276

When Isabella received Robert’s call, she was at the spa with Oliver. The beautician handed Isabella her phone, and she answered the call directly.
Hearing Robert’s voice surprised Isabella. After hanging up, she removed her face mask and sat up.
“Isabella, what’s wrong?” Oliver asked, puzzled.
“Robert wants to meet. Not sure what he’s up to this time,” Isabella replied.
“He’s Charlotte’s family. He can’t mean any good. Maybe you shouldn’t go,” Oliver said, worried.
“Moonlit Art Inc. is still in Robert’s hands.” Isabella sighed, jumped off the bed, and slipped on her high heels. “You go home; I’ll go meet him.”
Isabella quickly washed her face, dressed, and drove to the meeting place. Robert had arranged to meet at a cafe, and for safety, Isabella sent the cafe’s location to Andrew.
After sending the message, she tossed her phone back into her bag. Her red Maserati parked steadily outside the cafe.
Isabella stepped out, carrying her bag and walking into the cafe in her high heels.
Wearing large sunglasses that covered most of her face, the server didn’t recognize her and politely asked, “Ma’am, are you alone?”
“Mr. Robert reserved a private room,” Isabella replied.
“Alright, Mr. Robert’s private room is on the second floor. Please follow me,” the server said, leading Isabella upstairs to the second room on the left.
Robert hadn’t arrived yet, so Isabella sat alone and ordered a cappuccino and mousse cake.
Just as her coffee arrived, the door opened from the outside.
Robert walked in with long strides, unusually not wearing a suit. Dressed in blue jeans and a white polo shirt, he looked ten years younger.
For a moment, Isabella was reminded of when she first met him. Back then, Robert was a university student, with a shy and gentle smile.
“Sorry, Isabella, there was traffic. I’m late.” Robert smiled slightly, taking a seat across from her.
“I just got here too,” Isabella said, pointing to the coffee and cake on the table. “I didn’t know what you’d like, so I only ordered for myself.”
“My stomach hasn’t been well lately, so I’m avoiding coffee,” Robert said.
Isabella nodded and asked the server to bring Robert a glass of water.
Robert’s long fingers held the clear glass, feeling the warm temperature. His eyes softened as he looked across at Isabella.
She had her hair in a ponytail, with a clean, fresh face, wearing a white chiffon blouse. She seemed just like the girl he remembered-pure and kind.
Despite Robert’s kind gaze, Isabella felt uneasy under his stare.
She picked up her coffee cup and took a sip to hide her discomfort. “Did you want to talk about something?”
Isabella always avoided directly addressing him. She had never called him ‘uncle,’ and Robert preferred it that way.
“Isabella, we’re not really relatives. You can call me by my name, or Mr. Robert,” Robert said.
Isabella was taken aback. She asked what he wanted, but he diverted to how she should address him. His thought process was so random.
After a moment’s hesitation, she asked again, “Mr. Robert, what did you want to talk about today?”
Robert smiled and nodded, pulling a thick stack of documents from his briefcase and handing them to her.
“Isabella, take these documents with you and review them. If you have any questions, you can ask me,” Robert said, pointing to the cover of the documents, which were densely written with notes in black pencil.
“Most of the main points and important matters are written down. The key thing for you to look at is the asset-liability statements from these past few years. Your mother should have taught you how to read financial statements,” Robert reminded her.
Isabella was still in a state of confusion, her face showing a look of bewilderment as she opened the document folder.
The first page of the document was the annual asset-liability statements of Moonlit Art Inc.
Isabella had a basic understanding of financial knowledge and could read the financial statements. As she flipped through each report, she suddenly noticed that for the first two years, Moonlit Art Inc. had been in a state of negative profitability, and it was only later that the company gradually turned things around.
“After Mr. Allen passed away, the company fell into your father’s hands. To be honest, your father knew nothing about running a company. He was stubborn and diverted a lot of funds for his own convenience, which caused significant chaos within the company for a long time.
When I took over, Moonlit Art Inc. was in a severe financial deficit,” Robert said.
Robert pointed to one of the asset-liability statements and continued, “In the beginning, I indeed used some less-than-honorable methods, such as bribery, tax evasion, and even, with the consent of some actresses, facilitating their connections with wealthy businessmen for profit.”
Isabella’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at him.
Seeing her reaction, Robert’s face showed a hint of embarrassment. “Rest assured, those were measures taken during desperate times. I’ve already erased those traces. In recent years, the company has been operating legally without any issues. If anything were to come to light, I would be the one to take full responsibility. You won’t be implicated at all.”
Isabella continued to stare at him intently.
“Isabella, why are you looking at me like that? Don’t you recognize me?” Robert said in a rare moment of teasing, with a warm smile.
She honestly nodded, “I feel like the Robert I know isn’t like this at all.”
She even wondered if the man in front of her had been possessed by something.
Robert chuckled, taking a sip of water. “That’s because you’ve never truly known me. I may not be a good person, but I have my principles. I won’t take what doesn’t belong to me.”
Robert’s calm gaze swept over the scattered documents on the table, which recorded all the assets of Moonlit Art Inc.
“These rightfully belong to you. Before, you were too young, so I managed them for you. Now, you’ve grown up and become strong enough. You don’t need me to protect them anymore.”
Back then, the main reason he compromised with David and gave up the lucrative benefits of being a civil servant to work hard at Moonlit Art Inc. was to protect these assets for Isabella.
Otherwise, Moonlit Art Inc. would have been emptied by David and Charlotte long ago.
After hearing his words, Isabella was utterly shocked.
In her deeply ingrained impression, Robert was Charlotte’s lackey, always prioritizing the interests of Charlotte and her daughters.
Now, the man before her had completely overturned that image. He had painstakingly managed the company for years and was now handing it over to her in full.
What was Robert’s game?
If it was an act, even an Oscar-winning actor couldn’t perform it as convincingly.
Besides, Isabella wasn’t a fool; she could tell the difference between genuine and fake. At this moment, every word Robert said to her came from the heart, with utmost sincerity.
Isabella was so shocked that she could barely speak. She moved her lips and managed to utter a few words, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Robert smiled knowingly and continued to patiently explain the thick stack of documents to Isabella.
The content was too extensive to cover in detail at once, but Robert was extremely patient, concisely highlighting the categories and key points.
He categorized which were the company’s confidential documents, which were financial documents, and which were daily operational files. Finally, he picked out a ledger from the pile.
“These are the funds that your father, David, transferred out of Moonlit Art Inc. after I took over the company. Every transaction has records and transfer receipts. If you insist, you can use these documents to reclaim the funds from him.”
Isabella flipped through the pages and finally looked at the total amount, which reached a staggering seventy million. No wonder David had such a smooth career; with the goldmine of Moonlit Art Inc. at his disposal, he could pave his way in the political arena with money, ensuring unimpeded progress.
David was always exceptionally generous with his mistress, Elowen, and he squandered the Allen family’s money without a second thought.
“I’ve tried my best to minimize this amount, but my position is awkward, and there are too many things beyond my control. You should understand,” Robert said with a hint of helplessness.
If David had been allowed to do as he pleased, it would have taken far more than a few tens of millions to resolve. Robert had always done his utmost to protect the assets Isabella’s grandfather had left behind.
“I understand. Thank you for all your hard work,” Isabella sincerely expressed her gratitude once more.
Robert smiled, feeling immensely satisfied. Just her words of thanks and a bit of understanding made all his efforts over the years worthwhile.
He instinctively reached for his water glass, only to find the water had gone cold. He had explained nearly everything that needed explaining. What remained were the follow-up matters.
“Isabella, what are your plans for the company’s future?” he asked.
Isabella shook her head, as she hadn’t considered this question at all. She hadn’t expected Robert to hand over the company so easily.
“I plan to resign by the end of the next quarter. You can discuss things slowly with Andrew. If you wish to manage the company personally, my secretary, Julie, can assist you. She is very familiar with the company’s operations. If you’re not interested, you can hire a professional manager. I know a few good ones that I can introduce to you.”
“I’ll let you know once I’ve decided,” Isabella replied.
Robert nodded and smiled.
“And you? What are your plans after leaving Moonlit Art Inc.?” Isabella inquired.
“I plan to move abroad permanently. I don’t think I’ll return. After all, I don’t have any family left here,” Robert said.
Isabella nodded, suddenly feeling that this man was somewhat lonely and pitiable.
Robert glanced at his watch and smiled, “There are still some things at the company I need to handle. I should get back. After all, I have to do my duty until the very end.”
He called out to the waiter, “Check, please.”
As they left the cafe together and stepped down the stairs, Isabella suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on something ahead.
Following her gaze, Robert saw a shiny black Benz parked conspicuously at the street corner. Andrew, in a formal black suit, leaned against the car door, smoking casually. Scattered at his feet were many burnt-out cigarette butts, indicating he had been waiting for quite some time.
The usually high-and-mighty Andrew, it seemed, was waiting patiently for only one person-Isabella.
“He’s here to pick you up. You should go,” Robert said, smiling. Only he knew how bitter that smile truly was.
Isabella smiled and waved at him before quickly running across the street. Her steps were light and eager.
Robert watched as she threw herself into Andrew’s arms. The two embraced affectionately, with Andrew’s deep gaze shifting towards Robert, carrying a hint of meaning.
Isabella might be simple-hearted, but Andrew was exceedingly shrewd. How could he not discern Robert’s different feelings for Isabella?
But what did it matter? Robert didn’t even have the qualifications to be Andrew’s rival.
Because he was Charlotte’s family, it was destined that he and Isabella could only brush past each other in this lifetime.