Ch. 2131..2135
Chapter 2131 His entourage did not make any unnecessary comments and followed after him.
Isabel led Carla across the road outside the hotel in one quick sprint. They finally stopped when they arrived at the spot on the beach where people crowded around.
She took a deep breath and checked behind them.
Carla was out of breath from running by this point. "I’ve been keeping an eye on them. They're not following us." "Yeah.” Isabel smiled, still not over the high of getting to stomp on Roland’s foot just now.
How exhilarating!
His foot must be throbbing in pain.
Such a shame she could not find the space to give him a good punch as well. She would have gladly punched him until he was completely unrecognizable!
"| wasn't expecting to see him here. What a coincidence," Carla caught her breath at last and commented. Isabel did a double-take. It was certainly a strange coincidence.
Perhaps the forces above had decided to make things right for her at last. This was a chance for her to exact revenge after that man had dumped her without reason.
She did not give the matter any further thought and tugged at Carla. "Let's go. Let's find something nice to eat.” There were several rows of local food stalls lined along the beach. The local food scene was bustling.
They ate while walking along the coastline, feeling the gentle caress of sea breeze across their skin. Nothing could be better than this.
After eating and drinking their fill, they plopped down on the beach to relax. Isabel found herself darting glances in the direction of the hotel from time to time.
Judging from the solemn look on Roland's face when she saw him, he must be here for some sort of meeting. She wondered if he was finished with his meeting yet.
Suddenly, a strong gust of sea breeze kicked up out of nowhere. She shivered from the cold and shrugged her head from side to side.
The chill jolted her to her senses, and she reminded herself that there was no point wondering what Roland was up to. It was none of her concern since he was only her ex-boyfriend.
She finished her glass of fruit juice and went back to the hotel with Carla. After entering the hotel, they went straight for the elevator. The elevator was on its way down.
By another devilish coincidence, the elevator door opened to reveal Roland's tall and stout figure standing right in front of Isabel. He stood in the center with his entourages flanking him on two sides, appearing very eye-catching.
She flinched, and her eyes widened with stark surprise. Her first instinct was to run, but her wits told her to stand her ground. There was nothing to fear. She was wrapped in a thick scarf with a face mask on, so he could not possibly recognize her.
Something flashed in Roland's eyes. He probably recognized her merely as the person who had stomped on his feet just now. His calmness was restored swiftly and he proceeded out of the elevator.
He walked past Isabel with his entourage following him closely.
Isabel resisted the urge to assault him again, then she ducked into the elevator with Carla.
Carla let out a deep sigh and turned to Isabel. "Oh my God, | was scared to death back there. Did you see the way he looked at you? | thought he recognized you."
Isabel scoffed, "What is there to be afraid of?"
She had always been a tremendous actress. Besides, there was no way Roland could have recognized her since her appearance was concealed. The only way he could have done so was if he was a sorcerer.
Carla chuckled. "You're amazing.”
Isabel took delight in Carla's praise and was about to flash a smug grin when something suddenly occurred to her. She looked at Carla with a horrified expression.
"Carla, did you go out like this?"
Carla asked in a puzzled tone, ”Yeah, what's the matter?"
"You mean you haven't been wearing a scarf or a face mask the entire time?” Carla answered innocently, "Um, no?"
She was only an assistant unlike Isabel who was a well- known actress. There was no reason or need for her to conceal her appliance.
Isabel did not speak. She only stared at Clara blankly.
After a while, she scowled with her eyes turning red, and she cursed viciously, "Argh! Roland, you b*stard!"
Chapter 2132
Chapter 2132 She was confident Roland could not have recognized her since she had concealed her appearance. Unfortunately, Carla was right next to her, and she was instantly recognizable.
Roland must have recognized Carla at first sight. Even a fool could figure out who the identity of the masked stranger Carla was with. He was only pretending to not recognize her!
Isabel felt so furious that she could explode into a ball of fire right then and there.
Without warning, she punched the elevator button to take them back to the ground floor.
Carla was confused by this. "What's wrong? Why are we going down again?"
Isabel gnashed her teeth back and forth angrily. She was going to confront Roland and punch his face! The elevator quickly brought them to the first floor.
Before the elevator door fully opened, she sprang outside. She ran to the parking lot outside the hotel just in time to spot Roland getting into a car.
One of his assistants was just entering the passenger seat. Isabel sprinted as fast as her legs could take her. Just when she was about to reach the car, it picked up speed and drove away right before her very eyes.
She chased after the car, refusing to give up. Her chase was ultimately fruitless since the distance between her and the car only widened, which left her with no choice but to cry out vainly, "Roland, stop right there!"
The occupants inside the car could not have heard her at all. Shortly after that, it pulled into the road and continued to accelerate away.
Isabel continued her pursuit until she reached the main road, but it was already vanishing out of sight by that point. She was doubled over, gasping for air at that point. The choking anger within her made her feel worse at that point. After catching her breath, she cursed out loud, "Roland, you prick! Just wait!"
If she saw him again, she was going to end him!
Meanwhile, it was eerily silent inside the car that had driven away from her, coursing down the highway.
Roland's bodyguard was driving while one of his assistants was seated in the passenger seat. They all zipped their mouths, afraid to even emit a sound when breathing, all while darting cautious glances at the back through the rearview mirror.
Roland was sitting by himself in the backseat. Soon, he was also staring at the rearview mirror outside the car.
From the rearview mirror, he could see Isabel's faint figure standing by the side of the road. Her figure was just a tiny blob that vanished out of sight eventually.
He could tell that she was furious just by looking at her stance.
Something gleamed in his eyes while he grimaced faintly. It would appear that he was only pretending to not recognize her. His hands were tightly clenched the entire time they were driving away. Soon, the faint glow in his eyes dissipated and he addressed the driver in a cold voice, "Focus on driving."
The bodyguard quickly sat up straight, and his assistant in the passenger seat awkwardly adjusted his position as well. Both of them no longer dared to spy on Roland through the rearview mirror.
Isabel was fuming. She was this close to making the rash decision of having someone dig up Roland's address in the city so that she could storm over to his place and confront him.
Fortunately, she calmed down after returning to the hotel and taking a shower. She remembered that they had broken up some time ago.
What impression would she give if she confronted him? Would he think that she was not over him yet? She told herself that she was better than that. If their
relationship had come to an end, then so be it. If that prick Roland was going to act like a stranger with her, that meant he was done for good with her, and there was no reason for her to lash out.
She also reminded herself of her purpose for coming to Southboro. Apart from heading to the jewelry exhibition, she was also here to witness his downfall.
She could simply bide her time and wait until Roland got kicked out of Rockwell Corporation. That would be the perfect time for her to go up to him and mock him.
She told herself all these things to still her restless heart. Then, she crawled into bed and fell asleep shortly after.
Chapter 2133
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
The coordinator in charge of the jewelry exhibition approached Isabel.
Amanda had just landed in Southboro from Westchester and promptly joined Isabel along with Carla.
Isabel spoke with the coordinator for some time and acquainted herself with the procedure of the exhibition and the parts in which she would be involved. After that, she went to get her makeup done and put on the jewelry they provided for her. With everything ready, she attended the exhibition.
It was only after she arrived at the exhibition that she realized the sheer scale of the exhibition. It was far larger than she had expected.
The venue was enormous and clad in brilliant lights, and all sorts of expensive pieces of jewelry were put on display everywhere.
The attendees were not limited to the Southboro locals; the wealthy from all over the world had also come to attend the premium event.
She was equally shocked when she found out that she was the only celebrity modeling at the exhibition.
It was a great surprise after what happened with Clarice since many businesses had made a point of steering away from her. Besides, even if the episode with Clarice did not happen, there were still many names in the industry who would easily deserve an invite over her, thus it was astounding that she could even be shortlisted at all.
Why did they decide to invite her specifically? Perhaps the owner of the company was a big fan of hers.
As surprised as she was, she made sure to keep her wits about her. She straightened her back and strode into the venue with a confident smile. She exuded fine elegance befitting the precious jewelry strapped around her neck while her smile was subtle and filled with charm.
She paced calmly across the venue, every step filled with gravity and grace.
As soon as she approached the stage, she drew the attention of everyone in the venue.
People began to murmur amongst themselves, "Who is she? What family is she from? How come | haven't seen her before?" Someone supplied, "I think she's Isabel Ross, a celebrity actress."
"She has such an impressive presence. | thought she was some rich lady from some noble house."
Isabel was unaware of these discussions. She was focused solely on representing the jewelry house as well as she could, considering they took a gamble on her and had given her such a big stage.
She subtly raised her chin upward to show off the necklace curtaining her collarbone.
She swung her arms gently as she walked, allowing the bracelets to dance with every step she took, the countless gemstones clad on its surface glittering under the ceiling lights.
It did not take long before the attendees began enquiring with the staff about the pieces she was wearing.
When she was just about to step onto the stage, she noticed two familiar figures. She halted briefly, her eyes turned cold and menacing.
Directly at the foot of the stage, less than three meters away from her was none other than Clarice. She was dressed with refined taste as usual, and next to her was Isabella who was clad in all sorts of expensive jewelry and diamonds. Both of them were seated on a high chair, and they looked at her with blatant hostility and concealed shock.
They must not be expecting Isabel, of all people, to model for the jewelry house.
Isabel threw them an indifferent look and promptly resumed her gait. Keeping her cool about her, she calmly stepped onto the stage. The way she ignored them only further upset Clarice and Isabella.
Isabella turned to Clarice, her face stark with disgust and disbelief. "Why is she here?"
Clarice snorted contemptuously, then she reached for her phone and texted her secretary.
She instructed her secretary to contact the jewelry house and find out why they had approached Isabel, of all people. This was to be further supplied with a veiled threat of whether they hoped to resume business in Southboro.
The jewelry house was an international brand with countless outlets spread across the world. With that said, Southboro was one of the premium markets, and no business would want to lose access to a market like Southboro.
Isabel was completely unaware that Clarice was already plotting against her. She walked onto the stage and began to conduct the exhibition according to the procedure the coordinator had briefed her on.
Meanwhile, the coordinator of the exhibition was standing backstage with a handsome young man dressed in a tailored suit with matching leather shoes.
It was at that point when the phone of the coordinator suddenly rang. He threw a glance at the man beside him. The man was staring at Isabel and barely acknowledged the coordinator.
The coordinator took two careful steps backward and proceeded to answer the call.
Chapter 2134
After wrapping up the phone call, the coordinator anxiously approached the man in a suit and spoke in a careful voice," Mr. Roland, Miss Houston's secretary just called me and asked why we chose Isabel to represent our brand in this exhibition. She’s threatening to restrict us from the Southboro market.”
Even after hearing this, Roland's expression barely changed. After a moment, he said with complete disinterest, "Tell her that she’s free to leave if she’s not enjoying the show."
The coordinator was just as irked by Clarice's attitude, but he was in a delicate position. "Well, she's still Miss Houston at the end of the day. Is there any way we can handle this better?”
"No, tell her exactly what | said." The coordinator said in a giddy voice, "Sure, I'll get back to her secretary right now.” Roland had built up the brand from the ground up and set up branches all over the world.
Without exaggeration, their brand was a world-class brand. The Houstons may be very influential in Southboro, but that was the extent of their influence.
Even if Clarice was to boycott their jewelry house from Southboro, it would barely hurt their business considering they had plenty of other markets available to them.
Isabel was still on the glamorous stage with the host, and the two of them conducted the event together.
During their exchange on stage, they made sure to continuously promote the pieces of jewelry on display.
Isabel was very engaged on stage and had excellent chemistry with the host. Not only did she add a wonderful flair to the event, but she also provided a significant boost to the viewership on the live stream.
Meanwhile, below the stage, Clarice and Isabella remained seated in their seats and watched Isabel on stage. Both of them were eagerly waiting to see Isabel getting kicked off stage by the exhibition coordinator.
However, ten grueling minutes had passed, and Isabel finished conducting the event with the host by that point. After that, she graciously stepped off the stage only to be swarmed by a flock of wealthy ladies who were enamored with her and the jewelry she was wearing.
Needless to say, Clarice immediately grew sullen upon witnessing this. She grabbed her phone again and called her secretary. Isabella looked at Isabel, her eyes green with envy. She pricked up her ears to listen in on Clarice's phone call. Clarice hissed sharply into the phone, "What's going on? Didn't | tell you to speak to the exhibition coordinator?”
She could not hear what the secretary said on her phone, but judging by Clarice's sour expression, it must not have been anything good.
Clarice gnashed her teeth like a beast and asked sharply, " Hold on, what did they say? Repeat that right now! “How dare he tell me to leave?! Don't test me. I'll call off this event right now if | have to!"
Her voice to a sharp pitch because of how infuriated she was.
This drew the attention of some of the attendees, and a few of them darted curious glances in her direction.
Clarice could not stomach these people looking at her like that. She was the daughter of the Houstons! She was royalty and commanded respect. To be in her presence was a blessing in itself!
She clenched her jaw, tight with nerves, then she promptly got up and stormed outside.
Isabella was upset when she saw Clarice storming off. Was she not going to do anything about Isabel? Besides, there was still plenty of luxurious jewelry to see.
As much as she was unwilling to leave just yet, she knew she could not risk getting on Clarice's bad side. She scoffed mockingly in Isabel's direction, then followed Clarice out of the building.
Meanwhile, Isabel was showered with attention from the attendees and barely realized that Clarice and Isabella had left. In fact, they were pretty much told to leave.
She took the time to talk to everyone and took pictures with them. In the middle of all that, she made sure to promote some of the trademark pieces of the jewelry house. Before she knew it, the exhibition was nearing its end.
Throughout the night, she had also noticed several pieces that she fancied as well.
Since she was not in a hurry to leave, she browsed the exhibition for a while and picked up several pieces for herself. Just as she was about to bring them to the counter to pay for them, the coordinator of the exhibition showed up.
He asked with a warm, welcoming smile, "Miss Isabel, are these your take-homes for the night?”
Isabel smiled and nodded.
Chapter 2135
Chapter 2135 The coordinator said generously, "Give them to me. I'll pack them up for you. You don’t have to pay for them." Isabel smiled appreciatively. "Thank you for the offer, but it's alright. | don't mind buying them.”
There was no clause stating that they would be giving her free jewelry in the contract they had signed. Besides, the pay was already more than generous.
The coordinator would not have it. "You're very kind, Miss Isabel, but please let us do this for you. You've done a terrific job for us, and it's only right we give you some gifts as a nice gesture."
Isabel stood her ground. "You're just an employee like everyone else here. What if your boss finds out that you're giving away freebies? It would not be a good look for you."
The coordinator made a look and promptly responded, ‘Thank you for your concern, but it was our boss who insisted on inviting you here. You might not know this, but our boss is a big fan of yours and loves your work. He will be more than happy to know that you took something home with you, so please, be our guest."
Isabel frowned. "If he's my fan, then that's more reason for me to not take advantage of his kindness."
This was one of the codes she followed. She would never take advantage of her fan's devotion, even if it was an obscenely wealthy fan.
The exhibition coordinator was appalled by how stubborn Isabel was being about this. He glanced in another direction while she was not looking. He wanted to see what his boss had to say about this.
Isabel quickly caught his subtle glance and spied in the same direction he was looking at. She caught a glimpse of a tall figure standing behind a pillar. That person looked very familiar.
She immediately jolted with alert. She picked up her dress, so it would not drag behind her and sprinted after that figure, completely forgetting about the jewelry she was planning to buy.
She had only caught the mysterious person’s face for a brief instant, but it was a face that she would have recognized no matter what!
She found herself in the middle of a hallway. It was a long and narrow hallway with a window at its end. There was not a soul in the hallway.
She was sure she saw that figure running this way, so why was nobody there?
She looked at both sides of the corridor where there were several doors.
Which room did he hide in?
She frowned and shouted to no one in particular, "Are you hiding from me? How dare you call yourself a man? Come out here and face me!"
Her only response was the silence ringing in her ears.
She stepped forward still holding the hem of her skirt in her hands. She cautiously inspected the doors on both sides of the corridor.
As she walked, she continued her monologue, unsure if anyone was listening at all.
"If you have the guts to dump me, then you should at least have the dignity to face me.
"Why are you being such a coward? Are you that afraid of me begging you to take me back? Don't think so highly of yourself. | only came here
because | heard you went back to your family, | want to see for myself how pathetic you look now!"
She was already nearing the end of the hallway by this point. At this point, she felt a bitterness stinging at her which made her cry out loud, "Roland, you prick, if you still don't come out and face me, I'll tear down each door one after another to find you!"
"Ahem." She heard someone cough behind her. She turned around immediately.
The moonlight spilling in through the window outlined Roland's tall and lean figure. He looked at Isabel with a faint smile hanging by the corner of her lips.
For just a brief instant, Isabel felt her mind going blank. The serenity only lasted for a moment, which was afterward replaced by a tumultuous storm brewing inside her. It felt as if her voice was caught in her throat. She wanted to speak her mind but could not produce a sound.
She just stared at him in a daze as she took in the sight of his handsome features. At last, she murmured, "I thought you would be too scared to face me.
Roland grinned. "I already came out after the first time you called for me."