40 A Tiger Wouldn't Fall In Love With A Tabby!

Waking up the next morning in a bed that wasn't her own, though free of the nausea and headache of a hangover, Isabel's mood could only be described in one word; mortified!

Even though she had been drunk, she didn't forget anything, not a single detail; she remembered every word and action that she committed last night perfectly clearly and she was absolutely chagrined.

After everything that she experienced yesterday she had just been thinking about unwinding at the bar with a cup, but she had completely overlooked the fact that the body she had was the one from the past, one with zero experience with alcohol and she had drunk herself silly, literally.

She just thanked god that 'Sage' was a man with a good conscience and that his character was even better than what she had judged. Any lesser man would have long eaten her clean to the bone with the way she constantly provoked him last night.

Isabel groaned as she hugged her head and rolled around on the bed for a while and it was only then that she was aware of faint clattering sounds coming from downstairs and her heart jumped.

How could she forget that she was in someone else's house?

Looking at the bed she had just tousled into a mess Isabel felt deeply embarrassed and got up to straighten the sheets and as she was doing so, she realized that all her things had been placed near the bed; her phone and Davina's car keys were on the night stand, her coat was hanging on the chair and her shoes were placed neatly together at the foot of the chair.

Thinking that 'Sage' had taken consideration to put her things together, Isabel felt deeply guilty about what she had done last night.

Done with fixing the bed, Isabel went over to the bathroom which door was open and she washed her face, rinsed her mouth and made some semblance of order out of her hair, nothing could be done about her wrinkled clothes.

Walking over to the night stand, Isabel picked up her phone and powered it on only to see that she had more than sixty missed calls last night from both Davina and Kim and more than a hundred text messages. She felt cold sweat break out on her back.

After clearing her call log, she started reading the messages, but after the first twenty or so she stopped because the contents were basically the same.

[Izzy, where are you?]

[When are you coming home?]

[The kids are worried.]

[Izzy, Phoenix is crying, when are you coming home?]

[Kelvin says he won't go to sleep until you come home, where are you?]

[Izzy....]

And they continued like that.

With another load of guilt on her chest, Isabel dialed Kim's number; she didn't dare call Davina because that mother bear would tear her head off across the line.

The phone had only rung three times when the line picked up.

"Isabel?"

"Hey Kim."

"It really is you, thank god! Where the hell are you? What happened to you last night?"

"It's a long story, but I'm fine. How are the kids?"

"They're fine, we're at the company."

"The company? Why?"

"Because you didn't come home last night." There was some blame in Kim's tone and Isabel scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Phoenix cried herself to sleep and Kelvin fell asleep on the couch waiting for you because you said you would be back. Once they woke up this morning they kept pestering me to 'take them to mommy'. What else could I do but bring them here?" Kim sighed.

Isabel felt her heart squeeze and she sighed. "I'm really sorry, Kimmy. How about Davi, is she okay, is she throwing a fit?"

"Well, I took her to the hospital like you asked and she got treated... Izzy those marks were terrible. How did she get those?"

"That's something only she can tell you, it's not my place to say."

As much as they were all friends, Davina being gay and her relationship with Sophie were still her own private matters, it was up to her who and who not to tell, Isabel wouldn't say anything to anyone, she just hoped Kim didn't get offended.

"I see..." there was silence on the line for a while before Kim sighed and spoke again. "Well, I'll have to wait for her to open up then."

Isabel was relieved to hear the usual optimism in her friend's voice. Kim continued:

"She came with us to the company but the moment that she showed up in the office with those bandages around her neck and wrists, she and Mason started arguing about something. Things got pretty bad and in the end he sent her home for a few days."

Isabel's heart jumped.

"What? Sent her home? Why?"

"I don't know, but it seems the argument was about a frequently occurring problem and it had to do with her bandages. Anything you might know about that?"

Kim's words caused a light bulb to go off in Isabel's head and as she recalled the scene of Sophie and Mason's cold war on Monday, she could only guess that Mason knew about the two's relationship and wasn't very approving of it. No wonder Davina didn't want to go up to the office yesterday.

Isabel sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

"Yeah, I have some ideas about why they argued. Was Sophie there?" A cold glint flashed through Isabel's eyes as she asked. Although Davina stopped her yesterday, Isabel still felt furious when she thought of what Sophie did to her friend and the urge to smash her face in didn't decrease in the least.

"No, Sophie hasn't showed up for work yet."

"I see. So, what happens now? Now that Davi is on leave who's going to be my manager?"

"Me."

Isabel's eyes widened. "You?"

"What? You don't want me?" Kim's tone was teasing.

"It's not that but... Kim, I appreciate everything that you do for me and the twins, honestly, but you have a life to live---"

"Gosh, you sound like my mother." Kim interrupted and made a gagging sound. "This is my life, okay, I'll do whatever the hell I want with it. Until Davina comes back I'll be managing you and taking care of my god-children, they aren't just yours Izzy. Do you remember what Davina and I told you the day these two were born? They are our kids, don't try to push me aside or rob me of my responsibility to them because of something like your goddamned pride, I'll kick your ass, do you understand?"

Isabel blinked her eyes rapidly to diffuse the heat building up in her sockets then she sighed as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Yes Kimberly, I understand... I love you guys so much. I'm the luckiest person in the world to be able to call you all my family."

"Hey, stop. You know I'm an easy crier."

Isabel laughed when she heard Kim sniffle across the line and she rubbed her own nose that had gotten slightly red.

"So when are you coming? How far away from the company are you?"

"Uh..." Thinking about it, Isabel had no idea where she was, so she got up and walked over to the window. When she pulled aside the curtain and looked out, it was to be greeted by the stunning sight of a giant, blue lake glistening under the sunlight surrounded by high rise buildings and a moderately forested park.

I was Sunday, the scene of couples strolling along the street was a dime a dozen, the laughter of children and the calling of dogs as they played rang fervently in the air and families picnicking was a common sight as well.

"Marino."

"What?"

"I'm in Marino, I'll be there soon."

"What are you doing in Marino?" Kim sounded genuinely curious.

"Don't ask cause even I don't know." Isabel grumbled as she pulled the curtains closed again.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing. Anyway, I'll be there soon, tell the twins I love them, kay."

Cutting the call, Isabel picked up her coat and Davina's car keys then slipped on her shoes before exiting the room and walking down the hall.

As she was coming down the stairs, the sounds of clattering that she heard earlier became more obvious and she realized that someone was in the kitchen as the scent of food wafted in the air.

Feeling a bit nervous, she called out as she reached the bottom of the stair case.

"Sage?"

Although she was embarrassed to death about what she had done last night, Isabel still had a good... no, excellent impression of the man she spent the night with and she didn't intend to ignore him or anything like that.

As she called out, the rhythmic humming and musical scatting that was sounding along with the sounds of utensils against metal ware abruptly stopped and when a head poked out of the kitchen doorway Isabel froze, because that dark skinned complexion, shoulder length brown hair and forest green eyes certainly did not belong to the person she was with last night.

"Buongiorno Bella, finally awake I see."

Standing in place and staring at this stranger who was smiling brilliantly at her for a short while, Isabel then turned and made for the front door in a completely natural manner as though she hadn't seen anything at all.

"Hey! Wait, wait, wait!"

Seeing her about to leave, the man's smiling expression instantly turned to panic and he rushed to stop her. But as he tried to grab onto her wrist, Isabel dodged out of his reach then swept her leg out and delivered a solid kick to his midriff that made the man double over while clutching his stomach.

At that moment, Phillip had never felt more unlucky in his life. Dammit, although she looked cute and harmless in her sleep and was even more beautiful awake, Archer's girlfriend was just as much of a maniac than the man himself. Really, you couldn't judge a book by its cover.

"Who are you?" Isabel's entire façade was ice cold as she looked down at man doubled over on the floor who was desperately trying to catch his breath.

Feeling the chill and pure murderous aura radiating above him, Phillip felt cold sweat break out on his back, the feeling was too familiar. As expected, even if they were both cats, a tiger wouldn't fall in love with a tabby, but wasn't this future sister-in-law a bit too fierce?

Getting himself together, Phillip stood up, still holding onto his aching side and extended his other hand to Isabel in greeting.

"Phillip Kooke, I'm Sage's friend. He had matters to attend to so he asked me to look after you."

In the next moment, Phillip felt as though he saw magic happen. Once Sage's name was mentioned, the ice cold beauty instantly melted and a blush took over her cheeks.

"Y- you're Sage's friend?"

Phillip could only nod dumbly.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry." Isabel covered her face with her hands. This was absolutely humiliating. "Are you alright? I didn't kick you too hard, did I?"

To think that Sage had gone as far as to ask his friend to look out for her and she actually treated the man like some kind of pervert and attacked him.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Phillip chuckled nervously while thinking that Isabel's ability to change faces was just as good, if not better than Archer's. The two were really cut from the same mold, would that be good for their chemistry?

"Well, breakfast is almost ready, in the meantime, why don't you head back upstairs for a bath and change." Saying so, Phillip walked into the living room and came back with a few shopping bags carrying an 'Imperial' brand logo.

Isabel's eyes widened and shook her head and hands furiously in refusal.

"No, no, no. That really isn't necessary--"

One had to know that 'Imperial' was one of the top luxury clothing brands worldwide and in all of A Country, apart from the official branch headquarters, they only had a single franchise store which was located here in Metropolis, run under Reign Enterprises. A single piece of their clothing costed close to a few hundred thousand dollars! Whatever was in that bag, she couldn't afford to accept it.

"I'm afraid that I must insist." Phillip smiled helplessly on seeing Isabel's refusal. "If Sage were to find out that I let you leave just like that I'd never hear the end of it." That demon would haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Whatever happened between you two last night, he truly is grateful." So much so that he wants to make you his wife.

"These were also selected by him for you." He held up the shopping bags a bit higher. "Please, even if just to save me from suffering his temper, don't refuse." He'd like to live a little longer please.

Although obtaining an article of clothing from Imperial could be considered hard for most people even in the upper echelons, it was hardly worth mentioning for Archer considering that the man owned the only franchise store in the whole country, but Isabel didn't know that.

She looked at Phillip who in that moment looked at her, his green eyes pleading as though something terrible really would happen if she refused and Isabel reached out to take the bags hesitantly.

Seeing that she accepted, Phillip felt truly relieved in his heart. Good, it seemed that she had some regard for Archer after all; this meant that his friend's conquest had some hope and his life in the future would be easier.

"Bene!" Phillip smiled brilliantly. "I'll finish up breakfast while you go get ready; once you eat, I'll have no other reason to keep you captive."

Watching as Phillip turned and walked back into the kitchen quite spiritedly, Isabel glanced down at the bags in her hands, feeling a bit complex.

For Sage to go to the extent of buying her Imperial clothing, even if Phillip said it was because he was 'grateful for her advice', Isabel wasn't an idiot to really believe that it was only gratitude that he was expressing, but she really wasn't looking to form any kind of relationship beyond a friendly one.

After wasting an entire lifetime on Brycen, romance was really the last thing on Isabel's mind now that she was reborn.

She liked Sage, she felt a sense of kindredness toward him and after last night she had a very good impression of him in her heart, but if it came down to him wanting to pursue her, she would have to cut him off.

Sighing slightly, Isabel then turned and went back up the stairs to the bedroom to shower and get changed.