Chapter 54

As I walked out of Nicholas’s office, his expression when he heard my response lingered in my mind—surprised, serious, and thoughtful, but not a hint of joy. I didn’t want to read too much into it. Back at my desk, I dove into a conversation with Daniel about the proposal. His eyes widened. “Isabella, it got approved?” I nodded. He jumped out of his seat, beaming. “That’s amazing! I’ve only been interning for two months, and this is the first real project I’ve been part of. And it actually passed!” He looked like he was about to tear up. I couldn’t help but pat his shoulder. At a big listed company like this, rookies with no connections or solid results usually get the short end of the stick. I’d heard that before I had him transferred over, his job was basically being everyone’s coffee runner. I smiled and encouraged him, “You did great. Let’s keep it up.” Daniel nodded like crazy, eyes full of gratitude. “Thank you so much, Isabella. You’re really a game changer for me. I’ll keep lea