Chapter 108
5 Years After
Isabella was thrilled to be starting her new job, especially as the assistant to such a remarkable man. Kylan Ross
was the definition of exceptional-handsome, stoic, and seemingly flawless. His reputation preceded him: a man
ruthless with his adversaries, yet kind and supportive to employees who earned his respect. She could hardly
believe her luck in landing a position that would allow her to work closely with him. Waiting by the elevator with
a mix of pride and anticipation, she felt her heart race and her cheeks warm as the doors slid open, revealing
Kylan in a long coat and hat, his smartphone in hand and a faint, reserved smile on his face.
Isabella gasped, then quickly bowed. "G-Good morning, Sir!"
Kylan glanced up, taking in her appearance with a brief, assessing gaze. Her long blonde hair was tied to one
side, and draped over her shoulder, complementing her fitted black skirt, white blouse, and soft pink cardigan
with a small, tasteful pin. He acknowledged her presence with a slight nod, though his attention soon returned to
his phone, where a picture of his family awaited him-a photo of Kate holding their young daughter, Clarence, who
was snuggled in a onesie. Kylan's gaze softened as he looked at the picture, the pride and adoration evident in
his eyes. Katrina and Clarence were his world, his everything. He'd do anything to protect them both.
"Morning," he replied, stepping out of the elevator. "You must be my new assistant."
Isabella hurried to keep up with his brisk pace as he moved toward his office. "Yes, Sir. Isabella Stone."
When they entered his office, Kylan set his phone down on his grand desk and shrugged off his coat and hat,
surprised when Isabella stepped forward to take them. "Thank Katrina, Mrs. Stone," he said coolly.
She hung up his coat with a blush. "It's Miss, actually."
He handed her his gloves with a polite nod. "Apologies, Miss Stone."
As she took his gloves, her eyes caught on the glint of a wedding ring on his hand. She bit her lip, feeling a pang
of disappointment-her hopes of catching his interest were dashed. But, stubbornly, she held on to the thought
that maybe she could still find a way into his life, wife or not. Kylan was worth the effort.
She cleared her throat. "May | ask something, Sir?"
Kylan, now seated at his desk and loosening his blazer, glanced at her expectantly. "Go ahead."
"What happened to your last assistant?"
His gaze drifted to a framed photo on his desk-one of them, his beloved wife. "The one before had to transfer to
another state."
Isabella had never heard about that. She knew he had a female secretary who had bechis girlfriend. This
was very well known throughout New York, and Isabella despised that woman for sleeping her way up. However,
seeing how handsKylan Ross was up close, she couldn't blthat woman.
"You had a female secretary before, right?" she urged.
Kylan glanced at her with narrowed eyes, but seeing only curiosity, he nodded. "She had to leave to avoid some
rumors," he quipped. He knew he was oversharing but wanted to talk about Katrina to people over the years he
had healed. "She bechead of one of the departments before she had to leave to focus on her baby.
Although," he added with a faint smirk, "I wanted her to leave sooner." "Oh? Why's that?" Isabella asked,
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtcuriosity piqued.
Kylan's gaze softened as he recalled the past. To be honest, he initially didn't want her to resign as his secretary.
But after a few months, he finally understood her intentions. And after she gave birth to Clarence, he wanted her
to focus on their child. "Because | wanted my wife to be comfortable and happy at home. She's a bit... stubborn,
though. It was only when our daughter was born that she finally agreed. My 'bratty' wife, always so determined,"
he murmured with a hint of affection. Isabella's hopes lifted. If he was calling his wife "bratty" and acting
annoyed, maybe their relationship wasn't so perfect after all.
But she couldn't have been more wrong. Kylan adored Katrina; to him, Katrina was perfect. Every thought he had
of her and Clarence filled him with a quiet, steady joy that Isabella, of course, couldn't sense.
still, she forced a smile and took out her notebook. "Congratulations."
Kylan didn't look up from his computer as emails poured in, his jaw tightening as he read through them. Without
pausing, he began listing tasks for Isabella. As he dictated, he noticed her beginning to sweat. "Am | going too
fast for you?" She blushed, flustered. "N-No, Sir."
He hummed, looking unconvinced. "Alright. You can start on those tasks. | have calls to make."
Isabella nodded and bowed. "Yes, Sir! Do you need coffee?"
He looked back at the framed photo of Katrina. "Tea. | only drink tea."
Isabella hurried out, and the moment the door closed, Kylan's expression softened as he turned his gaze back to
their family picture. He
remembered when Katrina was the one standing across from him, listening to him rattle off
EA
instructions. Katrina would cut him off halfway, told him to "slow the ever-loving hell down," or Katrina would
"give him something to
complain about."
At first, he'd been shocked that someone dared to speak to him that way. But as twent on, he'd fallen hard
for Katrina and her fearless spirit. Katrina never asked if he wanted tea; Katrina just brought it, anticipating his
needs before he even voiced them. Katrina was his match, the woman who knew him better than he knew
himself.
As he began typing, a sudden clamor shattered his focus-Isabella had returned, far louder than Katrina had ever
been. Even his previous assistant after Kate wasn't this noisy.
Her perfhung heavily in the air, too overpowering compared to the delicate, sweet scent Katrina wore.
Clenching his jaw, he sipped the tea she brought, finding it palatable but nothing special. He missed the way
Katrina made it, the subtle warmth that only her hands could infuse into something as simple as tea. The
thought crossed his mind that he might need to start bringing his own tea or, better yet, convince Katrina to
bring it in.
His growing headache was interrupted by voices outside his office-Isabella was loudly insisting someone
shouldn't go in. Just as Kylan was about to reprimand her for the noise, the door swung open, and there Katrina
was, with little Clarence clutching her hand as he toddled beside Katrina. Kylan felt his tension melt away at the
sight of them, his entire world stepping into the room.
Clarence spotted her father and squealed, "Dada!" She let go of her mother's hand and wobbled over to Kylan,
who knelt down to scoop her up, showering her little face with kisses. "Hello, Clarence," Kylan murmured, smiling
as he held Clarence close. "And hello to my beautiful wife."
Isabella hurried forward. "But Ma'am, you can't just-"
Katrina waved her off with a gentle smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm his wife."
Isabella's face fell. "W-wife?"
Katrina laughed and moved closer to Kylan. "Hi, handsome. How's work going?"
Kylan sighed, eyes flicking to Clarence before answering. "Silly, as always." He tickled Clarence, making her
giggle. "But it's much better now that my family's here."
Katrina took a seat on his desk, ignoring Isabella's wide-eyed stare. "Remember, you promised to chon
ttonight," Katrina teased.
Kylan chuckled. "I'll try, but you two are welcto stay if you'd like." He shifted Clarence onto his lap. "I could
always use the company."
Isabella bristled, stepping forward. "Sir, | could get milk for your daughter if you'd like "
But Katrina waved her off with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I've got it." She winked at her. "Trust me, the
more you keep out of his way, the better."
Though Isabella bowed and forced a
polite smile, Katrina sensed her
irritation as she headedjnta thelSal
kitchendité to prepare tea and milk.
She trailed behind Katrina, visibly
flustered, and Katrina felt a pang of
sympathy. The content is on
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I" [1 : : n
Hey," Katrina said gently, "I know he
can be a handful, so if you ever need
q " q
advice, feel free to reach out." Katrina
scribbled her nand number in
I" | '
her notebook. "He's tough, but he's
also predictable. Just (ROT step
3 Fe "
ahead qf him, aadydu e fine.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmENA accepted her advice, but her
eyes held a glint of determination.
Despite her kindness, she saw
Katrina as an obstacle. As Katrina
'
prepared Kylan's tea and returned
with the tray, Katrina noted Isabella
watching her with a strange intensity.
Q ' Q 2
Katrina entered Kylan's office, setting
the tray down on the coffee table,
and sat beside him as Clarence
2 2 f
nestled in his arms. Kylan's gaze
followed Katrina, a quiet warmth in
his eyes that only Katrina could
understand. The content is on
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"Your new assistant seems nice," Katrina remarked, reaching for her tea.
Kylan made a face, nudging Clarence's sippy cup towards her. "She's fine," he muttered.
Katrina chuckled. "Maybe you could be a bit nicer."
Kylan shrugged, settling beside Katrina. "She's just my assistant. Niceness isn't required."
With a soft smile, Katrina leaned into him, feeling his hand settle gently on her back. Kylan nuzzled her neck, his
voice soft. "You know, you could stay here with me. | wouldn't mind."
Katrina laughed, brushing a kiss against his cheek. "Only if you promise to work and not flirt."
With a teasing glint in his eye, he cupped her face, pulling Katrina into a kiss that left her breathless. "I promise...
I'll only flirt a little."
Q f q q
Katrina couldn't help but smile, letting
herself melt into his embrace. pipet
moment, it wasdusbiretree 0
HRrA-thel beautiful, imperfect
family-sharing a love that made
everything else fade away. The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!