Chapter 64

Isabella had spent the whole morning at the hospital dealing with the ever-so-picky Vaughn, and she was about ready to lose it.

After finally getting all the discharge paperwork done and lugging their stuff around, she made her way back to the hotel.

Michael had been camped out in the hotel lobby all night, blowing up Isabella and Vaughn's phones with no luck. If Aaron hadn't stepped in,he would've called the cops.

A taxi rolled up to the hotel entrance, and Isabella climbed out. She popped the trunk, grabbed their bags, and then helped Vaughn out of the car. With one hand dragging two suitcases and the other supporting Vaughn, she marched into the hotel like a warrior.

Michael,fuming, turned to Aaron and snapped, "Is Vaughn crippled or something? Why does Isabella have to babysit him?"

He was about to storm over and give Vaughn a piece of his mind, but Aaron quickly held him back.

Manuel Barnett from Evergreen Valley Global Nexus Corporation strolled over and greeted Vaughn, "Hey, Mr. Johnson, we've been waiting for you.You don't look so hot. What's up?"

Vaughn, too embarrassed to admit he had an allergic reaction to something he drank on the plane and ended up in the hospital, made up a story about not being used to the place but feeling better now.

Manuel chuckled. "Mr. Johnson, you look pretty fit. A little discomfort shouldn't be a big deal. How about I treat you to dinner tonight?"

Vaughn really didn't want to go; his stomach felt like it was in a vice. He

just wanted to get some sleep. But Manuel, eager to cozy up to the Johnson Group, kept pushing, "Mr. Johnson, we can talk about that project you mentioned over dinner."

"Alright," Vaughn agreed, thinking about the project. "Let's do it. See you tonight."

Manuel grinned, "Mr. Johnson, you seem like a straight shooter. I'm sure we'll get along great."

"Mr. Johnson, let me get you back to your room first." Isabella,juggling two suitcases and supporting Vaughn, was so exhausted from the sleepless night that she could barely stand.

Manuel quickly added, "You rest up, and we'll see you tonight!"

"Alright, see you tonight!" Vaughn waved him off.

Michael watched from the sidelines, seething. He thought, 'Vaughn, you idiot. Just by mentioning the Johnson Group, you could have Manuel kiss your ass. Instead,you're the one sucking up to him.'

Isabella took Vaughn to the VIP suite on the thirteenth floor. As she was about to leave, she told Vaughn she was staying on the third floor and to call her if he needed anything.

"Why are you on the third floor?" Vaughn asked, confused.

Isabella explaíned, "As the branch manager, you get a suite when traveling.I'm just a design department employee, so I get a single room."

"But I'm not feeling well and need someone to take care of me. You should stay in my suite and cancel the single room. It'd save some money,"

Vaughn suggested, pretending to be clueless. He thought if Isabella agreed,it meant she was into him, and maybe they could take things further.

"Mr. Johnson, I'm here for work, and I don't want to cause any unnecessary trouble," Isabella said firmly.

"Are you worried your husband will get the wrong idea?" Vaughn asked.

"No, Mr. Johnson. It's just my principle," Isabella replied earnestly.

"Are you turning me down?" Vaughn pressed.

"It's not about rejecting you, Mr. Johnson. I'm very traditional and won't casually share a room with a man," Isabella said, not wanting to be so blunt, but Vaughn kept pushing.

Vaughn's mood soured, and he snapped, "Get out. I need to take a shower.

11

Though his attitude was a bit scary, Isabella felt relieved and hurried to the third floor.

She dragged her suitcase, and as soon as she opened the door with her room card, a tall figure slipped in.

Isabella's heart nearly jumped out of her chest, but a familiar voice whispered in her ear, "It's me. Relax!"

Isabella looked up in surprise and saw Michael. She pushed him away and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Michael said, "What do you think I'm doing here? You took off on a business trip without a word. I came all the way here to find you.I waited all night, and you didn't even check into the hotel. Where were you? You and Vaughn vanished all night. Aren't you worried I'll get jealous and pissed?"

Thinking about his sketchy relationship with Lucy, Isabella got mad.She snorted and said, "This is my job. If you're gonna get mad about it, I

might as well quit, and you can support me."

"Really? Then quit right now, and I'll take care of you!" Michael's eyes lit up as he said it earnestly.

"I'm not quitting! What if I quit and then you divorce me? I'd be totally screwed," Isabella said, sulking.

"I'm not divorcing you. Can you stop bringing it up all the time?" Michael frowned,clearly annoyed.

"Tve told you, if you don't mention divorce, I'll stick with you. But if you bring it up, I'm out." Isabella shot back.

Michael felt a pang of hurt. Lately, things had been good between them,and he thought Isabella had moved past the divorce talk. He clenched his fists, his head down, and though his eyes were hidden, he looked dejected.

Seeing him like this, Isabella felt a twinge of guilt. She could sense his feelings for her.

She said, "If you came here just to argue, you might as well leave! Don't mess with my work."

Michael said, "I can leave, but you have to tell me where you and Vaughn were last night."

"The hospital," Isabella answered honestly. "He said he was allergic to the air on the plane. He puked and passed out before we even landed. As soon as we got off the plane, an ambulance took him away."

As she spoke, she pulled out a stack of hospital receipts from her bag and showed them to Michael.

Michael was speechless.

Vaughn, with his weak body and many dietary restrictions, still wouldn't

control his gourmand self. Usually, his secretary kept a strict watch on him.This time, with Isabella accompanying him, Vaughn would have eaten without any reservations. Isabella was really unlucky.

Michael said angrily, "In the future, if something like this happens, don't take care of him. Just hire a nurse.".

"Hiring a nurse costs money, doesn't it? So far, I've been covering his hospital bills and living expenses. Where would I get the money to hire a nurse?" Isabella retorted.

"Didn't I give you a bank card?" Michael said helplessly.

Isabella didn't want to argue with him anymore. She sternly said, "You should leave now. I stayed up all night and need to rest. I have to accompany Mr. Johnson for social engagements this afternoon. I don't have time to chat with you."

Michael sensed that Isabella was mad at him, so he asked, "Isabella, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly mad at me?"

Isabella was about to tell him about hearing someone call him "baby"when his phone rang.

Isabella gestured for him to answer the call.

Michael put the call on speaker.

Lucy said, "Baby, I came to Evergreen Valley to find you and got hit.Come save me!"

After saying that, Lucy hung up. Then, she sent the address.

Isabella's eyes immediately reddened. She pushed Michael, trying to get him out.

Michael anxiously said, "Isabella, let me explain."

Isabella stood at the door, her eyes red like those of a little rabbit,glaring at him angrily. "Fine. T'll listen to your explanation."

Michael was about to speak when the phone rang again, and Lucy said,"Baby, why aren't you here yet? I'm about to be bullied to death."

"Wait a minute. I'll send Aaron over," Michael replied.

Lucy said. "If you send Aaron, I'll... I'll... jump off the bridge. You know I hate Aaron the most since I was a kid."

Michael frowned helplessly. It seemed he had to go first. If something really happened to Lucy, he wouldn't be able to explain it to her mother.

Seeing Michael's attention diverted by Lucy, Isabella slammed the door shut and locked it.

Outside, Michael knocked on the door and said, "Isabella, I'll go handle this first and come back to explain later."

Listening to his footsteps fading away, Isabella felt like her body was drained of all energy. She couldn't even stand, slid down to the floor,leaning against the door, and burst into tears.

Michael rushed to the scene of Lucy's car accident and saw a sports car that had veered off the road and crashed onto the sidewalk. A good-looking guy with a skateboard was standing in front of the car,blocking Lucy from leaving. A few onlookers were gathered around, watching the drama unfold.