Chapter 3 Hooked By Handsome Man

“Initially, Hector couldn't let go of his ambition to seize power, leading him to send Joseph to probe Ms. Gates, hoping to lure her away. Unexpectedly, he ended up losing his son in the process. If he knows his son turned into a simp, I bet he'll... Hahaha! He's now supporting his son now probably because he thinks his son is just trying to win her support. Not only did he lose his son, but he's also unintentionally helping his enemy!” Once more, Isabella's inner voice was transmitted to Alexander's head. Hector, who was standing behind his son calmly, suddenly shuddered when he noticed Alexander's deep gaze was fixed on him. Hector instantly felt smug as he puffed up his chest. It seems that Alexander is indeed wrong in this matter. There's no way he can exit this situation gracefully after my son's lecture! Perhaps this time, we might just be able to make Hannah on our side! Let's see who'll dare to call my son a silver-spooned wastrel in the future! “Hey! Alexander, are you trying to humiliate Ms. Gates for this woman?” Seeing that Alexander remained unresponsive, his gaze shifting from time to time, Joseph couldn't help but express his anger. “Don't forget, Isabella is the only one who has met Mr. Russell from the rival company! We have photos and videos as proof!” Having accidentally overindulged in gossip, Alexander quickly cleared his throat, shifting to a serious tone as he turned to look at Isabella. “Why did you meet him?” The last time he asked Isabella, Isabella was so hysterical that she didn't give a proper response. At that moment, even if Isabella remained uncooperative, Alexander felt that he could at least uncover the truth through other means. Isabella blinked, feeling the situation was getting complicated. She didn't expect Alexander to be genuinely intent on investigating until the very end. From her perspective, Alexander was indeed commendable in terms of his character. He was diligently committed to treating everyone fairly. However, that wasn't what Isabella wanted. She desired a divorce! Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly met Alexander's gaze. His facial features were like a perfectly proportioned sculpture, and so his appearance could rival that of any major celebrity. When he focused his attention on her, he was utterly captivating for a moment, causing her to be stunned. Still without the two hundred million, Alexander's face appeared deceptive to her. At least it had fooled her for a moment. At that instant, his handsome face was filled with solemnity, his entire being exuding an air of seriousness that left no room for frivolity. The penetrating gaze that seemed to see through Isabella's heart startled her, causing her heart to tremble. As a result, she was stumped for a moment, then said, “It was a job arranged by my agent.” After saying that, Isabella regretted her words so much that she felt like hitting the wall. Was I hooked by a handsome man? Why did I have to speak up honestly like that? This is going to cause additional problems! Before anyone could react, Joseph scoffed, “That's a pretty clumsy explanation. Has your agent lost her mind, finding work for you from the competition?” Quirk Group owned an entertainment company, under which there was a studio dedicated explicitly to serving Isabella. Obviously, an agent hired by Quirk Group couldn't possibly accept work from rival companies unless it was done deliberately. Joseph didn't give Isabella another chance to speak. He directly contacted Isabella's agent, Winona Palmer. The call was promptly answered by Winona, and she immediately responded, “What? I didn't make such arrangements! Mrs. Quirk, you can't falsely accuse me like this! I'm just an insignificant figure. I really can't bear such blame.” Surely, a lowly agent wouldn't dare to accuse the CEO's wife falsely, which was exactly what Hannah wanted everyone to think. Hannah grinned once she noticed no one picked up on how stiff Winona sounded. Smugly, Joseph advised, “Next time, don't make up a lie that can be easily exposed.” Then, he mouthed two words to Isabella silently, “You fool.” At that point, Isabella was genuinely a bit upset. Initially, she thought it was just an ordinary set-up and a minor figure like Winona was also implicated. To her surprise, the scheme was so large that even Winona was bribed. Alexander had also thought about that. He was thinking about sending someone to investigate Winona when he heard Isabella's inner thoughts. “I want to see how much they paid her to set me up.” For a moment, Alexander was speechless. Could she just see whatever information she wants to see? “What? Is my innocence only worth a two thousand monetary gift? This can't be! This absolutely can't be! I must have missed an additional zero!” Alexander was utterly baffled by Isabella's thoughts, his mind filled with question marks. Was it really just two thousand? Isabella's brief sobbing traveled into his mind. “I can't believe it really is just two thousand— Huh? Wait a minute, what? So that's how it was...” What? What is it? thought Alexander. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, all he heard was Isabella sighs in exasperation. Originally, Alexander had a cool and collected demeanor, but now Isabella's thoughts were pushing him to the brink of irritation. Tell me what it is! Otherwise, how can I prove your innocence? Fortunately, Isabella unintentionally helped him out with her thoughts. “No wonder she didn't want more money. It turns out Winona is Ms. Gates' cousin-in-law. They were essentially family, so of course they were working together. So, Ms. Gates had already laid her spy at my side a long time ago? They even pretended not to know each other before. Impressive! Very impressive!” Alexander grumbled in his mind, Why are you praising her? Though, I must say, I'm shocked to learn the truth. To think Hannah has been making all these arrangements behind my back since the beginning! At that moment, his subordinate was cautiously asking if it was all right to end the call with Winona. After all, everything that needed to be said had been said. The tone in Alexander's voice shifted as he spoke into the phone. “Since the statements aren't adding up, I will arrange for a thorough investigation. If there isn't any physical evidence on you, Ms. Palmer, I'll have people meticulously scrutinize your network of connections.” In an instant, everyone present was taken aback as they looked at Alexander. They didn't expect him to be that stubborn. Isabella was shocked. D*mn! How could Alexander stumble upon the truth so accurately by sheer accident? Meanwhile, no one noticed Hannah's panic or Winona's sharp inhalation. “What are you implying?” Joseph continued to fight for his love. With a cool demeanor, Alexander stated, “When statements aren't matching up, even the police don't rely on a single perspective when investigating a case. I'm familiar with Isabella's simple network of connections, so it's unlikely she had any prior association with that vice president. However, I'm not sure about her agent.” “Mr. Alexander, how could I possibly be involved with a rival company?” Winona anxiously said. Indeed, there wasn't any relationship between her and the rival company. However, an investigation would reveal her relationship with Hannah. Others were unaware of that relationship, which would hint at an intentional concealment. Moreover, it was entangled with the situation at hand, making it all the more complicated to explain if exposed. Alexander said in a cold tone, “Just wait for the notification.” After finishing, he didn't give Winona a chance to argue. He simply hung up the phone. The very next moment, he swept a chilling gaze over Hannah. Hannah, already in a state of panic, was suddenly taken aback and took a step back. Immediately, Joseph stepped forward to defend her, his anger evident as he declared, “It seems you're hell-bent on protecting this woman today. I'm starting to suspect that you're planning to let Ms. Gates take the blame for her! However, it's a pity that Ms. Gates has never had any contact with people from rival companies! During those two days, she was either at the office or at home!” Hannah also took a moment to compose herself, her heart filled with sorrow as she looked at Alexander. Yet, her tone was unwaveringly firm. “If you don't believe me, I am willing to undergo any investigation, Mr. Alexander!” Following standard investigation procedures, it was necessary to track Hannah's recent whereabouts and examine all the electronic devices in her possession. From what Joseph had just said, Alexander was fairly certain that Hannah had never met anyone from the rival company. However, if Hannah dared to speak like that, it meant she was pretty confident she hadn't left any incriminating evidence behind. Could it be that she didn't leave any trace on her electronic devices? Alexander was deep in thought, his brows furrowed. “I was wondering why she was so confident. So this is her plan!” Isabella's voice traveled into Alexander's mind again. Alexander perked up immediately. It seems I don't need to wonder about it anymore. “Her arrangement is flawless.” Alexander thought, Stop sighing and tell me! “The email was sent on the morning of the twelfth, but even if one were to examine her computer, utilizing technology to recover all deleted records, they would find nothing.” A sense of tension gripped Alexander's heart. How could this be possible? “It's because she sent it with Joseph's computer. Joseph trusted her implicitly, never suspecting her in his office. Even his computer password was her birthday. Thus, even if she was suspected, nothing could be found on her computer. Even if the rival company betrays her, the only person that the investigation would point to would be Joseph.” Alexander's expression shifted as he aimed his unkind gaze from Hannah to Joseph. “However, she left a trace. Perhaps it's because she's too confident in her own position within the company.” Instantly, Alexander focused intently, eager to discover what the trace might be. In the end, Isabella chose not to pursue that line of thought any further. “Forget it. I can't reveal the secrets I know, anyway. In the end, Ms. Gates won't be affected. At most, Winona may get into a little trouble. I just want this tedious mess to end as soon as possible.” The look in Alexander's eyes subtly shifted as he inwardly scoffed. It's a mess, all right. “Summon the technical department and have them check Ms. Gates' electronic devices.”