thought of the apology email from the company. Maybe the people here knew about what had happened with her interview?Linda came to a stop in front of a door and pu
When Ann was asked to see the vice president first thing in the morning, she never could have imagined it would be concerning Isabelle's interview and subsequent rejection. After having the panel reject her the previous day, she had slept like a baby, happy that she had finally executed her revenge.Keeping Isabelle out of the company almost made up for that time in college when she lost the scholarship to her. And, not only had she managed to cost her a job at the prestigious Larson Group, but also tarnished her reputation at the same time. She had been certain that once the word spread in the industry, Isabelle would have a hard time finding a job elsewhere.So, she hadn't foreseen what was currently happening-sitting opposite a righteous-looking Isabelle, under the strict scrutiny of the Larson Group's vice president.Why was Jason paying so much attention to Isabelle's case, anyway? The man rejected hundreds of applicants daily and forgot about it. If he was acting as he usually d
Kevin shot a curious glance at his boss in the backseat and quickly looked away. He had just brought the luxury car to a stop outside the house that his boss frequented nowadays. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out what Jacob was up to.Especially as he removed his designer suit and pulled on a shabby jacket over his shirt.He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, wondering whether to ask the questions in his mind or not. He didn't want to cross any boundaries, but this was beyond astonishing, he couldn't help the curiosity. Plus, he wasn't getting paid to stick his nose into the boss's personal business...In fact, sticking it where it wasn't wanted would be a sure way of losing his pay.After changing into the jacket, Jacob went ahead to remove his Italian leather dress shoes and replaced them with work boots.Kevin's attention went back to the neighbourhood outside. Surely, the car looked out of place in such a place, and especially outside the shabby home his boss wa
Finally, Isabelle completed the third round of the interview at the Larson Group and was officially hired.After the debacle with Ann was out of the way, the rest of the process had been smooth, and she completed her Interviews confidently knowing that she would be judged fairly. Eventually, she passed all three rounds and signed an employment contract with the company.On the morning of her first day at work, she went by the flower shop to buy herself congratulatory flowers. She was so excited to begin her career at the company she had always wanted to work at, and getting herself a bunch of investigate the matter further.The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Seth not only had a high position in the company, but was also from a powerful family. Maybe he had some sort of influence in the company.As the two waited for Isabelle's flowers, Seth couldn't help but think about how much more beautiful she looked compared to the last time he had seen her. He had almost not
Isabelle came to her feet when Jason got to their table, and so did Seth beside her."Good afternoon. Ms Cruz," he greeted. "How is your first day going?""Good afternoon, Mr Del Mundo," she replied, smiling at him. "Good so far.""Are you having any problems? Is anyone giving you a hard time?" he asked, a serious look on his face.His serious expression and firm words surprised Isabelle a little. Sure, he had been so helpful during the interview process so it shouldn't be a surprise, but.he sounded very concerned. His manner implied that he was concerned in her not just because she was an employee, but almost as if he had a personal investment in her.Before she could assure him that she wasn't having any trouble at all, Seth spoke to him. "You don't need to worry about that, Mr Del Mundo. If Ms Cruz runs into any problems, I'll help her through."Jason turned to Seth and noticed how he hovered over Isabelle, as though protectively. He cleared his throat and looked between the two. "
On her way home from work that evening, Isabelle came across Jacob jogging in the community. He was dressed in a pair of running shorts that left his long muscular legs exposed, and a t-shirt that made it easy to imagine the muscular physique hidden beneath.Soon as her thoughts went to forbidden territory, she stopped them and focused on the matter that had been on her mind all day. Jacob was the only person from last night who knew her identity and who took the incentive to stop Mr Grayson. There was a high probability that he was the one who had reported him to the police."How was work?" he asked when he got to her and fell into step with her on their way home."It was good," she said, and then looked up at him. "Some officers came in the morning and arrested the director. Are you the one who went to the police with the surveillance video from last night?""Oh, they did?" he nodded approvingly. "Good. Yes, I'm the one who gave them the video.""Thank you," she told him. "He was tr
When Jacob's finger tugged on the towel and it became a little loose, Isabelle snapped out of the trance he had distracted her into. Her face flushed afresh, and as her mind rattled back into work-mode, she realised how precarious her situation was.She had let this go too far.Pushing Jacob's hand away, she ducked under his arm and reached for her door. This time, he didn't stop her as she twisted the handle and pushed the door open. She slammed it closed behind her-as if to further emphasise that she was not up for whatever he had in mind. Rushing to her mirror, she pressed her hands to her face and took deep breaths. She had no idea who she was more pissed at-him for teasing her in her state of undress, or her for giving him any sign that she liked it.It seemed that she was getting too comfortable with him and forgetting that not only was he her pretend husband, but that she was also deceiving him about her identity. Nothing could happen between them as long as she was living a l
Jacob let go of Isabelle's face and looked away. "I was in the company of a friend," he replied to her question."Oh," she muttered, remembering how the men in the private room had all been there with women in their arms. What was Jacob doing there? Had he also been there with a lover? Did he flirt with the women there?The thought bothered her, but she didn't let it show on her face."I'll go and take a shower," she told him, getting to her feet. He nodded and shifted to let her leave the sofa.In the bathroom, she stood under the shower for a long time, enjoying the feel of the cascading water over her skin. Even though Mr Grayson hadn't succeeded in touching her the way he wanted, she still found herself scrubbing her skin thoroughly. Somehow, she felt as if washing thoroughly would not only wash away any trace of his touch on her but also wash away the memory of what happened.By the time she was done, she felt a lot better. Her body had also stopped trembling. It wasn't until she
Mr Grayson cursed and turned around, wondering who it was that had the nerve to barge in the room to interrupt him. In front of him was a tall dark-haired man giving him a cold glare.He wasn't familiar to him. And he was sure none of the men who were outside drinking with their dates would have interrupted him. He also didn't look like a security guard-he was wearing a suit and a long coat like an office worker.Supporting himself on his hands, he gotup and faced him, sneering. "Who the fuck are you?" He wasn't about to let anyone ruin this for him.When Mr Grayson suddenly released her and fell backwards, Isabelle shot up from the bed, thinking that perhaps one of the people in the room outside had finally come to help her. But when her eyes fell on Jacob instead, a happy cry left her lips as she crawled over the bed and to him.He took her in his arms and held her close as she hid her face in his chest, sobs causing her entire body to shake. She could hardly believe he was there,
After the incident with Claudia, Mr Grayson stopped making advances towards Isabelle. He no longer called ✓ her to his office frequently or offered to help her with her work. This convinced Isabelle that he had given up, and she was finally able to relax fully.So it caught her by surprise when he approached her one evening after work and asked her to join him to have dinner with a client. Isabelle's heart sank as she realised that he had not given up. Instead, he had been biding his time."I'm sorry but I can't join you," she rejected his invitation politely, hoping he would let it go. She gathered her stuff into her bag, wanting to make an escape quickly.Mr Grayson stepped in her way. "You should come with me, Ms Cruz. I want to introduce some resources that can help you a lot here at work.""Thank you for the consideration," she told him, "but I really cannot go with you. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I have to leave right away.""Do you think I wasted my time coming here
"Let go of me!" Claudia demanded, grabbing at a desk and digging her heels into the floor to keep Isabelle from dragging her any further. "What do you think you are doing?""What are you afraid of?" Isabelle asked, not relaxing her grip around her arm. "You said that you saw us with your own eyes. We are only going to confirm with the director.""You are crazy," Claudia accused. "This is harassment, I can report you to HR-""I'll accompany you to show them the video of you slandering me," Isabelle informed her.When they were almost at the director's office, the door burst open and Mr Grayson appeared, a frown on his face. He looked around at the gathered workers, and then his eyes zeroed in on Isabelle and Claudia. "What on earth is going on here?" he demanded.Isabelle finally let go of Claudia and faced the department director. This was her chance to stop everything once and for all, in front of everyone. "Claudia is spreading rumours that you and I went to a hotel together last ni
As the week wore on, isabelle realised that the man she should be worried about avoiding was not Jacob. Everything at home had gone back to normal, as if her drunken antics had never happened. It was a big relief, because she had no idea how she would have reacted had he brought it up again.Instead, the man she needed to avoid at all costs was unfortunately one who was around her all day long-her department director, Mr Grayson. After he had called her to his office on Monday morning to offer his help, he had been more and more direct with his advances towards her. He showed her way too much attention in the guise of work, but he never passed up a chance to make hints about what his true intentions were.She took every precaution she could to avoid running into him, but there was only so much hiding she could do when she worked under him. If only there was a way to put his advances to an end once and for all, she would not hesitate to do it.One day, while she was in the bathroom at
That morning, Isabelle's department had a meeting, but her mind was barely in the room as various teams presented their reports.She was busy trying to untangle the puzzle that the previous night had left in her mind. No matter how hard she tried to urge herself to not think about it, it didn't take long before her thoughts slid back to that territory.What had she been thinking? She had asked herself that question about a hundred times since she left the house in the morning, but she still had no answer. So she settled on the only one reason that made sense: the alcohol. It was the alcohol that was to blame for her behaviour. Otherwise, she never would have dreamed of clinging to Jacob the way she had, leave alone kiss him.It was true that he was a handsome man, and she thought he was attractive, and maybe he was totally her type, but she was in no position to be lusting after him. Or acting on that lust. The alcohol had done away with not only her sense of propriety, but also her s
Jacob's brain caught up with his body a second too late, and he froze, his hands going still around her and his lips freezing against her neck. No matter how much he wanted her, he couldn't do this. Not when she was drunk and asleep...Cursing softly, he withdrew his hands from her body and rolled away, creating distance between them. Lying on his back, he covered his eyes with his arm and took deep calming breaths. No matter what she did in her current state, there was no excuse to act on his desire. He would be taking advantage of her, and that's not how we wanted things to happen between them. Sighing, he turned to his side to watch her. His eyes were drawn to her face, and her beauty stole his breath. Everything about her seemed to be stealing his breath of late, and he wondered how he had thought, even for a moment, that he could ignore her while they lived under the same roof.If he had taken time to pay attention to her from the moment he first saw her, he would have realised