THE BILLIONAIRE'S ASSASSIN

CHAPTER 10

“Fine then, you can have her. Sign it,” Alexander said unfazed, and a smile graced Castello’s lips.

Isabelle’s eyes widened, “What?” She didn’t understand what was going through Alex’s mind. She stared at him hoping to get a hint from him, but nothing came. His silence only made her uneasy.

“You’re a wise man, Mr. Cross. You know it’s rare to find people like you,” Castello said while signing the contract.

“Done. Now when can I have your beautiful PA?” he asked as a devious smile tugged his lips.

Isabelle wanted to wipe the smile off his face, but what bugged her most was the fact that Alexander was acting all cold and nonchalant; he was really full of surprises. She cleared her throat and spoke, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I'm not some commodity to be bargained for.”

She couldn’t stand there and listen to them talk about her like some goods. The two men ignored her completely; it was obvious her opinion didn’t matter to them.

“You’ll have Miss Sinclair all to yourself after we conclude the next phase tomorrow,” Alexander said. He got up from where he sat, and extended his hands towards Castello, and they both shook hands.

“Kaine will take you to your private suite, then tomorrow we conclude,” Alexander said, and left without sparing Isabelle a glance. She hurriedly followed him while Castello’s eyes lingered on her body, and it made her skin crawl.

*****

They got to Alexander’s office, and he still didn’t utter a word. Isabelle stood like a statue before him, trying to decipher what was going on in his head, but she got nothing, his expression was stone-cold.

“Mr Cross, what happened back there was a joke, right? You’re not planning to give me away to that pervert, right?” she tried to feign innocence as she spoke.

Alexander looked up at her, he hadn’t looked at her since they came into his office. A dark grin spread across his lips, then it turned cold, “Firstly, my client isn’t a pervert. Secondly, it wouldn’t hurt if you spent a few months by his side, right?” he asked with an ached brow.

“What? A few months?” Isabelle couldn’t believe those vile words had come from the man she’d studied for years. It didn’t make sense to her, the Alexander she knew, or she thought she knew was one to always protect his employees. Maybe all she thought she knew was totally wrong.

“Yes Miss Sinclair, a few months,” he drawled, staring intently at her.

“And what if I do not agree to this?”

“Then you simply quit your job,” the words trolled out of his lips nonchalantly, like he didn’t care.

“But-”

“That’s enough Miss Sinclair, please see yourself out,” he cut her off sharply.

Isabelle felt frustrated, her fist clenched tightly, the urge to teach these men a lesson made it difficult for her to think, but she said nothing. She stormed out of his office while Alexander sat motionless, his mind racing with thoughts on how to deal with Isabelle.

Isabelle got to her office. She wanted to smash something to make her feel better. She paused when she realized she couldn’t. She ruffled her hair as she was losing her mind. She was a professional assassin — a feared one at that, but right now she felt like an amateur all because of Alexander.

She took deep breaths, trying to calm the chaos in her. If Alexander wanted to trade her off easily like that, she wouldn’t hesitate to take his life, and that of the pervert Castello too.

****

The day finally came to an end; Isabelle sighed for the umpteenth time as she finished her work. She tried to keep a sane working mind, but the earlier events kept on bugging her. She arranged her bag ready to go home, but first she had to deliver some documents to Alexander.

She knocked when she got to his office. He didn’t answer, but she entered anyway. She walked towards his desk with the file in her hands. “Here are the documents you asked for, Sir.”

Alexander took the file without uttering a word. His slender fingers flipped through the pages with effortless grace.

Suddenly, the room felt too hot for Isabelle as she stared at Alex looking effortlessly alluring, every movement he made sent a dangerous message to her brain. She swallowed the bile forming in her throat. She wondered how she was going to bring herself to end this pretty face. She let out a sigh, she shouldn’t let her obsession be an obstacle to her job.

“Miss Sinclair,” Alexander called, snapping Isabelle back to reality.

“I’d appreciate it if you went home, and quit standing before me like some statue.”

Isabelle almost rolled her eyes, but he was right. She needed to go home, and prepare mentally for what’s yet to come.

“Goodbye boss,” she muttered with a slight bow. She was about to take a step, but paused, she stared at him, she desperately wanted to read through him, she wanted to know if he really wanted to give her up to Mr Castello.

However, she decided against it. If Alexander wanted to risk her for his company, then she would have to take matters into her own hands. It was funny how her stupid plan to rile him up backfired perfectly.

Alexander shot her a questioning brow, she shook her head and strode to the door.

“Wait,” Alexander’s voice rang from behind, causing a halt in her step. She turned to him, “Yes, Mr Cross?” Her words came more like a question.

Alexander rose from his seat, grabbed his phone, and walked to her. “I’ll take you home,” he said, then strode out of the office, leaving no room for declination.

*****

Isabelle was on the verge of losing her mind while Alex drove, the silence that loomed in the car was unbearable for her. She wondered how Alexander kept a Stoic expression while he drove.

When she couldn’t take it anymore, she decided to bring up a conversation. She didn’t know why she always felt nervous around him. Nevertheless, she cleared her throat about to speak, but Alex beat her to it.

“If you’ve got something to say, I strongly suggest you keep it to yourself.”

Isabelle blinked, a scoff almost escaping her lips, but she held back. Was he being for real? She turned to look out the window, “Why does he always have to be so rude and grumpy,” she muttered under her breath, enough for him to hear her.

Alex, on the other hand, kept his gaze on the road without sparing the woman beside him a single glance.

Isabelle inhaled deeply, as she took in the beautiful scenery the streets exuded at night. It was calm, peaceful unlike her life — totally messed up and chaotic. She wondered why her journey back home had never felt this peaceful.

A beautiful smile tugged her lips, nature was beautiful. Suddenly the smile faltered; she had never taken this route back home. Deep lines appeared on her forehead as realization hit her, she didn’t even know where they were at.

“Mr Cross,” she called, turning sharply at Alexander. “This is not my way home. Where are you taking me?” she added with furrowed brows.

Alexander kept mute, as a devilish grin cornered his lips; the kind that made Isabelle's heart skip beats.