The Billionaire's Pretend Wife (Isabella)
Chapter 68 Sixty Eight

Over the weekend, Isabelle spent most of her time working on the final draft for the Green Leaf Project design.

After her draft had been re-adopted, she had needed to prepare a more detailed plan that was to be used for the project. She had barely rested at all over the weekend as she pushed herself to make it perfect. She didn't believe Naomi's taunts that she was talentless and didn't belong to a company like the Larson Group, but she wasn't taking any chances. She was determined to give nothing but the best, until she was satisfied that it was the best plan she could come up with.

By the time Monday came along, there were dark circles under her eyes, and anyone who took a look at her could tell she hadn't rested at all.

When she got to work, she headed to the design director's office and submitted the final draft. Grace would review it, submit it to the Green Leaf Company, and then await their final approval. If all went as planned, they would get an answer from the client within the day.

Isabelle kept herself busy with her other commitments as she awaited the feedback.

When Grace called her to her office later that day, she was worried that there was something else that had come up. But the director informed her that the final design had been approved and there were no further revisions needed. Her hard work over the weekend had paid off, and she was immensely relieved.

It was then she realised that while she had been confident in her work, there was a part of her that had been truly afraid that she hadn't done a good job. She knew it was all because of the things Naomi had said about her, and she reminded herself to not dwell on that. Having the final draft approved was all the assurance she needed.

When she got back to her desk, she found that she had a new message from Logan Larson. She clicked on it, wondering what the mysterious CEO had to say to her again. She hadn't thought he would be contacting her again so soon. Did he want to ask about another one of the executives?

To her surprise, it was a congratulatory massage;

Good afternoon, Ms Cruz. I heard that you did a good job on the design for the Green Leaf Project. Congratulations. I see that you are already creating a superb track record. I can already tell you'll be an important part of this company. Keep up the good work.

Reading the message, Isabelle felt flattered. She could never have expected to receive congratulations from the CEO of the Larson Group. Not in such a personal manner!

Suddenly, it was as if everything she had to go through for this project never existed. The drama caused by her adoptive sister became a distant memory in the face of recognition from the most revered CEO in the industry.

All the sleepless nights felt worth it as her heart swelled with happiness. This is exactly why she had become a designer. She enjoyed the job, and satisfying her clients gave her so much joy.

Even if as a new designer she wasn't paid well, she would never give up this experience for anything. She knew that one day, as long as she worked hard and improved her skill, she would earn well.

But for now, it was important to her that her boss thought she was doing a good job. Smiling so hard her cheeks hurt, she sent him a reply;

Good afternoon, Sir. Thank you for your wishes. I'll work harder to be more useful to the company.

His next message shocked her;

Your good work shouldn't go unrewarded, so I'm giving you a raise.

She stared at the message and re-read it about ten more times because it was too good to believe. He was giving her a raise? Just like that?

His next message arrived before she could express her gratitude;

Have you been working overtime the past two days?

Surprised as to how he had known that, she replied with a yes. Now that she thought about it, it was weird that a CEO was personally telling a newcomer that her salary had been increased. Wasn't that something that should be done by the HR department?

Or was this, personally rewarding salary raises to employees, part of Logan Larson's routine, too?

His next message settled her confusion;

The raise is my special reward to you since it's not yet time for annual evaluation of raises and promotions. I have not seen many new employees put in as much work as you have, so your spirit is commendable. It only seems fit that your pay reflects your hard work.

When he put it that way, she guessed that it made sense. If it wasn't yet time for the annual evaluation of salaries, it explained why the HR department wasn't involved. Now that she thought about it, it made sense that a CEO as powerful as Logan Larson could make personal recommendations for salary raises whenever he deemed fit.

Logan Larson, despite all his mysteriousness, must be a really good person, she thought. If this was how considerate he was towards his employees, no wonder everybody wanted to work at the Larson Group It was one thing to work at a top company in the industry, and another to work at a top company that also valued its employees.

She had always dreamt of working at the company because of its prestigious reputation in the fashion industry. It was the ultimate workplace for anyone who wanted to get ahead in the industry.

She had been prepared to encounter a great deal of pressure to deliver, and while there was no space for slacking when surrounded by the greatest talents in the field, having considerate bosses who encouraged you was a definite plus.

Thank you, Sir. I really appreciate that. I'll not let you down.

If she hard to work twice harder to make sure he didn't regret giving a new employee like her a raise, that was what she would do.

She still found his gesture odd, but she refused to think too much about it. The last time she had done that, she ended up offending the vice president of the company.

She didn't dare even consider the possibility that Logan Larson was interested in her. Why would he be?

He was a boss she had never seen, and as far as she was concerned, he didn't really know her. He had probably singled her out while looking at reports from his subordinates.

She just happened to be lucky enough to impress him, and he just happened to be a considerate boss who didn't let good work go unnoticed or unrewarded.