The Alpha's Contracted Mate

Chapter 4 Tensions Unveiled

Isabella didn't want to listen to the conversation between Mathew and Mathew's ex-girlfriend, Sarah. Feeling a heavy weight in her chest, she quietly excused herself and made her way downstairs. She needed a moment alone, away from the turmoil of emotions that had engulfed her. In the dimly lit living room, she poured herself a glass of water and took a seat on the plush sofa.

As she sipped the water, the silence was broken by the sound of steady footsteps approaching her from behind. Isabella turned her head and saw Alex holding a steaming glass of hot milk. Bitterness crept into her mouth, and she greeted him with a forced smile, "Hi, Alex."

Alex extended the glass of hot milk toward her, concern evident in his eyes. "Why haven't you slept yet?" he asked gently. Isabella declined the milk, her voice distant, "I'm thirsty, so I came downstairs to drink water." Not wanting to push her further, Alex gracefully retracted his hand and smiled, "Did you quarrel with Mathew?"

Isabella shook her head, her gaze averted. "No." Alex persisted, "You can tell me if he treats you badly." Isabella placed the water glass on the coffee table and mustered a light smile, saying, "It's late. Good night."

Isabella knew the importance of maintaining a certain distance from other men, even though she and Alex had been close in the past. Now that she was married, she couldn't afford to blur those boundaries. She was not oblivious, either, to who had orchestrated her intoxication and set her up that fateful night.

Returning to the bedroom, Isabella found Mathew engrossed in his phone, lying on the sofa. She glanced at him briefly, then went straight to the bed and lay down. Exhaustion from the day weighed heavily on her, and before she knew it, sleep claimed her.

When Isabella awoke, it was already the next morning. After breakfast, Isabella and Mathew went their separate ways to work, their interactions devoid of the familiarity they once had. They were like two strangers coexisting in the same space.

As soon as Isabella stepped into the company, the sound of hushed whispers reached her ears. Female employees were gossiping about Mathew's recent encounter with paparazzi and how Isabella had managed to extricate him from the situation.

"The woman who marries him in the future is bound to suffer a lot," one of them remarked. Another chimed in, "I remember you, Kara, saying you wanted to have a one-night stand with him." Navigating the office gossip, Isabella entered the room, interrupting their conversation.

The female employees quickly stood up, their voices falling silent. Isabella looked at them coldly and said, "You can continue." With a sense of fear, they resumed their conversation once she left.

"I don't know why, but I am very afraid of Isabella," one of them confessed. Another agreed, "Me too. She rarely scolds me, and I know she's a good person, but there's something about her that makes me uneasy."

Reflecting on Isabella's background as part of the influential Alpha family and her reputation as a determined and capable woman, the employees understood why she commanded respect.

In her office, Isabella started her work by reviewing reports on the love affairs of several starlets associated with the company. Compared to Mathew's scandals, these affairs seemed trivial.

After several flipping of the documents on her desk to decide which issues required attention, she turned her focus to the event plan for Ace Media's upcoming annual conference.

It was a conference that happens once in a year, it's one of the events that gives the company visibility to the public, it was not to be handled carelessly but to be meticulously planned and organized. Her job demanded long hours, irregular meals, and a dogged work ethic, but the one redeeming factor was the generous salary it provided.

She meticulously studied the event plan, highlighting areas that needed improvement, and then picked up the phone to call the manager of the planning department. When the call was answered, she stated, "Mr. Marcus, are you in the office now? I believe there are some issues with the event plan that we need to discuss face-to-face."

The man on the other end hesitated before responding, "I'm in the office, but Mathew is here, so I'm afraid we can't meet right now." Isabella paused for a few seconds, her voice steady, "Very well. I will come to talk with you this afternoon." Just as she was about to hang up, Mathew's low voice interjected, "Let her come over now. I want an update on the annual conference preparation and I want her to brief me on the activities that are on the list."