Chapter Eight
1550 Words
Isabella was curled up on her couch, flipping through a book when her phone vibrated beside her.
She reached for it lazily, but the moment she saw the caller ID, she froze.
Jason Parker.
Her eyes widened.
Jason had never called her before. Ever.
He always emailed. Always kept things strictly work-related.
Her first thought was, Something’s wrong.
She quickly picked up.
“Hello? Good evening, Mr. Parker.”
A brief pause. Then, his voice—lower, smoother than usual.
“Jason.”
Isabella blinked. “Excuse me, sir?”
“Call me Jason.” His tone wasn’t demanding, but it wasn’t exactly a request either.
She hesitated, gripping the phone tighter. “I… are you sure?”
A sigh. “I don’t say things I don’t mean, Isabella.”
Her stomach did a strange little flip at the way he said her name—like it meant something.
Still, it felt unnatural. Jason Parker was her boss.
She cleared her throat. “Alright… Jason.”
He hummed in approval. “Better.”
She wasn’t sure why that one word made warmth spread through her chest.
There was a brief silence before he spoke again, his voice quieter this time. “About the other day.”
Isabella sat up straighter. “Yes?”
Jason exhaled. “I wasn’t exactly… pleasant to you.”
Isabella frowned slightly. Did he just hesitate?
He continued, his voice steady but softer. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. It was unnecessary.”
Isabella’s lips parted.
Jason. Parker. Apologizing.
The same Jason Parker who ran an empire with an iron will.
The same Jason Parker who barely showed anything beyond control and authority.
She didn’t know what to say for a moment.
Finally, she swallowed. “I… I appreciate that.”
Another pause. Then, his voice, smoother than before. “So, are we good?”
She exhaled, a small smile forming. “We’re good, Jason.”
Jason smirked slightly. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
Isabella rolled her eyes but bit back a smile. “No, sir.”
“Jason.”
She laughed softly. “Fine. Jason.”
Jason leaned back in his chair, a rare lightness settling over him.
He hadn’t meant to call. Hadn’t planned to care.
And yet, here he was.
---
Weeks Later
Jason loosened his tie and leaned back in his office chair, staring at the ceiling. His fingers hovered over his phone, hesitating before he finally tapped the familiar contact.
The call rang twice before Isabella picked up. “Good evening, Mr. Parker.”
Jason rolled his eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?”
A soft chuckle. “It’s your name, isn’t it?”
He smirked. “No. It’s what you call me when you’re pretending we’re not already past formalities.”
A pause. Then, “Jason.”
He didn’t miss the slight reluctance in her tone. It amused him.
“Better.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. “Are you in bed already?”
“Not yet. I was reading.”
Jason raised a brow. “Let me guess. A medical journal?”
A small laugh. “And you say I don’t know how to have fun.”
“Because you don’t.”
“Says the man who spends his nights in an office instead of going to bed.”
Jason smirked. “Touché.”
A beat of silence. Not uncomfortable, just… different. Easy.
Jason cleared his throat. “Diane’s been asking about you.”
“She has?” Isabella’s voice softened, the teasing edge gone.
“Every day. Wonders why you never call her.”
“I didn’t think I was allowed to.”
Jason frowned. “You don’t need permission to talk to Diane, Isabella.”
A pause. “Well… maybe I should start, then.”
Jason didn’t hesitate. “Let’s do it now.”
“Wait, Jason—”
But he had already switched to speaker.
“Diane, come here.”
The sound of little feet padding against the floor filled the office before Diane peeked inside, clutching her stuffed bunny.
“Daddy?”
Jason pointed to the phone. “It’s Isabella.”
Diane’s eyes lit up instantly. “Miss Winter?”
Isabella’s voice was warm. “Hey, sweetheart. Are you getting ready for bed?”
Diane flopped onto the couch, snuggling into her bunny. “Mhm. But I wasn’t sleepy until now.”
Jason smirked. “Sounds like someone needs a bedtime story.”
Diane gasped. “Miss Winter! Will you tell me one?”
Jason raised an amused brow at the phone. “Well?”
A sigh. “You both ambushed me.”
Diane giggled. “Please?”
Jason leaned back, watching Diane’s excitement with something he didn’t want to put a name to.
Then, Isabella’s voice, soft, warm, familiar.
“Alright. Once upon a time…”
And just like that, Jason found himself listening.
To her.
To the way she spoke to his daughter as if she belonged here.
To something he hadn’t realized he was missing.
He let his eyes close, her voice filling the quiet space.
And for the first time in a very long time, Jason Parker felt at home.
—
Silence stretched between them after Diane’s soft breathing became steady, signaling she had drifted off to sleep.
Jason glanced at the time. “She’s out.”
Isabella’s voice came through the speaker, quieter now. “She lasted longer than I expected.”
Jason smirked, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Your voice does that to people?”
A soft chuckle. “Only when I’m telling bedtime stories, apparently.”
Jason leaned back, exhaling. “Well, thanks for that. She’ll probably wake up asking for another one tomorrow.”
“I wouldn’t mind.” Isabella’s response was immediate, almost too quick, as if she hadn’t thought before saying it.
Jason didn’t reply right away. His fingers drummed lightly against the armrest of his chair. “You like talking to her, don’t you?”
“Of course. Diane’s an amazing little girl.”
Jason let out a low hum. “She’s taken a liking to you, too. She doesn’t warm up to people easily.”
“Neither do you.” Isabella’s words were laced with amusement, but there was a knowing undertone to them.
Jason paused. “What makes you think that?”
“Just an observation.”
He smirked. “So, you’ve been observing me?”
A beat of silence. Then, Isabella sighed. “You are impossible.”
Jason chuckled, the sound genuine. “You make it fun.”
Another pause, but this time, it felt… different.
Lighter.
Comfortable.
Jason found himself relaxing in his seat.
Then Isabella’s voice, softer now. “You know… I didn’t expect you to start calling me.”
Jason raised a brow. “Why?”
“Because you never did before.”
Jason hesitated, then admitted, “I never had a reason to.”
Silence.
Then, “And now?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Jason exhaled, rubbing his jaw. He wasn’t sure why he suddenly felt like he was treading unfamiliar ground.
“Now, I do.”
Another pause.
Then Isabella cleared her throat, breaking the moment. “You should probably get some rest. You have work tomorrow.”
Jason smirked. “You’re ending our call?”
“I just think you need sleep.”
“That’s a first. Normally, you’re telling me to take my meds.”
“That, too.” Isabella’s voice held a small smile.
Jason shook his head, amused. “Goodnight, Isabella.”
A pause. Then, “Goodnight, Jason.”
The line went dead.
Jason set his phone down, staring at the screen for a moment longer than necessary.
Then, without thinking, he smiled.
Meanwhile…
Isabella sighed, setting her phone on the nightstand.
Why was her heart racing?
It wasn’t as if Jason had said anything out of the ordinary. But something about tonight’s conversation felt… different.
More personal.
More dangerous.
She flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind a mess of emotions she wasn’t ready to name.
What was going on?
"Oh no," she said with a light gasp.
She was developing feelings for her boss. For Jason. For Jason Parker.
She ran a hand through her black hair and rubbed her temples.
Maybe she should stop answering his calls?
It would probably help her get detached easily and without anyone getting hurt.
Almost immediately, another thought crossed her mind.
What if she was just overthinking and Jason didn’t feel the same way?
"He's a crazy rich tycoon, Isabella! Wake up! He can get any woman he wants and you're definitely not—"
Her phone vibrated.
Frowning, she reached for it, expecting to see a message from her colleague or maybe a late-night email.
But when she saw the name on the screen, her breath caught.
Tyler.
Her ex.
Her chest tightened. Why was he calling her now? It had been months. No, over a year.
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
Ignore it.
Block the number.
But instead, she just sat there, staring, her heart hammering for an entirely different reason now.
And worse?
Jason’s voice was still lingering in her head.
- Writer
