Chapter 190

Dwayne looked at Isabella with confusion, not understanding why she would give up on the competition.

Isabella's next words shocked him even more.

"Mr. Larson, I've decided to resign. I was planning to tell you later, but I think it's best to let you know now," Isabella said with a smile.

Dwayne stood up from his chair in shock. "What did you say? You're resigning? Why?"

Isabella was puzzled; she didn't understand why her resignation would surprise him so much.

Dwayne reacted so strongly because Isabella was their boss Michael's favorite, and he feared being blamed for her resignation.

"Isabella, may I ask why you're resigning? Did Madeline upset you? If she's not cooperating with your work, we can transfer her to another department or even fire her," Dwayne said seriously.

Isabella was shocked by his words.

Madeline's talent was highly sought after in the design industry, but Dwayne was actually willing to fire Madeline for her!

Isabella was confused. Did she really have that much influence?

Although she had had conflicts with Madeline, she had always maintained a delicate balance and never thought of firing her.

Isabella put up with Madeline to repay her boss, who'd helped her out several times.

Isabella wanted Madeline to stay in the company. She didn't want to lose her to a competitor.

Though Isabella didn't understand why Dwayne would do this, she decided to give a reason for her resignation.

"Mr. Larson, this has nothing to do with Madeline. I'm resigning because I plan to start my own business," Isabella said with a smile.

"Are you considering starting your own studio? Well, you could maintain an affiliation with the company and utilize our resources." Dwayne suggested.

However, Isabella shook her head. "No, Mr. Larson, I'm not opening a studio. I'm going back to take over the three remaining companies of my family."

Dwayne was even more surprised. He knew Isabella's background, but he remembered that those three companies were nearly bankrupt. Were they worth saving?

"I understand you want to revive your family, but have you considered how difficult it is?" Dwayne earnestly advised Isabella, hoping she would reconsider.

But Isabella shook her head firmly. "I've thought it through, Mr. Larson. Also, I'd like to take the afternoon off to visit my parents in the detention center."

Dwayne looked at Isabella's determined expression and sighed helplessly, sitting back in his chair.

"You're incredibly talented; I'll really miss you. But since you've made up your mind, I can't force you. I wish you all the best in the future," Dwayne said with a bitter smile.

Isabella smiled. "Mr. Larson, I'll still be here for a while to handle the handover. Why do you sound like I'm leaving right now?"

They shared a lighthearted moment, chatting briefly before Isabella left the office.

When Dwayne was alone in his office, he scratched his head in frustration.

"Damn it, how am I going to explain this to Mr. Williams?" Dwayne took out his phone but hesitated for a long time, unable to dial Michael's number.

He lit a cigarette, and as the smoke swirled around him, he finally gathered the courage to call Michael after finishing it.

The phone rang twice before it was answered.

Dwayne took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Williams, Isabella is resigning to take over her family's businesses. I've tried to change her mind, but she's determined to revive the family companies. What should we do?"

Dwayne explained the situation in detail, hoping Michael wouldn't blame him for it.

To Dwayne's surprise, Michael's reaction was very calm.

"I'm aware. Isabella's leaving, whether we agree or not. When she submits her resignation, hold onto it and don't forward it to HR. Let's leave the door open for her to come back if things don't work out," Michael said before hanging up.

Dwayne stared at the ended call screen, stunned for a long time.

"How ridiculous? I've never heard of an employee being able to come back after resigning," Dwayne muttered, then began to wonder why Michael was so good to Isabella.

'Strange. Isabella's broken things off with his nephew, yet he's still so kind. Is it really family care? And they're the same age... ' Dwayne's thoughts trailed off as a terrifying possibility crossed his mind.

'Could Isabella's mysterious husband actually be Mr. Williams?' Dwayne felt his heart pounding. He knew it was just a wild guess with no evidence, so he buried the thought deep in his mind, vowing never to tell anyone. Otherwise, if Michael found out, he wouldn't go easy on him either way.

Meanwhile, Isabella, after leaving Dwayne's office, intended to return to her own office.

As she passed through the office area, a security guard came over holding a bouquet of flowers.

"Isabella, a man outside asked me to give you these flowers," the guard said, handing the bouquet to Isabella.

Her colleagues looked curiously at the flowers, wondering who sent them.

Isabella's expression turned cold. "Did John send these? If so, return them to him."

But the guard shook his head. "No. The sender said his name is Joseph."