The filming stopped, and she also saw him, walking towards him.
With a cigarette between his fingers, he exhaled a faint smoke through his firm lips, and his slightly hoarse voice sounded, “Amelia asked me to bring this to you.”
He handed a thermos to Isabella.
She hugged the thermos, unscrewed the lid, and a fragrant hot steam emerged from it.
“Old duck soup! It smells so good,” Isabella’s eyes lit up.
Since the last time she had dinner at the apartment, she had a soft spot for the old duck soup Amelia made. Amelia promised to make it for her again next time, but she didn’t expect it to be delivered to the set.
Holding the thermos, she shivered while drinking the hot soup.
“Feeling cold?” he raised an eyebrow, asking.
She stuck her tongue out from being scalded by the hot soup, and the steam from the thermos surrounded her. “Yes, in the sea water below freezing for half an hour.”
After hearing this, he slightly pursed his firm lips, his deep and calm gaze settling on her. The blue and deep eyes contained all emotions, making it hard to read what he was thinking.
She drank more than half of the soup, and her body finally warmed up. Her thoughts started to function normally. She suddenly remembered to ask Andrew, “Did you come here specifically to bring me soup?”
“You’re overthinking it,” he said softly, narrowing his eyes.
When he left this morning, Amelia was stewing old duck soup. Knowing he would pass by the film crew, she must have asked him to bring it to Isabella. But now, he had realized that he was willing to do such things for her. He didn’t know if it was because of the bond of a Mate, but he had more patience with her. Moreover, he wanted to know more, how far he could go for her.
She hummed discontentedly, her curly eyelashes fluttered, glaring at him.
He remained calm and upright, indifferent to her annoyed look.
Her gaze subconsciously fell on his well-ironed shirt, a deep blue shirt with subtle patterns, exquisite in workmanship. Although Isabella wasn’t an expert on men’s clothing, every detail of this shirt showed a low-key nobility.
Almost instinctively, she reached out to grab the collar of his shirt, wanting to check the brand. She thought, “If this man dares to use my son’s formula money to buy luxury goods again, see how I deal with him!”
However, before Isabella’s hand could touch a corner of his clothes, he grabbed her wrist with one hand.
His long and powerful palm tightly held her delicate wrist, with just the right force that she couldn’t break free.
“What are you doing, hurting me!” Isabella stared at him angrily.
“Girl, be more reserved,” Andrew said in a low voice, nonchalantly shaking off her hand.
Suddenly, an image of Isabella standing in the center of the water, smiling at the male actor, flashed in his mind. He felt an inexplicable sense of annoyance, and his body suddenly became hot.
Isabella stumbled back after being shaken off, her anger rising.
She had soaked in freezing seawater for almost half an hour, almost turning into an ice pop. This man not only didn’t show any concern or comfort but also ran all the way to give her dissatisfaction.
“Why am I not reserved! A rapist has no right to talk to me about being reserved or not.”
She said angrily, but before she could finish her words, her chin was lifted by a strong hand. Two long fingers pinched casually, but with great force. Isabella felt like her chin was about to be crushed.
Their eyes met, his deep and blue eyes were mysterious and dangerous, covered by a cold and arrogant glow.
“Rapist? Isabella, I hope this is the last time I hear this word from your mouth. I want to remind you that night you were under me, climaxing more than once.”
His firm lips approached her ear, deliberately lowering his magnetic voice. However, the cold and chilling aura emanating from his entire body gave people an eerie feeling.
After he finished speaking, his two fingers suddenly loosened, releasing her.
He slowly stood up and turned away with a cold demeanor.
Isabella’s face turned red, half embarrassed and half angry. Her temper flared, and she directly threw the thermos in her hand at his tall figure.
The thermos fell behind Andrew, and the soup inside spilled all over the floor.
He didn’t look back, walking out of the shooting scene with an upright posture.
The commotion here attracted the attention of many on-site staff.
Because she was infuriated by Andrew, Isabella was not in good shape, and the scene had to be retaken more than ten times. She spent nearly two hours soaking in the freezing sea water before finally passing the scene. Her body was almost frozen.
That night, Isabella had a high fever of 39C and was taken to the nearby hospital.
After blood tests, intravenous drips, and a series of treatments, she lay in the observation room, feeling dazed from the fever. She couldn’t help but curse Andrew’s ancestors nineteen generations in her heart.
If it weren’t for him upsetting her, she wouldn’t have kept making mistakes.
She was on IV drip all night, and the fever subsided the next day.
On the other side, Ryan’s Lexus slowly entered the underground parking lot.
His car had a dedicated parking space. After Ryan parked the car, he walked into the exclusive elevator with leisurely steps.
The CEO’s office was on the top floor of the entire office building. As soon as Ryan stepped out of the elevator, he saw the beautiful secretary of the CEO’s office sitting at the front desk.
“Hi, sweetheart, did you put on such beautiful makeup today? Do you have plans for the evening?” Ryan, not changing his habits, flirted with the beautiful secretary of the CEO’s office.
“Mr. Ryan, please don’t joke with me.” The secretary smiled politely, but her attitude remained formulaic.
Andrew absolutely did not allow employees with improper work attitudes under his watch, but Ryan was an exception.
“Is he in the office?” Ryan, his tall figure leaning against the front desk, his chin pointing towards the direction of the office, asked.
The two heavy reddish-brown wooden doors had been closed all the time.
“Andrew is still in a meeting, probably ending in about half an hour.” The secretary replied in a businesslike manner.
However, as soon as she finished speaking, the elevator door on the opposite side opened. Andrew, surrounded by several executives and accompanying assistants, walked out of the elevator, attracting attention like the center of the universe.
His brows were furrowed, and he was talking seriously with the finance director who followed beside him.
“Oh, the meeting ended early.” Ryan greeted with a smile.
Andrew glanced at him, nodded faintly, and continued into the CEO’s office.
In front of the office, other people tactfully did not follow in. That was the rule.
Only Ryan, like a big tail, swaggered and followed behind Andrew, entering the office.
Andrew sat in front of the computer checking documents, while Ryan sat opposite him, knocking his legs together. His narrow eyes carried a smile, staring meaningfully at Andrew.
“Alpha, the matter you instructed has been done.” Ryan said. The matter he referred to was Andrew instructing him to send a check to Director Davis.
“Okay.” Andrew responded indifferently, not engaging in small talk.
Ryan, however, continued with interest, “I heard from Nathan that you specifically went to the film crew to check on Isabella and even brought her soup and water.”
Andrew, sitting in the boss’s chair without wearing a suit, the cuffs of his shirt rolled up, revealing strong and even arms. With one hand holding the mouse, his silent gaze fixed on the computer screen.
At Ryan’s words, he didn’t even lift an eyelid, just said indifferently, “It wasn’t intentional, just on the way.”
“You, who hates wasting time the most, made an exception for her.” Ryan continued.
“She’s my son’s mother.” Andrew rarely gave him a reply.
“Just that?” Ryan was obviously dissatisfied with his answer. “If that’s all, you could easily send her away with money. Alpha, to be honest, are you falling for her?”
Andrew remained silent, not even lifting his eyelids, as if he hadn’t heard his words. He focused on the computer screen, only the long fingers tapping on the keyboard suddenly paused.
Ryan accurately caught this detail and continued more eagerly, “Isabella is young enough and beautiful enough, like a flower, any man who sees her would want to pluck it. It’s understandable if you fancy her. Alpha, I support her becoming our Luna. Although her identity is a bit special, as David’s daughter, it’s not impossible. With your current status, getting her shouldn’t be difficult…”
“You’ve been talking too much lately. I can arrange more work for you if you have too much energy.” Andrew suddenly interrupted him. His gaze turned towards him, and the deep eyes couldn’t be fathomed, containing the dominance and intimidation unique to the superior. Andrew sometimes found Ryan quite annoying. Although he was his beta, he often wasn’t serious, challenging his tolerance.
Ryan had become accustomed to this kind of alpha, Andrew, showing no fear whatsoever. He continued, “I guess Isabella’s pay for the movie ‘Mermaid Princess’ is at most six figures. She only had a fever and needed an IV drip in the hospital, yet you generously threw fifty million dollars to improve heating for the film crew. When I gave the money to the director, he looked at me as if I were a fool… Fortunately, I added an additional condition.”
Andrew lightly pursed his determined thin lips, silently looking at him, waiting for him to continue.
“He’s still a reliable director, no messy bed scenes in the script, just a passionate kiss between the male and female leads…” Ryan paused deliberately.
Andrew’s deep eyes lowered, and he casually picked up the cigarette box on the table, pouring out a cigarette without much thought.
Ryan found it somewhat boring and said, drawing out his words, “Just one kissing scene, and I’ve already had the director remove it.”Ryan had been observing Alpha’s expression, and he himself hadn’t noticed that the corners of his mouth had slightly curled up.
Andrew didn’t respond, taking a drag of his cigarette and exhaling smoke as he asked, “Henry is returning to the country, isn’t he?”
The eldest grandson of the Turner family had been busy accumulating experience abroad. Now, with the imminent change of ownership in the Turner family consortium, he couldn’t sit still and was eager to return home.
Ryan immediately put away his playful expression and replied, “I checked. His flight is in a week. What can an idle second-generation returnee do? Your father doesn’t fear him making a fool of himself.”
Ryan snorted disdainfully.
Andrew held the cigarette in his left hand, and the smoke slowly spread in the quiet space. His gaze became unfocused, his thoughts deep.
“Never underestimate your opponent at any time. Henry is not to be taken lightly. Find someone smart to keep an eye on him,” Andrew said.
Ryan shrugged it off, but he dared not delay any of Andrew’s instructions. “Understood. I don’t have anyone who isn’t smart under me. I guarantee to keep a close eye on him. A greenhorn like him can’t turn the world upside down.”
Andrew remained silent, just lightly flicking the tip of the cigarette with his fingertips.
Henry was not simple, but Andrew had never regarded him highly. For Andrew, his real opponent was the old fox hiding behind Henry.