Taming My Sugar Mommy
Chapter 86: Isabella Confronts Seraphina

Chapter 86: Isabella Confronts Seraphina

The Sapphire Lounge was well-named—a jewel box of a place, with azure lighting that cast everything in a cool, ethereal glow. Isabella chose it carefully. It was their spot—where she and Seraphina had celebrated countless victories, weathered failures, and plotted their way through the corporate world together.

Isabella arrived fifteen minutes early, securing their usual corner booth with a view of the entire bar. She wore a sleek black dress, her hair pulled back into a neat chignon. As she waited, she sipped her gin martini slowly, letting the bitter notes linger on her tongue. Her phone remained untouched beside her glass.

Liam had arrived even earlier at her instruction, positioned at the bar with a perfect sightline to her table. He nursed a whiskey, his attention seemingly on his phone but shifting regularly to survey the room. Anyone watching would think they were strangers.

When Seraphina walked in at exactly 8 PM, Isabella’s expression softened fractionally. Their friendship was one of the few genuine connections she maintained—a relationship built on mutual respect and years of shared history.

Seraphina glided through the bar, turning heads as she went. Her emerald dress caught the light, making her look like a vision from another world. Her smile, when she spotted Isabella, was warm and familiar.

"Bella," she greeted, using the nickname only she was permitted to use. She leaned in for a genuine hug. "God, I’ve missed our evenings. It’s been too long."

Isabella returned the embrace briefly before gesturing to the seat across from her. "Three weeks. The Davies acquisition has kept us both buried in paperwork."

"Worth every late night, though." Seraphina settled gracefully into the booth, crossing her legs at the ankle. "The look on Morrison’s face when you closed that deal was priceless."

"A deal we wouldn’t have had without your groundwork," Isabella acknowledged. It was true—Seraphina had been the one to identify Davies as a potential partner, smoothing the way for Isabella’s negotiations.

Isabella signaled to the bartender, who promptly brought over Seraphina’s usual—a glass of champagne. She’d called ahead to make sure they had her preference.

"To success," Isabella said, raising her glass.

"And friendship," Seraphina added, completing their ritual toast.

From the bar, Liam caught Isabella’s eye briefly before returning his attention to his phone. The slightest nod—a signal that he was watching, listening.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," Isabella said, her tone more serious now. "About the board meeting today."

Seraphina tilted her head, curiosity flickering across her features. "How did it go? I know you were concerned about the quarterly projections."

"The projections were the least of my worries," Isabella responded, her voice dropping lower. "There was some unexpected tension. Jeremy seemed particularly on edge."

"That’s not like him," Seraphina commented, leaning in slightly. "He’s usually your strongest supporter."

"It wasn’t just Jeremy," Isabella said carefully. "I heard something concerning about Edwin."

Seraphina’s expression shifted to one of attentive interest. She took a thoughtful sip of champagne. "Edwin has been... restless lately. What did you hear?"

Isabella leaned back, her posture relaxed but her eyes sharp. "That he’s been questioning my leadership. That he thinks Ashworth needs a change at the top."

Seraphina’s expression grew troubled. She set her glass down slowly. "I was hoping to shield you from this, at least until I had more information."

"You knew?" Isabella kept her voice neutral, but her gaze intensified.

Seraphina exhaled softly. "Edwin doesn’t think you should run Ashworth," she admitted, her voice low and concerned. "He’s been quietly sounding out board members, testing the waters for support."

Isabella nodded, her expression carefully neutral. "And you know this how?"

"He called me this afternoon, just after your board meeting ended," Seraphina’s gaze was steady, worried. "Asked me to drop by Ashworth to pick up some documents he claimed were related to the Davies integration. Said they were confidential and he didn’t want to email them. It seemed odd, but not completely unreasonable given the sensitivity of the acquisition."

"And?" Isabella prompted.

"I met him in your garage, as he requested. He was waiting by the executive elevator."

Isabella’s expression remained carefully neutral, but her mind raced. ’The garage? Of all places? That’s... unusual.’

"My garage," Isabella repeated, her tone curious rather than accusatory. "Why there? Why not his office? Or yours?"

Seraphina’s laugh was short, lacking its usual lightness. "That’s exactly what I wondered. He said he needed privacy away from prying eyes in the office. At the time, I assumed he was being paranoid about the documents." She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. "Looking back, I think he chose the location deliberately, Isabella. The garage has no cameras in the parking spaces themselves—only at the entrances and elevators."

Isabella nodded slowly. It was true. The surveillance system in the garage had been a point of contention with security for months.

"What exactly did Edwin want?" Isabella asked, maintaining her composed demeanor. "I assume it wasn’t about the Davies documents."

"There were no documents," Seraphina confirmed. "He wanted to know if I’d support a motion to restructure the executive board. He talked about how Ashworth needed a ’fresh direction’ and ’less autocratic leadership.’" She reached across the table, placing her hand briefly on Isabella’s. "His words, not mine."

Isabella felt a flicker of genuine worry. Edwin was a board member with significant influence. If he was making moves against her...

"What did you tell him?" Isabella asked, taking another sip of her martini.

"That he was out of his mind," Seraphina replied without hesitation. "I reminded him that Ashworth’s value has tripled under your leadership, that the Davies acquisition alone would secure our position for the next five years." Her expression hardened. "I told him that if he wanted a war with Isabella Ashworth, he’d better be prepared to lose."

Isabella felt warmth spread through her chest—the rare, genuine feeling of having someone truly in her corner. Seraphina had been there from the beginning, had watched Isabella build Ashworth into what it was today. Their friendship had weathered professional rivalry, personal setbacks, and everything in between.

From the bar, Liam shifted slightly, adjusting his position. His eyes met Isabella’s for a heartbeat before moving away.

Isabella leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table, her voice dropping to a confidential tone. "Did he show you anything? Documents, proposals?"

Seraphina hesitated, and for the first time that evening, she looked uncomfortable. "He tried to. Had a flash drive he wanted me to take."

"And?" Isabella pressed.

"I took it," Seraphina admitted. "I thought it would be better for me to see what he was planning than to let him shop it around to someone more... receptive."

Isabella nodded, processing the information. ’So that’s what was on the drive. Seraphina took it to protect me.’

"What was on it?" Isabella asked.

"Financial projections. Organizational charts. A detailed plan for transitioning leadership over six months." Seraphina’s expression hardened. "He’s been preparing this for a while, Bella."

Isabella’s fingers tapped once against her glass, her mind working through the implications. "Who else has he approached?"

"I don’t know for certain," Seraphina said, frowning. "But he mentioned having ’key support.’ My guess would be Harrington, possibly Williams."

Isabella nodded. Both were newer board members who had joined after Ashworth’s acquisition of Continental Systems. They didn’t have the history with Isabella that the others did.

"Thank you for telling me this," Isabella said finally, genuine gratitude in her voice. "Not everyone would have."

Seraphina’s expression softened. "We’ve been friends for fifteen years, Isabella. I’ve seen you build this company with your bare hands. I’m not going to let Edwin or anyone else try to take it from you."

Isabella raised her glass in acknowledgment, her mind already formulating counter-strategies.

"You should know," Seraphina added, her voice lower now, "he seemed desperate. Said something about ’time running out.’" She looked troubled. "Whatever he’s planning, I think he means to move quickly."

Isabella frowned. "Any idea why the urgency?"

"None," Seraphina admitted. "But I’ll keep my ear to the ground."

Isabella smiled, small but genuine. "You always do."

As they continued talking, moving to lighter topics, Isabella felt a strange mixture of comfort and unease. She trusted Seraphina implicitly—their friendship had been tested countless times over the years. But something about the situation still felt off.

’Why would Edwin approach Seraphina, of all people?’ Isabella wondered. ’Everyone at Ashworth knows they were close. It would be like trying to turn my right hand against me.’

’Unless... unless that was exactly the point. To sow doubt, to make me question even my closest allies.’

’No,’ Isabella thought firmly. ’Seraphina wouldn’t betray me. Not after everything we’ve been through.’

Later, when Seraphina had to leave for her dinner with the Harrington team, she hugged Isabella again, holding on a moment longer than usual.

"Watch your back," Seraphina whispered. "And call me if you need anything. Day or night."

Isabella nodded, squeezing her friend’s hand once before letting her go.

The moment Seraphina was gone, Isabella’s fingers drummed once against the table—a signal. Within minutes, Liam had settled into the seat Seraphina had vacated, bringing his whiskey with him.

"Well?" Isabella asked, her voice stripped of the warmth she’d maintained throughout the conversation with Seraphina.

Liam leaned back, his expression troubled. "She’s playing you."

Isabella frowned, genuine surprise flashing across her face. "I’m not sure."

"I am," Liam said firmly. "That whole concerned friend act? It was too perfect." He took a sip of his whiskey. "Plus, she kept checking her phone under the table. Sending updates to someone."

Isabella’s eyebrows rose slightly. "Did she now?"

"Three times. Short texts." He set his glass down with a soft click. "And when she was talking about the flash drive? Her left eye twitched. Classic tell."

Isabella looked at him sharply. "How did you know about the flash drive?"

Liam’s expression was unapologetic. "I saw you coming back from the security office. Put it together."

For a moment, Isabella said nothing, just studied him with that piercing gaze of hers. Then, surprisingly, she shook her head. "No. You’re wrong about Seraphina."

"Isabella—"

"We’ve been friends for years," she said firmly. "She was there when I was fighting for control of the company, when I was having financial crisis. She stood by me when half the board wanted me gone. She’s the one person I trust completely."

Liam’s expression remained skeptical. "People change. Motivations change."

"Not Seraphina," Isabella insisted. "She has nothing to gain by betraying me."

Liam watched her for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "If you say so." He didn’t sound convinced.

As they walked out of the bar, Isabella’s mind was a battleground of certainty and doubt. She trusted Seraphina with her life, with her company. They had weathered too much together for that trust to be misplaced.

And yet...

’Why that ruse with the documents?’ she thought. ’Why would Edwin think Seraphina, of all people, might turn against me?’

She pushed the doubts away. Tomorrow, she would start planning her counter-offensive against Edwin. She would protect what was hers, as she always had.

But for the first time in years, as she slid into the passenger seat of her car and watched Liam take the wheel, a small seed of doubt had been planted about the one person she had never questioned.

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