Chapter 68

Michael went to find Isabella, and she grabbed his arm, asking,"What were you guys talking about?"

"Scared he was bad-mouthing you?" Michael chuckled at her nervousness.

Isabella blushed and playfully slapped his arm. "I'm not scared of that.I work hard, so any bad stuff he says is just nonsense."

She was worried Vaughn might spill the beans about his confession to her.

Sometimes, being too likable is such a pain,' Isabella thought to herself.

"Relax! Even if you didn't work hard, he wouldn't dare talk bad about you.

You don't need to stress so much!" Michael said confidently.

Isabella laughed. "Why should I be so cocky? But why does Mr. Johnson seem so scared of you?"

Michael flexed his arm and said, "Because he could never beat me since we were kids. It left a mark on him."

Seeing him like this, Isabella was glad she hadn't mentioned Vaughn's confession. Otherwise, Michael might have gone after Vaughn again.

To distract him, Isabella quickly changed the subject. "Mr. Johnson,how are we getting back?"

"Let's not head back tonight. It's too late and the roads are unsafe. Let's crash at another hotel for the night,okay?" Michael suggested.

Aaron was waiting for them outside the hotel. Seeing him, Isabella couldn't help but think that if Vaughn had an assistant like Aaron, she wouldn't need to go on business trips with Vaughn.

As soon as they got in the car, Isabella started looking online for a cheap yet highly-rated hotel, but those two qualities seemed impossible to find together in reviews.

Michael laughed and took her phone. "Isabella, look at me. I'm way more interesting than your phone."

"Stop messing around. I need to find a hotel. We're paying out of pocket tonight, so we need to save where we can." Isabella leaned on Michael to grab her phone, but then she noticed Aaron had driven them to the most luxurious hotel in Evergreen Valley, Elysian Grand Resort.

Isabella didn't rush to get out of the car. She pointed outside the window and asked Michael, "How much does it cost to stay here for one night?"

Michael found her concern for money cute. He pulled her out of the car and pinched her waist, saying, "Don't worry about it. If you think it's too expensive, you can make it up to me in bed!"

Isabella slapped his hand away and said worriedly, "You don't even have a job, yet you spend money like it's nothing. Aren't you afraid of running out of money?"

Michael asked, "Isabella, are you worried I'll run out of money and starve?"

"No, even if you're broke, I can support you with my deposit money.I've been saving, you know. But that means you won't live a life you get used to," Isabella said, blushing.

Michael had always been the one to shoulder responsibilities, so hearing someone say they'd support him was a nice change.

"Alright, if I ever run out of money, I'll let you take care of me," Michael said, grinning. "But for now, let's enjoy this. Aaron already booked the hotel."

Aaron,driving, shot Michael a resentful look in the rearview mirror.Michael had insisted that their first hotel stay had to be the most luxurious,but now he was blaming Aaron for it.

Michael gently nudged Isabella towards the pre-booked penthouse suite.

Isabella was blown away. From the floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see all of Evergreen Valley. The lights below looked like a galaxy, and the car lights on the road formed a long, winding line, moving gracefully through the night.

The vastness of it all made her feel like she could let go of everything.

"How much does this cost for one night?" Isabella exclaimed. This was way beyond anything Vaughn had ever booked; it was pure extravagance.

"Michael, seriously, where does your money come from if you don't have a job? You didn't do anything illegal, did you?" Isabella asked, concerned.

"What? If my money were illegal, would you turn me in?" Michael teased.

Isabella blushed, embarrassed. "I'm just curious!"

Michael sat down across from her, looking serious. "Isabella, have you ever thought that I might actually be the grandson of your chairman, the heir to the Johnson Group, with more money than I could ever spend?"

He waited for her reaction.

Isabella shook her head firmly. "Michael, don't joke about that. If word gets out, it wouldn't be good. If the chairman's grandson hears about it and sees you as a threat, what would you do? Just like our branch manager,Philip, who got blacklisted by the group. Even though he's still in prison, once he's out, no company will want him."

Michael made her look at his face. "Isabella, look closely. Don't I look like

your old chairman? Why do you always think it's impossible?"

Everyone said Michael looked just like a young Wesley. Although Wesley was old now, his youthful features were still visible in his eyes.

"At my level, I haven't seen the chairman, but you do resemble Mr.

Vaughn Johnson in someways," Isabella said seriously, studying him.

Michael mumbled, "What do you mean I look like Vaughn? Vaughn is clearly imitating me,okay?"

Isabella knew there was some tension between Michael and Vaughn, but she was too tired to dig into it. "I'm not chatting with you anymore. I smell like alcohol. I'm going to take a shower."

She opened her suitcase, toók out her pajamas, and headed to the bathroom.

The bathroom was bigger than the dorm she shared with Olivia. There was a huge bathtub by the window where she could soak and enjoy the view of Evergreen Valley.

"Isn't it risky to have the bathtub by the window?" Isabella wondered aloud. "Oh, it must be one-way glass. My professor mentioned similar cases in college, but this is the first time I've seen it in real life."

Isabella started examining the bathroom design like she was on a field trip.

Michael came up from behind, wrapped his arms around her, and whispered, "Isabella, this is a rare opportunity. Let's not waste any time,okay?"

Michael snuck up behind Isabella, his hands wandering over her chest,his mouth close to her ear as he whispered, "Isabella, let's take a bath together.I've never been in a big tub before!"

Isabella blushed but didn't say no.

Michael held her close by the edge of the tub, kissing her earlobe while his hands slipped under her clothes, caressing her full breasts. They watched the water slowly rise.