Semua Bab Contract Marriage With My Childhood Best Friend : Bab 111 - Bab 120

The grand hall that had moments ago been a battleground of accusations and revelations was now eerily empty. The buzzing reporters had dispersed, carrying their explosive headlines with them, leaving only a few stray papers fluttering on the floor. The stage, once the center of an unexpected spectacle, now seemed abandoned, except for Marcus, who remained seated in his chair, his expression unreadable.Isabelle stood several feet away, still gripping the fabric of her blazer tightly, her mind racing with everything that had just unfolded. Vivian’s outburst, Marcus’s cold demeanor, the revelation of a calculated betrayal—none of it sat right with her. But more than that, the way Vivian had reacted, the way she had screamed at Marcus as if he had done something far worse than just expose her crimes, unsettled Isabelle deeply.She swallowed her hesitation and took a step forward. “What did you do?” she asked, her voice firm but quiet.Marcus lifted his head lazily, his smirk still in pla

Isabelle stood in front of the mirror, absently gathering her hair to tie it up. But the moment she lifted it, she froze.Hickeys.Deep, reddish-purple bruises littered the pale skin of her neck and collarbone, evidence of last night’s passion. She inhaled sharply, her fingers grazing over them.Her cheeks flushed.She should be annoyed—it was inconvenient to go around with these marks. But instead, a small, traitorous smile tugged at her lips.Liam was insatiable.She bit her lower lip, caught between amusement and frustration. There was no way she could wear her hair up today.Behind her, the door to the walk-in closet opened, and Liam stepped out, dressed in a sharp navy-blue suit. His hair was neatly styled, and he was adjusting his tie with practiced ease. The sight of him, so effortlessly put together, made last night’s memory even more vivid.Liam glanced at her reflection in the mirror and smirked. “What’s got you so happy this early in the morning?”Isa snapped out of her daze

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,

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

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