Chapter 60

Isabella and Michael were chilling on the couch, with Isabella leaning in to watch Michael fix her computer.

A few minutes earlier, one of Michael's guys had dropped off all the parts he needed, and Michael got right to work.

Isabella propped her chin up, watching Michael work his magic on the computer. Her heart was pounding as she stared at his intense expression.

"All done. Come check it out," Michael said, turning around to catch Isabella gazing at him like she was in a trance.

"Hey, my face isn't part of the design," Michael teased, grinning at her.

Isabella blushed and shifted her gaze to the computer, her eyes widening in surprise.

"You really fixed it? That's awesome!" she exclaimed, looking at the screen. Even though it was cracked and some images were messed up, she could still transfer her files to a USB drive and get a new computer later.

"I've been into electronics since I was a kid," Michael said, a hint of pride in his voice. Seeing Isabella so happy made him smile too.

"Now, go ahead and upload the design," he said with a grin.

Isabella nodded and quickly uploaded her design. But then, a message popped up on the official website, leaving her stunned.

"What the heck? They're saying my design is a copy?" she said, staring at the screen in disbelief.

Michael frowned. He'd seen her work on that design from scratch, so there was no way she copied it.

"I know someone at this design company. Let me give them a call," Michael said, reaching for his phone. But Isabella stopped him.

"Wait, it might just be a coincidence. Sometimes designs look similar. It's rare, but it happens. Plus, I've got some new ideas. I can tweak it," she said, smiling and brushing it off.

Michael looked worried. "But the deadline's in two days. Can you finish in time?"

Isabella's eyes lit up with determination. "Two days is enough, but I need you to handle the cooking. I need every minute for this."

Michael chuckled. "You're really pushing it. What if you don't win and just end up exhausted? Wouldn't that suck?"

"Let's take the risk!" Isabella said, dead serious.

Michael shrugged. "Alright, good luck. I'll go find some recipes."

He left the room, his expression turning serious as he pulled out his phone and called someone at his company.

"Extend the submission deadline by a week and get me all the current designs by tomorrow," he ordered before hanging up.

Ten minutes later, Isabella burst out of the bedroom and hugged Michael tightly.

"The deadline got extended! I've got enough time to tweak my design. You must be my lucky charm," Isabella said, grinning.

Michael smiled back. "So, do I need to whip up some more meals for you?"

Isabella blinked and then nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I want to be pampered!"

Michael rolled his eyes playfully. "Alright, Ms. Taylor, your butler at your service. To the bathroom we go!"

With that, he scooped her up and started towards the bathroom.

"Stop! I don't need to go to the bathroom! Put me down!" Isabella blushed, wriggling out of his arms and darting into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Michael laughed heartily outside the door.

The next day at the office, Michael dove into reviewing the competition entries. When he saw Bianca's work, his expression turned icy.

"So, it's you," he muttered, reaching for his phone to give Bianca a piece of his mind. But then he paused.

A brilliant idea struck him. He'd always wanted to build a business empire separate from the Williams Family. Maybe this cosmetics design competition was his chance.

He called his right-hand man, Jerry. "Leak that Bianca is John's lover. Be discreet. No one should trace it back to us."

Jerry nodded and got to work.

Meanwhile, after days of grinding, Isabella finally finished her redesign. She uploaded it to the official website and let out a huge sigh of relief.

She called her friend Amelia. "Hey, let's go shopping this afternoon. I need a break."

"Shopping? With me? What about Michael?" Amelia teased.

Isabella chuckled. "He's been swamped lately, so you're my date today."

"So, I'm just the backup? Ouch! I need a good meal to cheer me up," Amelia joked.

"Deal. Lunch is on me after shopping." With plans set, Isabella and Amelia changed and headed out.

As they shopped, they caught up on the latest gossip.

"Did you hear? Pearl's been MIA since that sewer incident. Probably too embarrassed to show her face," Amelia said, giggling.

Isabella laughed too, remembering the news photos. "Yeah, that was something."

After a good laugh, Isabella got serious. "Okay, enough. Remember your jinx? Every time you mention Pearl, she shows up. It's freaky."

Amelia shrugged. "No, after that scandal, she's probably hiding out for a month."

They walked into a luxury store to buy a handbag, but their smiles vanished when they saw Pearl.

"I'm sorry. I won't mention her again," Amelia said, miming zipping her lips. But it was too late. Pearl had already spotted them.