ISABELLA The first thing I did after getting home was stand in front of the bedroom mirror. I didn't bother taking off my heels. I just stood and simply stared. Then slowly, I turned to my left, my right then back again, then front again. The woman in the reflection sure looked... beautiful. At least, that's what Marco had told me. The emerald dress hugged my figure perfectly, and the lush curls framing my face had held up surprisingly well despite the long evening. My face glimmered in the mild make-up, my lips sharpened red. Perhaps it was just me but I could swear my skin glowed. I touched the necklace resting against my visible collarbones and my lips stretched downward all of a sudden. 

MARCOThe elevator doors slid open onto the twenty-second floor and the fact that I wasn't feeling nauseous proved I had overcome my irritation for long minutes in elevators.I stepped into the corridor, my footsteps muffled by the thick charcoal carpet beneath my shoes. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city's skyline, while the polished marble walls reflected the morning sun that just sipped in freshly. Was I too early?Good!Falco had always joked that people closed billion-dollar deals in rooms that smelled like expensive coffee and polished wood.He wasn't wrong cause I snuffed my nose and adjusted the cuff of my suit as I walked toward the conference hall. I was meant to appear corporate for this meeting but I still couldn't help but leave my inner shirt unbuttoned, the suit jacket hanging loosely but neatly on my body.The deal Falco and I had discussed a week ago, I was going to have it fulfilled today once and for all.Northbridge Hospitality Group, a mid-sized luxury h