Shhhh!

Isla sprawled on the couch in Sophie’s apartment after work, her eyes glued to her phone as she scrolled through Jaxon Waverly's biography on the company’s website. 

She couldn’t shake off the events at the auction or stop wondering who he might’ve bought the neckpiece for. Unfortunately, the biography offered no insights—just a list of his business achievements she already knew by heart.

Frustrated but determined, she decided to search for him on social media, hoping to uncover a clue. “What?” she muttered, eyebrows knitting together when she realized he had no personal accounts. Only the company’s official page came up. That struck her as odd.

“He’s not on social media?” she murmured to herself. “Wow, he’s even more secretive than I thought.”

Just then, the door swung open, and Sophie breezed in, arms full of grocery bags. “Girl!” Sophie called out excitedly from the doorway, her voice bright and full of energy. Isla lifted her head from the couch to greet her.

“I was starting to get worried about you.”

“Oops, my bad! I decided to pick up some groceries!” Sophie replied, heading straight to the kitchen to unload.

Isla quickly got to her feet and followed her.

“I need every single detail about what happened at the auction, like, right now!” Sophie exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over as she began unpacking and organizing the groceries.

Isla chuckled, shaking her head as she leaned against the kitchen counter. “Jaxon Waverly is something else, Sophie. I don’t even know how to explain it. His aura is just... magnetic. His face is ridiculously handsome, perfectly defined, and don’t even get me started on his cologne—it’s like heaven bottled up. What manner of man is he?” she muttered, her gaze drifting off into space, lost in thought.

Sophie paused mid-motion, a wide grin spreading across her face as she eyed Isla. “Sounds to me like you’re completely smitten already!”

Snapping out of her daydream, Isla chuckled. “Come on, it’s Jaxon Waverly. But that’s all there is to it. He’s my boss, and... I think I just admire him, that’s all.”

Sophie rolled her eyes dramatically, letting out a sigh as she shut her eyes for a moment. “Are you really going to make me drag the auction details out of you?” Her eyes popped open, filled with exaggerated desperation. “I am dying to know! Spill it!”

Isla laughed, shaking her head. “Fine, fine. It was at a five-star hotel—absolutely stunning. The whole setup was grand, like stepping into another world. We were treated like royalty—well, not me, but Jaxon Waverly? He was practically a god there. Then there was this neckpiece...” Her eyes lit up as she spoke. “It caught his attention the moment he saw it. Honestly, it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.”

“Other than Jaxon’s face, of course,” Sophie quipped, winking. Both of them burst into laughter.

“Right!” Isla continued. “So, he turned to me and asked, ‘How much do you think it’s worth?’ I wasn’t sure, but I figured it had to be insanely expensive. So, I said it was probably priceless. He just laughed—like this deep, manly laugh—and said, ‘You’d be surprised.’”

“Ouuu, I’m hooked!” Sophie leaned closer, her curiosity palpable. “Then what happened?”

“The auction started, and when the neckpiece came up, the opening bid was €700,000.”

“Seven hundred thousand?!” Sophie’s jaw dropped.

“Yup. Then this guy Jaxon had a meeting with earlier called out €710,000. You could tell Jaxon was not happy about that. He wanted that neckpiece.”

“Why would he be mad? It’s an auction!” Sophie said, frowning slightly.

“Exactly. But here’s where it got crazy—they started going back and forth, raising the price. It was tense. Then, out of nowhere, Jaxon just got angry and called out two million Euros!”

Sophie’s hands flew to her face. “Two million?! Are you serious? Who did he buy it for?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Isla said, throwing her hands up. “I’ve been racking my brain ever since. There’s no way he spent that much just to flex on the other guy... right?”

Sophie leaned back, considering. “That would be wild. But rich people do love their power plays. Still, if he went that far, whoever he bought it for must mean a lot to him. She must be seriously special.”

“Exactly!” Isla sighed, her curiosity gnawing at her. “And I can’t stop wondering who she is.” She shook off her thoughts, straightening up. “Anyway, enough about me. What’s the latest with you and Michael?”

Sophie’s face lit up with a shy smile, but before she could say a word, her phone buzzed against the kitchen counter. Isla grabbed it since it was closer to her, glancing at the screen. “Speak of the devil,” she said with a smirk, spotting Michael’s name on the caller ID.

Sophie took the phone, pinning it between her shoulder and ear as she continued sorting the groceries. “Hey, Michael,” she answered, her voice softening.

Watching Sophie with an amused grin, Isla decided to give her some privacy. She left the kitchen and strolled into the living room, grabbing her phone off the coffee table. Settling back on the couch, she resumed her deep dive into Jaxon Waverly, determined to uncover more about him. 

A few minutes later, Sophie emerged from the kitchen, her usual excitement replaced with a hesitant expression. It was clear she had something to say that Isla might not like.

“Isla,” Sophie called softly.

Isla glanced up from the couch, her smile faltering as she noticed Sophie’s expression. “Yeah? What’s wrong?”

Sophie moved closer, wringing her hands nervously. “Babes,” she began, “Michael is coming over to spend the night, and I know how big you are on privacy... but you really don’t have to leave.”

Isla’s face broke into a wide grin as she took in Sophie’s guilty expression. “Are you serious right now? Is that why you look like someone just stole your groceries?”

“I just don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable,” Sophie said, her tone almost pleading. “We can use the bedroom, and you’ll have the living room all to yourself—”

Before she could finish, Isla burst into laughter, shaking her head. “Sophie, it’s not that deep. I can easily stay at a hotel for the night. This is your house, and I’m not about to make you feel like you can’t enjoy it.”

“You wouldn’t be an inconvenience, I promise!” Sophie insisted.

“Nope!” Isla replied, standing and brushing imaginary dust off her pants. She was still laughing as she added, “I’m just going to pack a few things for work tomorrow, and that’s that. Don’t even try to stop me. Go enjoy your night with your man!” She winked, heading toward the bedroom.

Sophie’s face lit up in relief, her grin stretching wide. “I love you, babes!”

“Of course, you do!” Isla shot back over her shoulder, chuckling as she disappeared into the room to pack. 

Isla left Sophie’s apartment with a large shoulder bag slung over her shoulder, packed with all her essentials. It was 7:30 PM. The glow of the streetlights illuminated her path as she strolled down the street. Reaching for her phone, she opened her banking app, and the €50.30 credit balance staring back at her made her sigh deeply. 

Tilting her head back in frustration, she thought about how her finances had been in shambles since leaving her job eight months ago. Most of her savings had been used to support Sophie while she stayed at her place.

“This won’t even cover one night at a hotel around here,” she muttered, her eyes glued to the screen. “And I still need to save enough for a taxi to work tomorrow. What now?”

As music played through her earbuds, Isla tried to brainstorm alternatives for where she could spend the night. Going to her mother’s was out of the question since she wasn’t in Rome, and her sister wasn’t an option after the fallout with Jeremy. There was only one potential solution left: the company.

Her mind raced with the thought. Would the security guards allow her to stay the night at the office? She had no choice but to try. “Maybe I can convince the security guy,” she thought, her hope hanging by a thread.

Spotting a taxi, she waved it down and slid into the backseat. Letting out another sigh, she glanced at her balance once more, resentment creeping in over her precarious financial state. If only Jaxon’s payment would come through sooner.

After a brief ride, the taxi stopped in front of the company building. Isla paid the driver, every Euro feeling like a loss, and stepped out. The building loomed in front of her, and she noticed two security guards stationed at the entrance. Plastering on her most confident smile, she approached.

“Hey, guys! How’s it going?” she greeted, her voice cheerful but laced with nerves.

The guards gave her a slight nod. “Good.”

“I hate to bother you at this hour, but Mr. Jaxon sent me to wrap up some work,” she lied, praying they wouldn’t question her excuse. “I am Isla and I am Mr Jaxon’s new secretary.”

All she could do now was wait and see if they’d let her in.

"Mr. Jaxon?" The security guards exchanged wary looks. "That's unusual. He never sends anyone to work after hours," one of them remarked, his tone skeptical. Isla swallowed hard, her nerves creeping in.

"Right? I was just as surprised when he called me!" She let out a nervous laugh, inching slightly toward the door. "So, can I head in now?" she added with a forced grin.

But before she could move further, one of the men held out his arm, blocking her path. "We'll need to confirm this with Mr. Alex, ma'am," he said firmly. Isla’s heart sank as she noticed the other guard dialing a number and pressing the phone to his ear.

“Oh…” she muttered, taking a step back. She tried to maintain her smile, but it faltered as fear gripped her.

"Mr. Alex, a Miss Isla is here. She claims Mr. Jaxon sent her to finish some work. Can you confirm?" the guard asked, his sharp gaze fixed on Isla. She held her breath, dread creeping in. ‘This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have come.’

“I can just leave, really,” Isla stammered, turning to make her escape. But the guards stepped closer, cutting her off.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can’t leave," one said flatly.

“Wh-what?” Isla stuttered, her lips trembling.

"Mr. Alex has instructed that you wait here."

"But... why? If I can’t go in, I can just head back—"

"Please wait here," the guard reiterated, his tone leaving no room for argument. Isla nodded reluctantly, her anxiety mounting as sweat pricked her forehead. Her thoughts spiraled. 

‘This is it. I’m definitely losing my job. Alex never liked me, and this lie will give him the perfect excuse to get rid of me. What was I thinking?’ She fiddled with her fingers, berating herself.

Minutes ticked by, each one filled with mounting tension, until a sleek black car rolled up to the building. Isla’s eyes widened as the window slid down, revealing Jaxon himself behind the wheel.

"Mr. Jaxon," the guards greeted him with a slight bow.

"Get in," he said, his eyes locked on Isla as he reached across to open the passenger door.

“W-what?” she stammered, glancing between the guards for confirmation.

"Don’t make me repeat myself," he ordered, his tone very firm. Isla’s feet moved on their own, carrying her into the car. She settled into the seat, clutching her large bag tightly in her lap. The familiar scent of his cologne filled the air as she buckled her seatbelt.

Tentatively, she turned toward him as he started the engine. His expression was unreadable, but her guilt bubbled over. “Mr. Jaxon, I am so sor—"

"Shhh!" he cut her off abruptly, his sharp tone leaving her stunned.

‘What have you done, Isla?’