Filed To Story: Watch Out! She's a Mastermind Heiress (Isabella Patton) Book PDF Free
Their entire conversation was pleasant and comfortable. Hector was a talkative person with high emotional intelligence. He also provided Maxine with the highest profits.
Maxine couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief. Today’s meeting with Hector was no different from the previous ones. But this time, she felt it was much more serious and productive. Isabella’s presence had really helped a lot.
Maxine looked at Isabella gratefully.
When she thought the meeting would end perfectly, Hector’s assistant suddenly said, “Maxine, Mr. Lyons only treats you as an artist. We hope you will treat him the same.”
Maxine looked at the assistant in confusion, wondering what he meant.
Before she could say anything, Hector scolded his assistant, “What are you talking about? Where did you get the audacity to be rude to Isabella’s friend?” Then, he said to Maxine, “Don’t take my assistant’s words seriously. He is only being overly cautious because of similar past incidents. But there were only a few cases.”
Maxine pursed her lips, feeling very complicated. The way Hector’s assistant said those words made it sound like she was interested in Hector. How could it be? She clearly felt it was Hector who was interested in her.
What if Isabella misunderstood her?
Isabella took a sip of her coffee again and said with a smile, “Mr. Lyons, your assistant is indeed overly cautious. Maxine is only twenty years old, while you are old enough to be her father. I think you should teach your assistant to speak with manners. Otherwise, it won’t do you any good if he offends your clients.”
“Yes, of course, I will do that,” Hector also smiled.
Isabella and Hector were smiling at each other, but the air around them became tense. Fortunately, the conversation ended soon. Maxine and Isabella immediately left.
Hector squeezed his glass so tightly that cracks soon appeared in it.
Outside the door, Maxine let out a sigh of relief. She couldn’t quite put her finger on why Hector made her so uneasy.
Her assistant was still fuming. “Maxine, what did Hector mean by that? Was he saying you shouldn’t fall for him? It’s hilarious—he’s so much older! How could you even think of falling for him?”
“That’s enough. It’s over,” Maxine whispered.
After all, Hector was a friend of Isabella’s father. Badmouthing him was not an option.
Isabella turned to Maxine and said, “You’d better avoid meals with him if you can.”
Maxine was taken aback. “Miss Patton… Alright. I understand.”
Back at the office, Isabella tackled some business tasks before diving into reports about the Patton Group’s branch in Ansport. Among the headlines, one stood out: “Oh my gosh! The food at the branch is awful. I don’t get it—this is Ansport, after all. Why is the food terrible?”
Isabella continued scrolling and found several similar complaints.
Her phone buzzed, and she answered it.
“Hey, are you busy?” It was Andrew. His voice was warm and soothing.
“Not anymore. I’m about to grab a bite. Want to join me?”
Without hesitation, Andrew agreed. “Of course.”
Isabella smiled, feeling grateful for his company no matter what she was doing.
Andrew arrived to pick her up, asking where she wanted to eat. Isabella replied, “The Patton Group.”
Without a second thought, Andrew accompanied her to the Patton Group’s branch in Ansport.
At the Patton Group’s branch, Isabella, sporting an Edge Entertainment name badge, glided into the canteen. The canteen spanned an entire floor, its opulent decor rivaling that of a five-star hotel. The space was filled with diners, though murmurs of dissatisfaction drifted through the air.
It was set up as a buffet. As Isabella surveyed the area, she overheard a heated exchange between an employee and a chef.
“Do you even wash these vegetables? There’s a worm in mine!” the employee fumed, his face flushed with frustration. “This is a recurring issue!”
The chef barely flinched. Rolling his eyes, he responded with a hint of annoyance, “Worms are normal; it means the vegetables are fresh and free of pesticides. You should be grateful! If you don’t like it, you’re welcome to eat elsewhere!”
The employee, visibly furious, barked, “I’m getting paid to cook here! Is this how you handle your job? I’m going to file a complaint!” The chef, oozing arrogance, dismissed him with a casual shrug. “Whatever.”
The other employees seemed unsurprised by the chef’s demeanor and remained silent, offering no support to the aggrieved employee.
“Let me have a look,” Isabella decided to step in. She examined the plate and confirmed the presence of a worm, but it wasn’t from the vegetables—it was a sign of a filthy kitchen.
“Can I see the kitchen?” she asked the chef.
The chef didn’t even glance at her. “If you don’t like the food here, just get out!” His arrogance was infuriating.
Isabella frowned, but the employee beside her sighed in resignation. “Well, forget it. I’ll make a complaint. These people have a backer and are incredibly arrogant.” Noting the employee’s insider knowledge, Isabella took a seat beside him. “Who’s behind them?”
Though Isabella and Andrew were strangers, the employee, taken by their appearances, responded, “Are you new here? Everyone knows the vice financial director backs the kitchen team. Complaints are pointless. They’re not concerned about us—they’ve likely made a fortune from it.”
“Have you reported this to the headquarters?” Isabella asked.
“There was a report made before. Someone from headquarters came for a surprise inspection, but the chefs had already been tipped off and cleaned up overnight. No issues were found, and the reporter was fired while the chefs continued to act innocent. We’re just employees trying to keep our jobs.”
Isabella felt a wave of anger and sadness. She hadn’t expected such corruption within the Patton Group. “Don’t worry; things will improve soon,” she said softly.
The employee, seeing the resolute expression on Isabella’s face, smiled and said, “I can tell you’re not happy with this either, but we’re just regular employees, and finding a job these days is tough. It’s more important for us to keep our positions.”
“Understood,” Isabella replied, grateful for his honesty. No longer in the mood for a meal, Isabella left the table with Andrew.
Although the chefs had barred their entry, they managed to sneak into the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Isabella was stunned. No one would have guessed that such a filthy kitchen hid behind the gleaming canteen!
After documenting the evidence, they left quietly.
“Are you shocked?” Isabella asked Andrew, her voice tinged with bitterness.
Andrew gently touched her face. “It’s common for companies to have issues like this. The key is to identify and address them swiftly.”
“Okay,” Isabella replied, determined to make a difference.
Isabella decided to solve the issue as soon as possible. It was past eight, and the canteen chefs were wrapping up for the day, chatting and laughing.
“I absolutely love working here!”
“How about some barbecue tonight?”
“We just had it yesterday! How are you still craving it?”
“Well, winter’s coming. Let’s enjoy it now before we have to eat in the freezing cold.”
With that, they all agreed, looking forward to their evening feast.
After all, they could afford such luxuries, having earned a tidy sum from their work.
At that moment, a voice interrupted, “Wow, it looks like you are all quite rich!”
Isabella appeared with a subtle smile, her presence clearly unexpected. She hadn’t invited Andrew to come along, as this was the Patton Group and his involvement would only complicate things.
When the chefs spotted her, their smiles faded. One of them, frowning in annoyance, grumbled, “Don’t bother us.” Ignoring their rudeness, Isabella calmly asked, “Have you all finished your work?”
“We know what we’re doing. It’s none of your business,” one chef snapped. “Just leave.”
Isabella held up several photos and asked, “Do you recognize these?”
She had secretly taken pictures of the kitchen, which was in a state of disarray.
Some passersby caught sight of the photos, and their shock echoed through the room.
“How could it be this dirty? How could you prepare food in this filthy kitchen?” one of them exclaimed, his anger palpable.
The chefs, initially taken aback, quickly shrugged off the accusations. “So what if you have pictures? Who’s going to believe you? This is our kitchen.” The crowd seemed momentarily hesitant.