Chapter 22

The morning held a crucial meeting where Alexander Whitmore would be present.

Isabella Sinclair and her colleagues had been seated in the conference room for over fifteen minutes when Alexander finally strode in.

His entrance made Olivia Chambers gasp. Her eyes sparkled with admiration, completely captivated by his presence.

As the meeting commenced, Olivia snapped out of her trance and tugged at Isabella's sleeve.

"Mr. Whitmore is absolutely breathtaking!"

Isabella had only glanced up briefly when Alexander entered. At Olivia's remark, she simply murmured, "Hmm," without looking up.

Olivia blinked in surprise at Isabella's apparent disinterest, then remembered Isabella was already married with a child.

Throughout the meeting, Olivia's pulse raced as she kept stealing glances at Alexander. She barely registered a word of the discussion.

Isabella, meanwhile, typed furiously on her laptop, capturing every detail.

When the meeting concluded, Alexander exited first, followed by the others in measured succession.

Olivia's heart continued its frantic rhythm long after Alexander's departure. Only when Benjamin Hayes approached to collect Isabella's notes did she finally return to reality.

Benjamin skimmed through the notes and nodded approvingly. "Impressive work."

"Just doing my job," Isabella replied.

After Benjamin left, Olivia realized she'd missed most of the meeting. "Could you share your notes with me?" she asked hastily.

Scanning the documents, Olivia frowned. "Ms. Sinclair, did you study architecture?"

Isabella shook her head. "No."

"Then how do you know all these industry terms?"

"I read some books to familiarize myself. Just surface knowledge."

Whitmore Group's diverse investments had driven Isabella to study multiple industries over the years.

"Really? Even medical texts?"

"Yes."

Olivia's eyebrows shot up.

"Taxation too?"

After two days working together, Olivia understood why Isabella led the secretarial team despite her youth. The woman was frighteningly competent.

"Which books did you read? Could you send me a list? I'd love to check them out."

"Of course. I'll compile it later."

By noon, Isabella had filtered through her library, selecting fifty beginner-friendly titles for Olivia.

Olivia paled at the extensive list.

At 3 PM, Alexander had a client meeting. Benjamin requested Isabella prepare coffee, insisting on delivering it himself.

Olivia's eyes widened. "You make Mr. Whitmore's coffee?"

But Benjamin's insistence on delivery suggested Alexander kept his distance from subordinates.

"Have you ever delivered coffee to Mr. Whitmore personally?" Olivia ventured.

"Occasionally, when Benjamin's team is swamped."

Though Olivia adored coffee, she'd never bothered learning to brew it. Now an idea struck her. "Ms. Sinclair, would you teach me to make coffee his way?"

Even slim chances were worth pursuing.

Isabella recognized Olivia's motives but didn't mind. "Certainly."

Having moved on from Alexander, she saw no harm in sharing the skill.