Chapter 143

The vibe in the conference room was super tense. Madeline and Isabella were both staring at Kevin, dying to know who he'd pick.

Even their assistants were holding their breath, scared that any noise might sway Kevin's decision.

Kevin grinned and finally turned to Isabella. "Isabella, maybe your design concept is spot on. My style's been the same for ages. It's probably time to mix things up."

Isabella's face lit up with a smile, while Madeline just sat there, stunned.

Thea jumped up and demanded, "How can this be? Mr. Hamilton, didn't you say you loved Ms. Eve's work? Why pick Isabella?"

Dwayne's face went dark.

But Kevin, still smiling, explained, "I do love Ms. Eve's work. If it were the old me, I'd have picked her design in a heartbeat. But like Isabella said, our product style's been the same for too long, and our customers might be getting bored. It's time for a change."

Madeline and Thea were clearly struggling to accept this.

Seeing Thea about to argue, Dwayne quickly stood up and smiled, "Mr. Hamilton, since you've chosen Isabella's design, can we move forward with the contract?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Larson. Let's sign it now. I've got another meeting this afternoon, so let's not waste any time," Kevin replied with a smile. Dwayne brought the contract, and Kevin signed it right away.

"Isabella, Madeline, let's walk Mr. Hamilton out," Dwayne said with a smile. He didn't mention their assistants, probably to keep things from getting too chaotic, or maybe he just couldn't stand Thea's antics.

Madeline, despite her frustration, had no choice but to go along with Dwayne's plan.

After they saw Kevin off and watched his car drive away, Dwayne's smile disappeared instantly.

"Madeline, if you can't keep your assistant in line, then find a new one," Dwayne said coldly before storming off to his office.

His quick pace showed just how angry he was.

Isabella noticed Madeline's upset expression and smirked. "Ms. Eve, don't forget our bet. From now on, you have to follow my orders to the letter."

"I don't need your reminder," Madeline snapped, clenching her fists and glaring at Isabella before heading to her own office.

Isabella shrugged off Madeline's attitude and went back to her office too.

As soon as Isabella was back in her office, Juliet rushed over.

"Ms. Taylor, you're amazing! How did you know Mr. Hamilton wanted to change his style?" Juliet asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Isabella sat down and shook her head with a smile. "I didn't know he wanted to change his style. I just suggested it."

"You suggested it? And he just went along with it? Is there something between you two?" Juliet asked, her eyes wide with shock.

Isabella rolled her eyes and gave Juliet a light tap on the forehead. "What are you thinking? I'm not that kind of woman. I just noticed something about Mr. Hamilton," she said with a smile, then pulled out her phone and handed it to Juliet.

Juliet looked at the phone, confused, and then her eyes widened even more. It was a photo of Isabella, Kevin, and Gabrielle together.

Isabella explained, "Turns out, Hamilton's taste is totally dictated by his wife. He liked that style because she did, but I overheard her saying she was over the fussy colors and wanted something simpler. So, after I finished my design, I showed it to Mrs. Hamilton first. Once she approved, I felt confident."

Juliet gave her a thumbs-up, her face full of admiration. "You're incredible, Ms. Taylor! No wonder you weren't phased by Mr. Hamilton praising Madeline - you knew the real decision-maker was Mrs. Hamilton!"

Isabella just smiled faintly. As a former socialite, she was used to constant compliments and had become immune to them.

"By the way, Juliet, I need to remind you, when you come to meetings with me in the future, don't speak unless I ask you to," Isabella said, her expression suddenly serious.

Juliet was puzzled, not understanding why Isabella said that.

Isabella pointed outside the office. "If I'm not mistaken, Thea is about to be in trouble."

Juliet's curiosity was piqued. "Why is that, Ms. Taylor?"

Isabella sneered. "Mr. Hamilton's a key partner, but he's still an outsider. Thea's mockery in the meeting room makes it seem like we've got internal drama. Every company deals with this stuff, but we usually keep it behind closed doors to save face and keep our client relationships intact."

Juliet quickly caught on and let out a sigh of relief, patting her chest. "Now I get why you shut me down from arguing with Madeline and Thea in there. If I had chimed in, I'd be in the same hot water as her," Juliet remarked anxiously.

Isabella smiled. "You wouldn't be in as much trouble as her. She's already been punished by the company once, and her image with the leadership is already poor. This incident made it worse. Her fate is either being fired or transferred to a remote department."

Isabella's prediction soon came true. Thea was transferred to a base that produces cosmetic ingredients.