Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire . Chapter 69: Cheesy . They arrive at the table, and Archibald pulls out Isabella’s chair before sitting down in his own. “I mean, I was trying to throw him off, but I still meant what I said.” “Wha—” “Wine!” Dara exclaims giddily, making grabby hands at the glass Isabella is holding. Isabella passes it to her, frowning. “You look like you need to start drinking,” Riven says to Bella. “Also, Jana is already two drinks ahead of us. We need to catch up.”Jana giggles from behind her half-empty wine glass. “I always try to get at least four drinks deep before the speeches start. You know how long-winded most of these knuckleheads can be.” “I know that better than anyone,” Isabella says, laughing. “So, I don’t think I’ve met your girlfriend?” “Oh, you’re right,” she says, beaming. She turns to the woman next to her, who’s very pretty—she’s wearing a fitted red dress with matching red lipstick. “This is Hazel. She’s a physiotherapist.” “Nice
Thankfully, as the sun slowly sinks below the horizon and the three-course dinner is served, the conversation starts to get a little easier, largely thanks to all the alcohol they’re consuming. The collection of empty bottles and glasses on the table has begun to accumulate into quite the impressive hoard.They’re all taking turns getting up and ordering rounds of drinks for everyone at the bar, and they even had Riven take an extra turn, stashing an extra round of beers at the table, since the bars will be temporarily shut down during any of the CEO's speech and the awards presentation.Isabella feels a deep pang of sympathy for all the employees hired over the past year who are attending the gala for the very first time and are unaware of this fact.The dance floor always opens up right after the award presentation is done—and seasoned professionals like maybe Alan, Dara and even Archibald are always well-lubricated enough in time to hit it right away.Luckily, it seems like Archiba
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 71:.The audience applauds, tittering nervously. Archibald leans over to Isabella, whispering: “These awards aren’t a big deal. Why are we still here?.” Isabella hits him lightly. “Getting one is pretty much the highest honor you can receive here. Plus, everyone who wins goes on a trip,” She whispers back. “Apparently it’s a lot of fun.”“I think you’ll win,” He says matter-of-factly.Isabella laughs. “No, I don’t think I’ve worked here long enough. Usually it’s people who have been around for a long time.”Dara dramatically shushes them from across the table.“As many of you already know, everyone who’s honored tonight will be awarded with an all-expenses-paid trip next month. This year, we’ll be spending four days at a resort on an Island.” The crowd oohs and aahs, and Hector smiles. “After last year’s experience on the mountaintop, we decided to go with something a little more traditional this year.”“Apparently people with a fear of
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 72: .“You’re not in trouble,” Isabella says. “I just figured we should talk about the trip before we get too wrapped up in our—well, you know.”“Our scam?”“That makes it sound so unpleasant.”“Mmm. It’s not unpleasant,” Archibald says.“I mean—well, no. I guess not.”He reaches out and rests his hand on Isabella’s knee. He squeezes it a little. It’s very distracting.“I need you to explain something to me. Why don’t you have a boyfriend?” Isabella demands, keeping his voice low.Archibald laughs. “What?”“It’s suspicious that you haven’t been in a relationship for a while.” Isabella says. “It’s very weird to me that you’re single. With your… you know. All of you, and all of your… anyway. I want to know why.”“I should probably take this as a compliment, I guess?” Archibald asks, scratching his head.“I don’t care how you take it. I just want to make sure before I bring you along with me to this holiday and let you sleep in the same room
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 73: Flaws .“Don’t you think I deserve some compensation for all the hard work I’ve been putting into this relationship?”“Well you do put in much hard work for a fake relationship.” Isabella says admitting it. Archibald pushes a finger to Isabella’s lips, shushing her. Her eyes go wide. “You can’t say that here,” He says, scolding.“But we need to talk about this,” Isabella hisses. “Nobody we know is even going on the trip. Does it mean that we will or we won’t keep up the charade, then?”“You heard what Riven said earlier. Since the blogs outed us then Everyone at the company has to buy it—otherwise my dad will find out. And now that my mother is back, she’s obviously keep tabs on me too. So, yes, it would be weird if I’m supposedly your boyfriend and I don’t come with you. I mean, unless you want to tell everyone we broke up.”The thought of doing that sends a weird and unpleasant pang right through the center of Isabella’s chest tha
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 74: Dance .Archibald frowns a little. “Don’t make fun of me. People really have been bothered by those things.”“I’m sorry,” Isabella says, and she is. She can’t help it—she reaches up, tucking a lock of hair behind Archibald’s ear. “I think those people must have been pretty silly. You seem great just how you are.”He smiles sadly. “You’re playing the role of over caring girlfriend impressively well right now.”“I’m not playing anything,” Isabella says, shaking her head. “I meant what I just said.”“Oh,” Archibald says, his face softening. “Okay.” “You’re the one who’s best at caring, anyway, not me.”“I have to be the best at everything I do,” Archibald says seriously. “It’s a complex.”She glances over Archibald’s shoulder, eyes roaming over the rest of the dance floor. She spots Dara and Riven swaying together prom-style, Dara’s arms looped around Riven’s neck. Several feet behind them, she is shocked to see Alan is slow-dancing
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 75: Flight .“You better hurry up. You’re going to be late,” Dara calls from the bathroom, voice garbled as she brushes her teeth. Isabella glances up from where she’s wrestling with her tiny carry-on suitcase on the bed, her body flung halfway on top of it, trying to squish it down enough that she’ll be able to zip it closed. “Who are you to lecture me about being late? You’ve never been on time for anything in your life.”“I think I was on time for a doctor’s appointment once,” She says. Dara hears her spit her toothpaste into the sink. “Seriously, though, I’m just trying to help. Didn’t you say you needed to leave by 10:30?”Isabella grabs her phone, tapping the screen. It’s 10:35. Shit.“It’s later than I thought,” She says, zipping up her suitcase with a final grunt and hauling it off the bed. It hits the ground with a loud thud. “You’re right, I gotta go.”“Do you have everything you need?”“I think so.” Isabella wheels her suitca
Ditch the Ex. Date the Billionaire .Chapter 76: .boyfriend 💖 10:45AM just got to the airport :) are you here? Isabella hastily types a reply with one hand as the elevator dings and reaches the ground floor. Isabella 10:46AM sorry i’m running late :( just leaving my apartment now, taking a cab so i’ll be there as soon as i can boyfriend 💖 10:46AM oh sure you are boyfriend 💖 10:47AM have i fallen victim to an elaborate scheme to ship me off to the island alone so you won’t have to deal with me anymore Isabella 10:47AM if i was going to do that, trust me, i would ship you off to somewhere much further awayShe shakes her head and smiles, slipping her phone back into her shorts and climbing into the cab idling at the curb in front of her apartment building. “Gimpo Airport,” She tells the cab driver, and the driver nods and merges back into traffic.She is oddly excited to see him. The gala was last weekend, and they haven’t seen each other since then, since there wasn’