I pinch the bridge of my nose. “What now?”
She hesitates, then glances toward the other end of the office, where a familiar blonde billionaire and his equally dramatic Hollywood counterpart are currently causing a scene in the middle of the lobby. Cassian and Isabella. Becauseobviouslytoday wasn’t chaotic enough.
I barely take two steps before Isabella throws her hands in the air, her voice echoing through the space.
“Are you actually suggesting,” she says, her tone dripping with disbelief, “that I, an internationalstar, should date someone boring? Someone normal?”
Cassian rolls his eyes. “Yes, Monroe. That’s the entire point ofPerfectly Matched. Finding youa match.Not a headline. Not another PR stunt. Anactualrelationship.”
Isabella gasps like he just suggested she marry a tax accountant with a passion for stamp collecting. “That is literally the most offensive thing anyone has ever said to me.”
Cassian turns to me as I approach, clearly exasperated. “Make her listen to reason.”
I cross my arms, arching a brow. “Did you just ask me to help you with her?”
Isabella scoffs. “Excuse you, I am standing right here.”
Cassian sighs, dragging a hand down his face. “She rejected every single candidate we presented.Every single one.”
Isabella narrows her eyes. “That’s because they were dull. I have standards, Laurent.”
Cassian mutters something in French under his breath that I’m fairly certain is an insult.
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Okay. Let’s start over. Isabella, what exactly are you looking for?”
She brightens. “Oh, that’s easy. Someoneexciting.Someone who understands the spotlight. Someone who…” She pauses, flicking a glance at Cassian before smirking. “… knows how to keep up.”
Cassian stiffens, his jaw ticking. “Absolutely not.”
I frown. “What?”
Isabella shrugs, looking far too pleased with herself. “I’m just saying.Maybemy perfect match isn’t some dull businessman or quiet artist. Maybe it’s someone who challenges me. Someone who doesn’t bore me to death.”
Cassian stares at her, expression unreadable. “If you’re implying what Ithinkyou’re implying”.
She grins. “I’m just saying,maybemy match has been right in front of me this whole time.”
Cassian looks like he’s either about to explode or walk straight into oncoming traffic.
I sigh. “So what I’m hearing is that you’re rejectingeveryonejust to irritate Cassian.”
Isabella gasps. “That isnot…”
Cassian cuts in. “That isexactlywhat she’s doing.”
Isabella smirks. “Well. Maybe you should find me someonebetter, then.”
Cassian turns to me. “Fix this.”
I sigh. “Believe me, I’m trying.”
By the timeI step back into Grayson’s office, I feel like I’ve been through battle. Between Eleanor, the board, and our two disaster clients, I’m running on pure adrenaline and the sheer willpower not to strangle anyone. Grayson is at his desk, flipping through a document, but the second I step inside, his gaze lifts. For a moment, it’s just the two of us, and for the first time in hours, the chaos fades. I shut the door behind me and lean against it, exhaling. “We have a problem.”
His lips quirk up slightly. “Just one?”
I roll my eyes, but the teasing feels natural.Familiar.
I sit across from him, my body humming with exhaustion. “Eleanor is planning something big. Olivia is still tracking down her next move, but if we don’t get ahead of her soon, she’s going to solidify her position.”