The towering glass building of Polaris Technologies loomed before Isabelle as she stepped out of the car. The sleek, modern exterior was almost like Anderson Corp’s, yet there was no sense of familiarity—this wasn’t her first time here. But today, everything was different. Today, she was not a visitor or a negotiator. She was an employee. Even if temporary.With a deep breath, she adjusted her blouse and made her way through the entrance. The moment she stepped inside, the air changed. Whispers rippled through the lobby like a wave, eyes discreetly flicking in her direction. Some employees murmured with excitement, others with skepticism."So that’s Isabelle Rivers? Liam Anderson's wife?""I heard she’s brilliant.""I heard she played a big role in the security breach scandal. She even held a press conference. What’s she doing here?"" Has she been hired permanently by Mr Carter?"Isabelle kept her head high, ignoring the murmurs as she reached the reception desk. The receptionist, a
Isabelle took a deep breath before stepping out of her office. It was time for the meeting with the marketing team, and she had already put together a few ideas on how to boost Polaris AI’s public image. As she made her way toward the meeting room, she spotted Selena walking ahead of her, her posture stiff, her steps quick and purposeful."Selena," Isa called out.Selena didn’t stop.Isa frowned but quickened her pace until she caught up and gently grabbed Selena’s arm. The woman turned sharply, her eyes flashing with irritation."What do you want?" Selena asked coldly.Isa let go of her arm and met her gaze with calm confidence. "Look, I know you don’t like me here. You think I’m here to take your position, but you don’t have to worry about that. I have no intention of staying in Polaris Tech permanently."Selena’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes."I’ll be gone in three weeks," Isa continued, her voice steady. "I was brought in temporarily,
Isabelle arrived at Polaris Tech that morning, fully prepared for a long day. The student discount marketing plan was in motion, and she had no room for mistakes. The moment she stepped into her office, a member of the PR team handed her a thick folder filled with reports and updates. She barely had time to flip through it before her phone buzzed with a meeting reminder.Taking a deep breath, she headed toward the conference room. Inside, the marketing and PR teams were already gathered, with Marcus seated at the head of the table. Greg, the head of marketing, was going over the discount structures they had decided on—tiered percentages for students based on their courses and subscription plans.After some final adjustments, Marcus turned to Isabelle and Selena. "Your job is to make sure students actually know about this. Partnerships, ads, outreach—whatever it takes."Selena crossed her arms. "Universities would be the best way to go. If we get academic institutions to endorse Polari
The next morning, Isabelle and Selena sat in Isabelle’s office, scanning an email from Professor Langston.Crestview University had officially agreed to host the Polaris AI demonstration next week.Selena grinned as she leaned back in her chair. “We finally got a big one. This could set off a domino effect for other universities.”Isabelle nodded, feeling a rare sense of accomplishment. “If Crestview endorses us, others will follow.”But before they could fully celebrate, another email arrived—one that wiped the smiles off their faces.Westford University, another top university on their list that they visited and pitched their ideas too had rejected their proposal outright. Worse, they had publicly warned students against using Polaris AI, citing “concerns over long-term data privacy.”Selena’s expression darkened as she slammed her hand onto Isabelle’s desk. “This is bad. If one university publicly doubts us, others will hesitate too.”Isabelle scanned the content of the email showi
By the time Isabelle finally walked through the doors of the house, exhaustion weighed down on her shoulders. The day had been long—Crestview’s success, Westford’s betrayal, and the revelation that Laura and Estella were behind the attack on Polaris Tech.And worse, the growing suspicion that Marcus had been orchestrating this entire thing from the start.She barely had time to gather her thoughts before she heard the deep, familiar voice from across the living room.“You’re late. Again, Isabelle.”She looked up to see Liam standing by the bar, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened, and a glass of whiskey in his hand. His piercing blue eyes locked onto hers, sharp and unreadable.Isabelle sighed, setting her bag down by the couch. “I know. I'm sorry.”Liam placed his glass down and crossed the room in three long strides. Before she could react, he cupped her face, tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze.“Are you alright?” His voice was low, laced with concern.She swa
The drive to Westford University was tense. Isabelle gripped the steering wheel firmly, her mind racing through possible ways to handle the situation. Next to her, Selena sat with her arms crossed, tapping her nails against her knee impatiently.“I still don’t see why we have to be nice about this,” Selena muttered, shifting in her seat.Isabelle sighed, keeping her eyes on the road. “Because we need them to trust us. If we go in there guns blazing, they’ll only become more defensive.”Selena scoffed. “That’s assuming they deserve any respect after what they pulled. They didn’t just reject our partnership—they publicly trashed Polaris Tech. If they had doubts, they could’ve kept it internal.”Isabelle nodded. “I agree. What they did was irresponsible. But think about it—did they say anything false?”Selena frowned. “Well—no, but—”“They didn’t outright lie,” Isabelle continued. “They didn’t fabricate anything. They just repeated what they thought was true. And whether we like it or no
The city lights flickered past in a blur as Frank maneuvered the car through the streets. The atmosphere inside the vehicle was tense, filled only with the steady hum of the engine and the faint tapping of Liam’s fingers against his iPad. His gaze was locked onto the screen, scanning through endless articles, reports, and anything remotely connected to the name Marcus Carter.Frank, who had been watching his boss out of the corner of his eye, finally spoke. “Alright, boss, where exactly are we headed?”Liam didn’t respond immediately. His brows furrowed deeper as he scrolled, his jaw tightening.Frank sighed. “And what are you looking at so damn intensely? I swear, you’ve been at it since we left the office. Did we get a project that I don't know about?”Liam let out a slow breath, lowering the device slightly. “I’m going through everything online that has Marcus Carter’s name on it.”Frank frowned. “Marcus Carter?” He repeated the name, searching his memory. “Can’t say it rings a bel
Isabelle stepped into Polaris Tech that morning, knowing it would be her last. A strange sense of relief mixed with an unsettling weight sat in her chest. She had counted the days until this moment, yet now that it was here, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was unfinished.Shaking the thought away, she made her way to her office for the final time. Her desk, once covered in reports and proposals, was now nearly empty. Only her laptop remained, along with a printed report detailing all she had accomplished during her stay at Polaris Tech. It was a summary of her work, her last official duty before walking away.She read through it one last time, ensuring everything was in order. The university partnerships, the PR strategies, the crisis management—all laid out for Marcus to see. Proof that she had done her job and was ready to leave.With a satisfied nod, she sent the digital copy to his email and placed the printed version in a folder. Then, she took a deep breath and sto
Isabelle looked at herself in the mirror. The reflection staring back at her wore soft blue jeans and a cream-colored blouse—finally something other than a hospital gown after weeks. It should’ve made her feel better. It didn’t.She forced a small smile and stepped out of the bathroom. Richard was seated on the couch in the hospital room, scrolling through his phone. He immediately stood up when he saw her."Hey, shall we go?" he asked, eyes lighting up.Isabelle hesitated. "Uhm, are you done with my whole discharge process?"Richard nodded confidently. "Yeah, I am. Why?"She frowned, feigning a pained expression. "Babe, I think I'm still having headaches. Can you tell the doctor and see if I can get some medicine from the pharmacy?"Richard's smile didn't falter. "Pain? I can't allow that. Let's go together, so you can explain to him well."She shook her head, pressing her fingers to her temple. "I'm a bit tired. I didn’t get much sleep last night. Can you go alone? I’ll wait here. J
Richard and Isabelle returned to the room, Richard still holding her protectively, like she would disappeare into Liam's arms if he doesn't hold her that way. Estella was in the room, pacing around, waiting for them. As soon as they entered, she sighed." When did you go out?! Do you have any idea how hard it was to look for you? I almost made a fool out of myself with the nurses." Estella shouted.Isabelle smiled slightly. " I told you I was stepped out for some air, you probably didn't hear me because you were so focused on your phone."Estella rolled her eyes. " If I didn't give you permission, you weren't supposed to step out! Isn't that how it works?"" Hey!" Richard shouted at Estella. " Don't talk to her that way. Because she's sick and you're watching over her for a while doesn't mean you're older or better. Know your place." He said with a stern expression on his face.Estella went quiet for a while before apologizing to Isabelle for speaking to her harshly, not that she me
Liam left Anderson Corporation the moment he got the information from Sarah. His heart pounded as he drove, thoughts racing. He had to see it with his own eyes—was Isabelle really there? Was she alive? Was she okay?He parked his car hastily and rushed into the hospital, bypassing the reception area entirely. There was no point in stopping there. Richard must have already instructed the staff to give no information about Isabelle and to deny her any visitors. So, instead of asking the nurses, Liam decided to observe. If he had to search every floor, every hallway, he would. But deep down, he had a feeling—something told him he would find her soon.He stood in front of the elevator, eyes fixed on the numbers descending. The doors slid open with a soft ding. Inside, a woman stood. She wore a hospital gown, her hair flowing freely over her shoulders, her face pale but serene. She walked past him without even a glance.Liam froze. His eyes widened in disbelief. That was her. Isabelle. The
One Week Later. Sarah moved around nervously in the living room. She had heard Estella on the call with someone, telling that person that she'd be there soon and will make it there quietly. Sarah had been talking to Liam the past week. He informed her that he couldn't find Isabelle and that she has left Meadow Central Hospital for Richard's home and Sarah promised to try and get the address from Estella, whether by following her or putting a tracker on her. Isabelle must be found by all means. She also heard that tracking Marcus didn't give them any leads on Isabelle's whereabouts. Marcus just went from Polaris Tech to his house. They also found out that it was only Marcus staying in the house. They had no choice but to trust Sarah to get information from Estella, no matter the method she would use. An idea crossed Sarah's head and she quickly acted on it. She brought out her phone and called an Uber. Estella was wary of her so she couldn't follow behind her. The taxi driver arr
Marcus walked cooly to the receptionist, he placed a hand on the counter and asked." Hi, there. Is Isabelle and her husband still around here?" The nurse looked at him and smiled. " Yes, they are. In fact, Miss Isabelle's friends just left here after asking about her."Marcus's eyes widened in shock. " Friends? What friends?" He shouted.The nurse started getting nervous as he raised his voice. "Uhm... Two men. They said they could not reach her and I..." " You gave them her room number?" Marcus interrupted. " Are you just stupid or do you not like your job? Is this how you all behave here? Sharing a patient information to strangers." " I'm so sorry sir. They said they were her friends and they seemed desperate so I helped them. I didn't know... I'm so sorry." The nurse trembled in fear." Shut your mouth and call the room real quick. Ask him to pull Isabelle out of that room quickly. Tell him that someone is here for her."The nurse scrambled to the telephone and quickly dialed t
Liam parked the car and got out quickly without hesitation. Ethan followed, trying hard to keep up with him. They entered the big hospital and went to the reception area." Good morning. I'm here to see a patient that was brought here on the day of the mass accident." Liam said immediately to the lady on duty.She looked at Liam and hesitated before answering. "Is this person related to you?" Liam nodded quickly. "Yes, she is. I've been looking for her for a while now." "Alright. Name please?" The lady said, her fingers on the keyboard, ready to type in her name."Isabelle Rivers" Liam replied impatiently.The nurse looked up at the mention of her name. It was a familiar name. " Ah... The lady that was in the major accident? I see why you haven't been able to reach her. She just woke up after surgery. But she's getting special treatment in the VIP ward. All thanks to her husband." Liam and Ethan looked at each other. " Husband?" They chorused." But I'm her hus...." Ethan hit Liam
Sarah returned to her room quietly. When she reached, she quickly locked the door. Her legs felt weak after and she fell to the floor. "Isabelle got into an accident." She repeated the words she heard Estella saying while she was on a call.Sarah was going to the kitchen when she overheard Estella on the call talking about something important. She didn't expect it'll be news about Isabelle's accident. Sarah was extremely worried. She had received calls from Liam, he asked if she had any idea where she was or where she could have gone or if Estella was being suspicious and all but she couldn't give him the answer he wanted. Isabelle didn't come back to him, not because of their break up but because she couldn't." But who was on the other side of the line and why did the person want Estella to keep it from me? Should I just ask Estella straight. What if they're harming Isabelle somewhere." Sarah muttered to herself, her worry and concern growing by the second.She continued. "I shoul
Richard walked back to the room Isabelle was in, slowly. He was still finding it hard to believe Isabelle actually lost her memory and remembers him as a good guy. He found it hard to believe that a big opportunity to change who he was to her just dropped down from the skies in just a day that they met after two years. For a moment, he was grateful for the truck driver who hit her car and caused the accident.He reached the front of the room and entered. Isabelle was sleeping peacefully on the bed. He moved closer to her and touched her face very gentle enough to not wake her up." Is this a dream? Huh, Isabelle? Is this the heavens giving me another chance with you? Is this accident your punishment for sending me to prison and my reward?" Richard smiled, it was indeed a big opportunity. Isabelle's thought about him will completely change. No, he'll bring out a new Isabelle, one who loves him and does all of his will.Richard's thoughts were cut short by the sound of the door opening
The room was silent except for the steady beep of the heart monitor and the faint hum of the air conditioning. A soft, sterile scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, mixing with the faint aroma of coffee. The walls were painted in a muted shade of cream, the curtains drawn just enough to allow a sliver of morning light to filter in.Isabelle lay on the hospital bed, her body was still and her face was pale against the stark whiteness of the pillow. A thick bandage was wrapped around her head, a stark contrast to her dark hair, which had lost its usual shine. Bruises stained her skin, they were faint traces of the impact she had suffered during the accident. An IV drip was attached to her arm, and a small oxygen tube rested just beneath her nose.On the couch by the window, Richard Carter sat, his posture relaxed as he sipped from a steaming cup of coffee. His black shirt was slightly unbuttoned at the top, his jacket was laying over the armrest. He looked as if he had been there for