Twisted Ties of Love
Chapter 429

Izabella took the private elevator straight up to the CEO's office.

At the Maple Group headquarters, she had been hands-off since its establishment, delegating most of the tasks to others. As for the office decor, she only gave a general style requirement and let the designers take over.

The office was decorated in a minimalist black and white style, with shelves full of books and documents. It was divided into three areas: a reception area, a working area, and a rest area. It was somewhat similar to her previous office. Izabella sat in the boss's chair, listening to her secretary's report.

"Ms. Salotti, the bodyguard you asked for is here. His name is Toby, a middle-aged man."

After signing a few documents, Izabella put down her pen and said, "Send him in."

Toby was the bodyguard recommended by Casey to ensure her safety. She was in a hurry to go to the hospital yesterday, so she had Toby arrive at the headquarters ahead of time.

Izabella trusted the people Casey recommended. The secretary left to fetch Toby, and before Toby even came in, Izabella could already sense a strong aura. The sound of knocking came from the door. Izabella leaned back slightly in her chair, resting her hand on the table. "Come in," she said.

The man who came in sized up Izabella, and she did the same. Toby was dressed in casual green clothing, very tall (over 1.9 meters), and had a noticeable scar on his face. His eyes were deep and sharp, like those of a hawk.

He had killed before.

Toby was not an ordinary man. He was a special forces soldier who had retired and had been working for the Dempsey family. Izabella stood up and walked three steps to stand in front of Toby, extending her hand. "Hello, I'll be troubling you from now on."

Toby shook Izabella's hand, then immediately let go. His palms were thickly calloused, and his hands were scarred.

"I heard from Mr. Dempsey that you want to learn some self-defense techniques," he said.

"Yes."

Toby shook his head and said directly, "With your physique, if you really encounter any danger, it's best to run. Instead of spending time learning self-defense, you're better off increasing your physical fitness and running."

Toby's words left Izabella feeling helpless. He didn't even leave a sliver of hope for her.

"I know you think I can't do it. I don't expect to become very capable and I just want to learn some basic self-defense skills. Like you said, being able to run is the most important thing. I hope you can guide me more."

"I'm very strict when I teach," he said.

"That's okay. As long as you give the orders, I promise to complete the tasks."

A satisfied light flashed in Toby's eyes. Izabella's performance was better than he had expected. He took out a decorative ring from his pocket and handed it to Izabella. "This is my welcome gift to you." Izabella took the ring and asked, "What is it?"

The ring was relatively thick, and when worn, it didn't look much different from an ordinary ring.

"This ring has two hidden mechanisms." Toby showed Izabella how to use it. Izabella was quick to learn and put the ring on her index finger like a prized possession. She was always looking for such self- defense items, just like the surveillance cameras and recorders she had set up.

"Thank you."

Toby waved it off. Izabella was now his employer, and it was his duty to ensure her safety and be fully prepared.

Toby's main task was to keep Izabella safe and keep her in his line of sight at all times, even if there was no one else in the office at the moment.

This was Izabella's first time hiring a bodyguard, and she felt a bit unaccustomed to it. At times, she even felt uncomfortable under Toby's gaze.

Fortunately, the person she had been waiting for finally arrived.

After receiving a phone call, the secretary turned to Izabella and said, "Ms. Salotti, Kristin is here. She was stopped by our security at the entrance. Would you like to see her?"

"Of course, I've been waiting for her. Tell security to bring her in."

"Alright."

After the secretary left to inform security, Izabella looked at the cup of coffee on her desk that had already cooled.

"Pour me a fresh cup of coffee, and make a cup for Toby as well," she said.

The secretary turned and left.

Ever since X Entertainment was acquired by the Maple Group, Kristin had been sending people every day to gather information about the executive director of the Maple Group, but the top-level information was strictly guarded and couldn't be obtained.

The less information she could replace, the more it proved the strength of the group and the thickness of its backing.

This group appeared out of nowhere and acquired a large economic company. Kristin started to feel a bit scared. After all, the leadership of the company had changed, and she didn't know what would happen in the future.

She knew nothing about the new boss's temperament. She had a grasp on Mr. Frost's temper, but if the new boss had a powerful background, would it be as easy to deal with her as squashing an ant if she made a mistake?

After a few days of fear, Kristin found that the Maple Group hadn't made any moves. Gradually, she began to relax and told herself not to make a mountain out of a molehill and to be more optimistic. She often read fan comments online and started to believe in their viewpoints.

The Maple Group wouldn't acquire X Entertainment for no reason. They must have seen some advantages in X Entertainment. Otherwise, who would be willing to take over a lousy company? Among the artists in X Entertainment, she was the most valuable, with numerous and loyal fans. She had also won awards and was a famous TV series actress. Any TV series she starred in brought considerable profits.

At X Entertainment, she was the one who made the most money. Even after changing companies, she was still the money maker. How could a businessman turn a blind eye to money?