"I'm suspicious and dumbfounded because the terms seem too good to be real," Isabelle said. "Why are you going this far? Is there really nothing you want from me? Nothing on the contract states your actual mind, does it? Are you playing tricks? Perhaps a trap? Wait, do I seem easy to you? Is that it?"
Elisa went silent and watched the agitated Isabelle vent out with a calm and composed tone.
Anyone would be suspicious of such terms so it wasn't difficult to understand why she was so on guard.
He leaned closer, reaching his hand to her face and softly caressing her face, but she threw her face away, avoiding his touch.
He was a bit disappointed but did not show it, rather, he clenched his hand and took it away.
"You read the terms." He said, his voice a little more hushed this time, as if he were whispering. "What I want, is right there."
And truly, it was right there, but not written in the most direct narrative.
But Isabelle had no idea. Without a proper clue, she would never know.
So, Elias's words left her confused. She read it over and over but she did not get a clear picture of what he wanted. Unless...
"Is this just you trying to slack off from work and dump everything on me?" She asked, baring her teeth at him in hostility.
He saw this but didn't say anything, turning his head as if to think of something for a while.
"If that's what you think, I won't correct you." He said. "But what I really want is something else."
"What are you...?"
She paused.
Isabelle felt this would only drag on longer if she tried to understand him.
It was better to just let it go while she was still calm-headed.
"Forget it." She said. "As long as I get paid the promised amount then it's fine. I'll abide by the clause."
"I, too," he glanced at her, his gaze turning into something else as he narrowed his eyes. "...will abide by the clause."
She felt he was creepy but decided to just point out her only dissatisfaction.
"I won't sign it yet though." She said. "There's a part I'm not satisfied with."
"Which is?"
"The penalty." She said to him, picking up the contract and then pointing at the start of the contract, but instead of looking at the contract, Elias's eyes were fixed on her red nails for some reason. "I can't leave the penalty anonymous like this. Knowing you're somewhat above me in status, I don't think I'll be able to win if I try to fight with you if you break the terms."
"Then, is there something you want as compensation?" He asked, his interest lingering over her. "I don't plan to break the clause but I will go along with whatever interests you."
"Good." She said and then tapped on it. "One billion."
Isabelle was not ready to back down. If she was going to trust this contract and abide by it, she might as well ask for huge compensation since people have betrayal in their blood.
They may not realize it now but it's there, somewhere... Dormant.
"You want a billion won in case I go back on my words?" He asked and she nodded.
"Yes. You don't need to fear the compensation if you originally planned to abide by the rules, right?" She asked, her lips curling up in a victorious smirk.
"Yes, you're right. I have nothing to fear." He said. "Even if the compensation is something over billions, I have nothing to worry about because you see... Beasts are very loyal."
His words made her flinch and she immediately looked away in discomfort.
His words... Something about it ticked under her skin.
"If that's right, then go ahead and add it to the terms." She said but then noticed he was getting closer. She turned her head but found him still standing in the position he had been.
Did she imagine it?
It definitely felt like he was closing in on her.
"Then, should I also come up with compensation to receive from you if you break your promise?" He asked and she rolled her eyes.
"Do whatever you want." She said but then something clicked in her head.
Elias would be giving her most of his manager rights and she would be working his job for him, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be an assistant manager anymore.
She would still have to work as an assistant manager.
Those two combined will definitely be a toll on her. There was no way she could do it on her own.
"Wait," she stopped him. "Let's add one more clause." She said. "Party A must assist Party B when Party B requests help."
Yet another clause in her favor but she would not consider it being shameless since her mental state depended on this.
'He won't refuse, right? He's already made a lot of compromises and—'
"Alright." He answered right away, having no issues with it, and took a pen from the desk.
He wrote down everything they had discussed so he could make the corrections when he got back to his desk.
"Is this fine?" He asked, showing it to her but the first thing she thought when she saw it was,
'He has very nice handwriting.'
But she quickly snapped out of it and read the corrections and additional clause.
"Yes, this is fine." She said. "But, you did not include what you want for compensation."
His words made her pause but then he suddenly answered,
"I haven't decided yet." He said with his calm and direct tone, closing the pen and placing it back in her pen cup. "Until then, you'll be at my mercy. But I don't think there's anything to worry about since you won't be breaking your promise either. Am I right?"
Yes, she planned to keep it. And this meant she would have to keep it away from Yuna as well.
'I should probably limit the amount of alcohol I take in when I go out for drinks with Yuna.' she thought to herself, since that might be the only way she'd end up blurting things out.
"Then, I'll get this edited. I'll be back so don't head home yet." It sounded like an order but his tone seemed more polite than before, Isabelle thought.
She watched him walk away, her eyes landing on his broad shoulders, his perfect form, and how long his strides were.
He was indeed the perfect man, if only he weren't so cruel to her and hadn't taken up her job, she might've seen him in a different light.
"Well, while I wait, I should finish things up here." She said, but when she turned on her computer, she saw that most of the edits she was trying to make to the drafts she had been working on were done. "Hm," she scratched the back of her head, her hair caressing her arm softly. "Did I already finish? I don't remember doing it though."
Little did she know that while she was deep in her slumber, Elias had done the rest for her to lighten her stress and smiled at her.