Chapter 405

Isabella's eyes widened when she heard what Carol had to say.

John had shelled out a ton of cash to hire top-notch designers for Bianca.

But now, thanks to Bianca's mess, those designers would be in hot water if they stuck around.

Fashion designers crave recognition. For them, having their work celebrated worldwide is the ultimate prize.

But Bianca had wrecked it all.

Some designers got scooped up by the other big three families, while others went straight to Isabella, hoping she'd get where they were coming from as a fellow designer.

And they were right. Isabella was in dire need of designers. She'd been running the company for a while, but all the big names had been snatched away, leaving her with just the rookies.

It's not that the newbies weren't talented, but they still needed to polish their skills. Given time, they could become world-famous designers. But Isabella didn't have that luxury.

A lot of Isabella's work involved designing clothes and promo materials as a part-time gig in the design department.

With so many designers flocking to her, Isabella wasn't about to let them down.

"Thanks so much for trusting me, everyone. Given the company's situation, I can only offer you the same pay Bianca did for now. But I promise, once we're back on our feet, your salaries will definitely increase," Isabella assured them.

The designers knew Isabella's company was struggling. John's salaries were already above average, but Isabella still wanted to match them. They felt her sincerity and decided to stick around and give it a shot.

With these designers on board, Isabella could finally catch her breath.

"Finally, a moment to chill. Sometimes I feel more like a busy gardener than a CEO," Isabella said, stretching.

Carol grinned and slid two documents in front of Isabella. "Since the design department is sorted, I'll leave the catering and medical aesthetics industries to you."

Isabella's relaxed look vanished. "Who's the CEO here, you or me? Can't I get one easy day? Just an hour?"

Isabella shot Carol a resentful look.

Carol shrugged and rolled her eyes. "This is your family's company, not mine. If I could find someone else to handle things, I wouldn't need your help."

Isabella sighed. Talent is always the rarest commodity, no matter the time.

Just then, Isabella's phone rang.

"Looks like you've got business to handle. I'll head out," Carol said with a smile and left the office.

Isabella glanced at the caller ID. It was Brenda.

Isabella racked her brain and realized there hadn't been any recent criminal cases. The only thing she was involved in was Bianca's peeping incident, but that was minor and didn't need Brenda's attention.

Isabella picked up the call and asked, "What's up, Officer Pena?"

Brenda chuckled on the other end. "Hey, just wanted to give you a heads-up-your dad's all set to be discharged from the hospital. They're getting him ready to transfer to prison. Thought you'd want to know."

Isabella was taken aback, suddenly realizing she hadn't visited Jasper in the hospital for ages. Since he was brought back from abroad, she'd only gone once to talk about shares.

After she got all the shares, she never went back.

Now she remembered it had been a while since Jasper returned.

"Hopefully, my dad can figure out his mistakes in prison. By the way, what about my mom?" Isabella suddenly thought of Mia, the woman who reported her husband.

"You really don't keep tabs on your parents, do you?" Brenda teased.

"Your mom's a witness now, plus with your bail, she's volunteering at an orphanage. She wasn't great at it at first, but she's getting the hang of it. At least she doesn't call us every day to complain about the kids anymore," Brenda said, sounding a bit nostalgic.

Isabella smiled and was about to say something when she heard an airport announcement in the background.

"Sounds like you're at the airport. Chasing down a criminal?" Isabella asked curiously.

Brenda shook her head, "Nah, a criminal got caught in Avalonia, and we have an extradition treaty with them. I'm heading there to bring him back. The guy's a scam artist who ripped off a bunch of elderly folks. He'll probably get at least 40 years. By the time he's out, he'll be old himself."

Isabella said indifferently, "I have zero sympathy for those guys, but I do feel bad you have to work overtime again."

"Technically, it's a business trip. But it's cool, I get to check out the local police station, see how they handle things, maybe learn something new, and see if there are any interesting cases. Gotta use my eyes to find something exciting," Brenda joked, clearly in good spirits.

"Alright, thanks for the heads-up. I've got work to do. Good luck on your trip," Isabella said, smiling before hanging up.

On the other side, Brenda was about to board her flight. After the journey, she finally landed in Avalonia.

The local police gave Brenda a warm welcome and even invited her to exchange case information.

They showed her some of their solved cases, and one, in particular, caught her eye.

It was about a sadistic serial killer who tortured young women. The victims were dismembered, their eyes gouged out, and tongues cut off.

This case reminded Brenda of Pearl.