Chapter 2
Annie looked down at me like I was nothing.
I slowly got up, pulled a handkerchief from my pocket, and started wiping the mess off my face, bit by bit.
Then I turned to Matteo.
He knit his brows, deliberately looked away, and remained silent.
I suddenly burst out laughing.
I spoke into the phone, which was on speaker, “Dad, did you hear that?
“Someone just told me to get lost.”
There was a two–second pause before a deep, strong voice came through the line.
“I got it. I’ll take care of it.”
The only reason I even came to work here was because of that arranged marriage my grandpa set up years ago.
Matteo was my fiancé.
dad kept bugging
I never really bought into arranged marriages, but my dad kept bu me–even called me ungrateful to guilt–trip me into saying yes.
So I had no choice but to go along with it.
To help us get closer, my dad suggested I join the Karridge Group.
During those six months working under my fiancé, sure, I acted like I was
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slacking off and playing games all day.
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But in reality, I was quietly using every resource I could get my hands on to boost the company’s performance. I even helped get it listed.
Overnight, the Karridge Group became a shining star in the business world, and Matteo even became one of the wealthiest people in New York.
Even though I did a lot behind the scenes, we barely talked in our daily life.
From the few times we actually went out on dates, I could tell he still thought I was just some woman from an arranged match and had no clue who I really was.
***
I plopped back down into This book had been added on your bookshelf. pulled out my phone, and went right back to the game I was playing earlier.
Annie’s face went from flushed red to pale. She clearly didn’t expect me to completely ignore her like that.
She slammed her hand on the table, her voice sharp. “Isabelle! Do you even know where you are?
“Everyone else is paying attention to the meeting, and you’re sitting there playing games?”
I smirked and said, “I already hit my annual performance goal. What’s the big deal if I play a little game?”
“If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling secu
Without even looking up, I said, “Do whatever you want.”
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The other executives glanced at each other.
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Some quickly looked down and pretended to be flipping through papers, while others secretly glanced at Matteo, waiting to see how he’d react.
Matteo finally got up.
He was dressed in a sharp black suit today, and his expression was totally
cold.
He looked at me, clearly a bit annoyed. But mostly just indifferent.
“Isabelle, I’ll admit your performance has been solid,” he said calmly, but with an unquestionable tone.
“But this is a company, not your house.
“Please leave the conference room right now. Don’t interrupt the meeting.”
My fingers froze, and my game character died again.
I looked up and met his eyes, a playful smirk tugging at my lips. “Mr. Karridge, are you really sure you want to kick me out?”
Matteo’s face tightened, and his voice got even colder.
“I don’t feel like saying this twice. If you had even a little professionalism, you’d know where the line is.”
“What if I don’t feel like leaving?”
“Then don’t come crying to me when I get
Seeing that Matteo was backing her up, Annie suddenly got more confident.
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She stormed over, took a quick step toward me, and slapped the phone right out of my hand.
It hit the floor with a crack, the screen shattering into a web of fine
cracks.
“Isabelle, don’t be shameless!”
She grabbed my collar and yanked it up.
“Mr. Karridge already said so. Why are you still hanging around? Get out!”
Annie had disliked me from the moment she became an assistant.
Once, as I walked past the CEO’s office, I caught her mid–rant. “Mr. Karridge, the company isn’t a charity organization. It’s not fair to other employees to keep spending so much on someone who just sits around playing games all day.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but just loud enough for me to hear outside.
Matteo did not respond.
But through the window, I saw him pause for a second, his hand stopped flipping through the documents.
Since then, Annie’s been getting worse and worse.
She started ‘accidentally‘ bringing up my so–called ‘amazing work‘ in department meetings.
Ik or even
“You know, some people get paid a ton but don’t even show up to meetings. It’s hard to tell if they’re here to work or just on a paid vacation.”
Rumors about me slowly began spreading around
Coffice.
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Some said I was a spoiled rich girl who got hired through connections. Others claimed I just napped in my office all day. And a few even made bets on when I’d finally get the boot.
I knew all about it, but I just couldn’t be bothered to care.
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