Chapter 84

"Michael, man, you've never been this nice to me before..." Jeremy stuttered.

"Are you out of your mind?" Michael shot him a look. "Do you really want me to treat you like this?"

Jeremy quickly shook off the thought. He couldn't handle Michael being all gentle.

"I mean, back then, you weren't this... considerate with her," Jeremy said,treading carefully.

Michael gave him a disdainful look. "Are you bored?"

Jeremy was taken aback. Michael could talk about her so calmly now!

He quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, I won't bring it up. Are you going to the Foster family's dinner? Mr. Kyle Foster's been asking me about it. He said Mr. Chase Foster really wants you there."

"Are you working with the Foster family?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, and the profit's pretty good," Jeremy said, grinning.

"Spar with me, and then I'll go," Michael proposed.

Jeremy's face fell at the suggestion.

Wesley loved fighting when he was young, so a bunch of the younger Johnsons,along with kids from relatives and friends, all trained together.Jeremy,Michael, and Vaughn were part of that group. While their training routines appeared alike, the true test of their skills came with time,revealing stark differences based on their individual stamina and dedication.

Jeremy liked training but only for fitness, and his moves were more about the aesthetic display than practical application.

Vaughn and Michael preferred combat and leaned towards practicality.

Now that Jeremy was busy with work, he occasionally practiced boxing, but it was more for show. Outsiders might find it impressive,but he knew it wasn't practical.

Vaughn's health had deteriorated due to indulgence, and despite his tall stature, he wasn't very healthy.

Only Michael stayed consistent, disciplined, and hardworking. Blessed with a natural talent for combat, he honed his skills diligently, refining both technique and strength over the years, and he increasingly resembled Wesley in his prime.

So when Michael suggested a spar, Jeremy was reluctant.

"Don't worry. I won't be too hard on you for too long," Michael patted Jeremy's shoulder and teased, "I still need you to help keep the company going!"

Michael's words didn't comfort Jeremy; instead, they made him feel even more incompetent.

Jerry drove them to the training ground, where they spent the entire afternoon.

After showering,Michael came out to find Jeremy already waiting.

"Are you going back to the office? If there's nothing important,let's grab a drink," Jeremy suggested.

"No, I need to go to the office to pick up Isabella for her friend's gathering."Michael said proudly.

"Didn't you send her the restaurant location? It's not far; she can go by herself." Jeremy asked, puzzled.

Michael gave him a disdainful look. "With your emotional intelligence, it's no wonder you haven't been able to win over Qiana all these years."

Jeremy shot back, "You don't understand Qiana. She isn't a naive girl like Isabella.easily deceived by sweet words from bad guy."

Jerry drove them to the company's underground parking lot. Michael kicked Jeremy out and had Jerry drive to the street in front of the company to wait for Isabella to get off work.

Isabella didn't work overtime.

Knowing Isabella wasn't Eric's type, or maybe because of Jeremy's words,

Cecilia stopped bothering her. Even Bronte's occasional attempts to stir the pot were swifly shut down by Cecilia.

When it was time, she quietly said goodbye to Giselle and headed downstairs.

From a distance, she spotted the familiar black business car and ran over.

As she reached the car, Michael opened the door from inside,lifted her by her arms, and pulled her into the car. Seeing her flushed from running,he couldn't resist kissing her.

After their affectionate moment, Isabella told Michael about Eric's crush.The female employees had already been causing trouble without knowing who it was. If they found out, it would be even worse. So, she invited Eric to dinner, with Olivia as a companion, under the guise of gratitude.

She asked Michael to help observe from a man's perspective if Eric's crush was Olivia.

Michael couldn't help but feel for Eric. His deep secret crush was about to be exposed. But Michael would honor their agreement and won't voluntarily reveal this secret. So, he had to disappoint Isabella.

They met Eric and Olivia at the restaurant entrance.

Olivia, excited and enthusiastic, ran over to Isabella from a distance,lifted her up, and spun her around, saying, "Isabella, I missed you so much."

Isabella patted her back, equally excited. She replied, "Olivia, I missed you too."

The two men looked at each other,feeling redundant.

The two women hugged and chatted as if they hadn't seen each other in years, not just two days.

The men, helpless, separated Olivia and Isabella and led them into the restaurant.

Aaron had already ordered the dishes. Once they were seated, the waiters quickly served the food.

Olivia,having skipped lunch for this dinner, was already hungry.

Isabella raised a glass of wine and toasted Eric. "Mr. Allen, thanks to you,I didn't lose my job. Here's to you, as a token of my gratitude.."

Michael also raised his glass, signaling to Eric.

Eric downed his drink in one gulp and said to Michael, "You're welcome.We're all in this together."

Isabella's alarm bells went off. Was Eric getting that close to Michael?

Michael found it amusing and patted Isabella's head to reassure her.

Suddenly, Olivia screamed, "Wow! This is delicious! Michael,you really know how to pick a restaurant. This is the best food I've ever had. Isabella,I'll bring you here next time."

The food seemed to give Olivia a unique sense of joy.

She loved every dish and was too busy eating to talk.

Isabella occasionally glanced at Eric, noticing his gaze lingering on Olivia,filled with affection.

She looked at Michael, hoping to ge his opinion, but found him staring intently at her.

Isabella sighed and thought that Michael must have forgotten why she asked him to come.