Husband With Benefits
Chapter 351: Thankful

Chapter 351: Thankful

Isabella clutched the file tightly, standing before the imposing entrance of Frost Industries, her mind echoing with doubts that refused to dissipate. Even the pep talk she had given herself that morning seemed futile against the persistent waves of uncertainty that washed over her.

It was Nora who had first approached her with the idea, explaining in hushed tones that Ian urgently needed a new assistant due to some undisclosed incident involving his previous one. The sudden and mysterious vacancy raised Isabella’s suspicions, making her wonder if there was more to the story than Nora let on.

Just a mere two days ago, Ian Frost had been an inadvertent witness to her most humiliating moment, and now, she found herself on the verge of working for him? The timing seemed too perfect, too much of a coincidence. Isabella probed Nora, seeking reassurance, and though her friend insisted it was her own idea, the doubts lingered.

"Come on, bella baby! You’re my maid of honor. You have to help me."

"How does being your MOH come into this? Your wedding is related to Ian Frost having an office assistant?"

"See, Ian is begging to take Nina. If he takes Nina, Demetri will be stressed. If he is stressed then I will be stressed. If I am stressed, I’ll turn into a bridezilla! Bella baby! You have to save me from turning into a bridezilla."

Isabella shook her head at the sheer lack of logic in that argument. Her and Nora had their share of illogical things but this one took the cake. And yet, here she was, standing at the threshold of Frost Industries, ready to work as Ian Frost’s assistant.

However, the only problem now was... how to face her new boss? The man had actually stepped forward to defend her, only to have his head almost bitten off by her becasue she’d been too embarrassed.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, muttering to herself," Its okay, Isi. You can do it. You’ve already put your foot in your mouth. What more can go wrong?"

Her words, however, seemed to jinx herself as the moment she stepped inside, her heel caught on the step, causing her to lose her balance and tumble face-first onto the floor, papers scattering in every direction. Cursing under her breath, she hastily straightened herself, attempting to stand up. But as fate would have it, she flailed again, this time colliding with the floor and adding an unfortunate knock to her knee.

Isabella cursed herself anew, bewildered by the sudden appearance of a seemingly klutzy gene she never knew existed. Could this be a cosmic signal, a warning sign urging her to reconsider the path she was about to take?

Taking a moment to collect herself, Isabella closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath to quell the rising embarrassment. Slowly, she attempted to stand up once more. Even with her eyes shut, she could almost sense the curious gazes of the few people in the lobby who had become spectators to her impromptu performance.

Thankfully, she’d come early enough that there weren’t many people to witness her embarrassing situation. As she thought to gather her belongings, she sensed a presence near her, and when she opened her eyes, she was met with a pair of impeccably polished leather shoes right in front of her. Slowly, her gaze traveled upward, taking in the long legs that seemed to stretch on forever, until she reached eye level and found Ian Frost peering down at her with a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"Well, this is quite the entrance," he remarked, a subtle twinkle in his eyes as he added," While I do like the current position we are in, I don’t think the location is quite suitable."

The innuendo was not lost on Isabella and she blushed furiously, looking at the hand that he’d extended to help her up. "Thank you," she mumbled, accepting his hand and rising to her feet with as much grace as she could muster.

As she straightened, Ian swiftly squatted to the ground, his sudden movement catching her off guard. Startled, she took an involuntary step back, teetering dangerously close to falling backward once again. A rush of panic surged through her until, unexpectedly, Ian’s hand deftly caught her leg, preventing an imminent stumble.

"Don’t move, Isi," he said calmly, his voice a reassuring anchor in the midst of her momentary instability. "We don’t need you to be carried out on a stretcher. I’m just gathering the scattered papers."

"Thanks," she managed to say, freezing in spot.

His touch, though intended for practical purposes, sent a subtle warmth radiating through, making her extremely aware of the position of his hand on her leg.

Once the papers were back in order, Ian stood up, releasing her leg. Their eyes briefly met, and Isabella found herself captivated by the understanding in his gaze.

His small smile as he said sympathetically," First day jitters are the worst." made her heart go warm as he then handed her the papers, with a teasing smile, "All set. Now, let’s ensure that you safely make your way to your new office without any further acrobatics for the rest of the day."

Isabella looked at his back as he walked in front of her and felt a lump in her throat. If she’d seen concern or questions about that day in his gaze, she would never have been able to work here. But by letting her be and not making a fuss, he’d ensured that she felt easy and comfortable. And she could not have been more thankful. Nora was right. Any girl that the Frostie brothers would choose, she would be lucky. She’d seen Nora blossom with Demetri and Ian’s personality gave her a whole new level of respect for them.

Once they were alone in the elevator, Ian explained," Initially, you were to pretend that you were working for Demetri but I’ve thought of a better way to handle things. For now, you’ll be interning with my assistant but..."

As the elevator doors opened, Ian stopped talking and when he next spoke, his voice changed," Isabella. Sit there for now." and strode into his office.

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