Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss (Kylan and Katrina) novel Chapter 127

The fallout from Kylan and Katrina’s marital woes had put Ross Corporation in a precarious position. Stocks wavered, public perception wavered, and the company seemed on the verge of spiraling into scandal-driven chaos. But Isabella had stepped in at the perfect moment, turning disaster into opportunity with her calm demeanor and sharp public relations acumen.

Her press conference had been masterful. The carefully chosen words and polished responses had not only deflected attention from the personal drama but also positioned the company as resilient and forward-looking. Isabella’s handling of the crisis sparked admiration among stakeholders and the media alike. Her ability to shield Kylan and the business from further scrutiny led to a surprising outcome: the company’s stock prices, which had dipped at the peak of the scandal, rebounded to new highs within weeks.

Kylan called Isabella into his office late one evening. The office was quiet, the hum of the city below the only sound breaking the silence. Isabella entered, her usual composed expression tinged with a hint of anticipation. She had been waiting for this moment, knowing that her efforts hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Kylan leaned against his desk, his tie loosened and a rare smile on his face. “Isabella, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. What you did during the fallout, it was extraordinary. You saved this company, and, honestly, you saved me.”

Isabella’s heart skipped a beat at his words, though she maintained her outward calm. “I was just doing my job, Kylan,” she replied smoothly. “You’ve built something incredible here, and I wasn’t about to let it fall apart.”

He shook his head. “You went above and beyond. The media is calling you a ‘PR prodigy.’ Investors are thrilled. Our employees are more confident than ever. I owe you, Isabella. If there’s anything you want—a bonus, a vacation—name it.”

Isabella’s eyes lit up, but not for the reasons Kylan might have expected. She saw this as her chance. Her opportunity to turn his gratitude into something deeper. Taking a breath, she stepped closer, her gaze unwavering.

“There is one thing,” she said, her voice soft yet firm.

Kylan tilted his head, intrigued. “Anything. Just ask.”

She smiled, her eyes locking onto his. “A date. One evening. Just the two of us.”

For a moment, silence hung in the air, and Kylan’s smile faltered. He straightened, the easy warmth in his demeanor replaced with a guarded expression.

“Isabella…” he began, his tone measured. “I appreciate everything you’ve done, and I value you immensely. But I can’t do that. It wouldn’t be right.”

Her smile stiffened, though she quickly masked her disappointment. “I see,” she said, her voice calm despite the sting of rejection. “Well, I had to try, didn’t I?”

Kylan chuckled awkwardly, hoping to ease the tension. “You’re incredible, Isabella, but I’m still working things out with Katrina. My focus needs to be on my family.”

“Of course,” Isabella replied smoothly, though her clenched fists behind her back told a different story. “I completely understand.”

Despite the rejection, Isabella’s star continued to rise. Articles began to circulate about the woman behind the man, lauding her as the unsung hero of Ross Corporation. Journalists painted her as the backbone of the company, someone who rivaled the contributions Katrina had once made as Kylan’s secretary. Some even suggested she was the secret to Kylan’s recent success, a sentiment Isabella subtly encouraged in interviews and social media posts.

The media frenzy brought her newfound fame, and she embraced it with gusto. Photos of her leaving the office in designer outfits began to surface, accompanied by headlines like “The Powerhouse Assistant: Isabella Stone” and “Kylan Ross’ Right-Hand Woman is a PR Genius.” She was invited to speak at industry events, where she dazzled with her eloquence and sharp wit.

Internally, employees began to see her in a different light. While Katrina had once been the heart of the office, Isabella was now its mind... cold, calculating, and fiercely efficient. Some admired her, while others feared her growing influence.

~O~O~O~

Later that evening, Ryan was at his desk as he sifted through documents, his brow furrowed in concentration. As a former police investigator, old habits died hard. He had a hunch, and he wasn’t one to let things go until he had the answers.

Over the past few weeks, he had quietly been looking into the media leak about Kylan and Katrina’s marital issues. Something about it didn’t sit right with him. The timing, the precision, and the way it had exploded into a full-blown PR nightmare... it all felt too orchestrated to be a random leak.

Finally, a breakthrough.

Ryan leaned back in his chair, the corner of his mouth tugging into a grim smile. He had found a digital trail... subtle, almost expertly hidden, but not enough to evade his trained eye. The leak had come from someone inside Ross Corporation, and not just anyone. It had come from someone with high-level access to Kylan’s personal schedule, his meetings, and even his private communications.

One name kept surfacing, tied to subtle anomalies and inconsistencies: Isabella.

Ryan didn’t waste time. The next morning, he called Max into his office. Max was one of the few people Ryan trusted implicitly, and he knew he would need his ally’s support to handle what was coming next.

Max closed the door behind him, his easygoing demeanor replaced by a more serious one when he saw Ryan’s expression. “What’s going on?” he asked, sitting down across from him.

Ryan pushed a file across the desk, his gaze sharp. “I’ve been digging into the leak about Kylan and Katrina. It wasn’t random. It was an inside job.”

Max opened the file, scanning the contents. It didn’t take long for the pieces to fall into place. His eyes widened as he read further, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Are you saying… Isabella?”

Ryan nodded, his voice low and firm. “She’s the only one who fits. She had access to all the information that went public. The media didn’t just stumble onto this—they were fed, Max. And she’s the one who’s been profiting from it the most.”

Max leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. “She’s become a media darling because of it,” he said, his tone dark. “The perfect assistant, the PR genius who saved the company. But it was all a setup, wasn’t it?”

Ryan nodded again. “That’s my theory. She created the chaos and then swooped in to fix it, all to elevate her position. And it worked. Kylan trusts her, the media adores her, and now she’s more powerful than ever.”

Max’s jaw tightened. “Does Kylan know?”

“Not yet,” Ryan replied. “But he needs to. The question is how we approach this. If we go in without solid proof, Isabella will deny everything and spin it in her favor. She’s too good at this game.”

Max rubbed his temples, exhaling sharply. “We need to handle this carefully. Kylan’s already been through enough. If he finds out someone this close to him betrayed him, it’ll hit him hard.”

Ryan’s gaze hardened. “We have to act, Max. If we let this slide, she’ll keep manipulating him and the company. And the next time she strikes, it could be even worse.”