All Chapters of Never meant to be: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

IsabellaThe hallway outside the conference room buzzed with the usual energy—voices rising and falling, the hurried click of heels against polished floors, and the constant hum of muted conversations. I stood by the door, tablet in hand, glancing at my watch for the third time in two minutes. Logan’s meetings always had a way of running over, but today his schedule was particularly unforgiving. If he didn’t wrap up soon, he’d be late for the next one.I sighed, straightening my posture as the glass doors of the conference room finally slid open. Executives filed out, their faces varying shades of satisfaction and frustration. Logan followed.He caught my eye as I stepped toward him, and I tilted my head slightly. He nodded, understanding immediately, and fell into step beside me as I began rattling off the details of his next meeting. I had been working for him for six months, and we had established a silent communication.“Your one o’clock with the legal team has been moved to one-t

Isabella“Need a hand with anything?” she asked, her voice laced with its characteristic sweetness.I paused, glancing up at her. Amy had been unusually helpful lately, almost eager to insert herself into my workload whenever she could. The memory of her past manipulation still lingered in my mind, a quiet reminder to tread carefully.“Thanks, Amy,” I said, keeping my tone neutral, “but I think I’ve got things under control for now.”She leaned casually against the edge of my desk, her glossy hair catching the light. “Are you sure? I know people in every department. If you’re stuck on something, I can get the answers faster than anyone else here.”The offer sounded genuine enough, but I couldn’t ignore the undertone of self-serving intent. Amy always had a way of positioning herself as indispensable, especially when Logan was involved.“I appreciate that,” I replied with a polite smile. “I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”She hesitated for a moment, clearly disappointed that I w

Isabella“I can’t do this anymore.”He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “Can’t do what, Isabella?”“This!” I gestured wildly, my notebook and pen clutched in my hand like props in my frustration monologue. “You’re overwhelming me with work. It’s too much. I’m drowning, and it feels like you don’t even care!”His eyebrows rose slightly, though his expression remained unreadable. I pressed on, the words tumbling out now.“I didn’t want Amy’s help at first,” I admitted. “After everything, I thought it would complicate things, but honestly? She was actually making things manageable. She handled the smaller tasks, which gave me the time and bandwidth to focus on what really mattered—managing your clients, like Tokyo.”Logan’s expression darkened at the mention of Amy, but I ignored it.“But then you broke that arrangement! You decided that I couldn’t delegate even the smallest task. You pulled her off and left me to juggle everything again. Do you have any idea how exhausting th

IsabellaThe day had started good. Tomorrow was Carl’s birthday, and I was determined to make it special. I’d carefully planned every detail: a dinner reservation at his favorite Italian restaurant, a personalized leather wallet I’d ordered weeks ago, and a handwritten note I’d poured my heart into. Carl had been frustrated with me lately, and I saw this as the perfect opportunity to rekindle the spark we’d been missing.But, as it always seemed with my life lately, the universe had other plans. The chaos started small, like a slow leak before the dam breaks.“Don’t worry, Isabella,” Amy said brightly as she leaned over my desk in the morning. Her hair was perfectly styled, her nails impeccably manicured, and her tone just a little too sweet. “I know you’ve been drowning in work. Let me handle the numbers for the Tokyo report. You’ve been so stressed—I think you need a break.”I froze, my fingers hovering above my keyboard. My instincts screamed at me not to trust her. Amy’s past atte

LoganI didn’t know what was more frustrating: the mountain of paperwork waiting on my desk or the fact that Isabella had been icier than the office air conditioning unit lately. She had barely acknowledged my heartfelt apology about high school, and if anything, she had turned colder.At first, I brushed it off. Maybe she was busy. But the more I thought about it, the more it grated on my nerves. Why was I so bothered? I’d never been one to lose sleep over what someone thought of me—yet here I was, replaying every clipped reply she had given me in the past week like some lovesick teenager.Derek strolled into my office, his usual smug grin in place. “Hey, Logan. Heading to the club tonight? They’ve got a DJ from Ibiza, and let’s just say the crowd will be worth your time.”I glanced at the clock. It was late, and the idea of forcing a smile in a sea of over-perfumed partygoers made me want to gouge my eyes out. “Not tonight,” I said curtly, loosening my tie.Derek raised an eyebrow.