Chapter 76

In the next few days, Sebastian went on a business trip.

Jack naturally followed him everywhere. But this time, Laura also went along because of work requirements. Because of this, Laura boasted a lot in the office before leaving.

The spacious CEO office seemed to belong to Isabella alone. It felt somewhat empty and quiet. Without Laura causing trouble, Isabella's work became much easier. She had regular working hours and a comfortable daily routine.

She was still experiencing some nausea, but it wasn't as severe as before. Apart from some morning sickness, she just felt a bit queasy the rest of the time.

To ensure the baby's nutrition, Isabella now had her meals on time. She also made sure to have a balanced diet. In just a week, she visibly gained some weight.

At meal times, Kelsey would usually come to see her.

"Isabella, let's go eat," she would say.

This had been happening every day recently. Since Kelsey had let go of her obsession with Sebastian, she had developed a love for the meals at the Landon Group's employee cafeteria. In her words, "Obsessions don't disappear, they just shift."

Her obsession with Sebastian had turned into an obsession with the cafeteria food. She would always drag Isabella along to eat with her.

Kelsey was quite excited as she looked at the food. "The cafeteria food is getting better and better."

Isabella, however, focused on the prices listed next to the food. "Do you remember how much the ribs we had the day before yesterday cost?"

"I think it was $10?" Kelsey replied.

Isabella shook her head. "It was $7."

"Right," Kelsey recalled. "You even remarked that the cafeteria food was getting tastier!"

"Look at today's prices!"

"The ribs are $5 per serving, what a deal!" With that, Kelsey ordered two servings.

Kelsey paid first. When it was Isabella's turn, the lady serving the food said, "This is all that's left. Why don't I give you a discount?"

Before Isabella could respond, Kelsey quickly said, "Sure, thank you."

In the end, Isabella's portion of sweet and sour ribs only cost $2.

As Isabella looked at the plate full of ribs, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"What's wrong, Isabella?" Kelsey asked as she noticed her staring at the food.

Isabella raised her head. "Do you think these ribs could be from a sick pig?"

In the past, getting such a large portion of ribs for $2 would have made her ecstatic. But now, she had to consider the well-being of her child before eating anything. If it was meat from a sick pig, it wouldn't be good for the baby's development.

Kelsey was taken aback, then chuckled. "So that's what you're worried about. Don't worry, these pork ribs are not from sick pigs. They are top-quality pork ribs. Go ahead and eat!"

Isabella was skeptical. "How do you know?"

Kelsey thought for a moment and said, "Look, the Landon Group is a big company. They wouldn't compromise on food quality. And even if you don't trust the cafeteria, you have to trust Sebastian. He is very particular about food, and if the cafeteria dared to deceive him, they would have been in trouble long ago!"

That made sense.

Isabella couldn't find a reason to argue, so she took a bite of the ribs. Both the texture and taste were excellent. And it didn't taste like meat from a sick pig, so she felt a bit relieved.

Kelsey quietly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that.

After dinner, Kelsey sneaked off to the water cooler to make a call, "Sebastian, you're really over the top. $2 for a portion of ribs almost scared Isabella away from the food!"

"Are you saying she didn't eat lunch?" said Sebastian.

"She did eat, but you need to be a bit more sensible if you want to enhance her nutrition. $2 for a portion of ribs? Even I wouldn't dare to eat that. It's a good thing I was there today, otherwise Isabella wouldn't have dared to eat even half a piece."

"I see, I'll have Jack take care of it later." Sebastian paused, then couldn't help but ask, "How's her appetite these days? Is the nausea severe?"

"It's pretty good. I noticed she always carries some sour plums in her bag. My mom used to say sour sons and spicy daughters, could Isabella be having a boy?"

"Sour plums?" Sebastian seemed to catch that part. "Alright, I got it."

Then he hung up the phone.

Kelsey rolled her eyes. "He got it? I mentioned the term, why isn't he happy?"

Sebastian held the phone, the words "sour sons and spicy daughters" echoing in his ears. How could he be happy? The child wasn't his!

The view outside was pleasant, but Sebastian couldn't appreciate it. His mind kept wandering back to Isabella. He had stayed away for a week, and he had dreamt of Isabella for five nights.

Sebastian seriously doubted the effectiveness of Marvin's "prescription" to him. Distance hadn't lessened his feelings. In fact, he was starting to miss her terribly.

He had followed Marvin's advice and flown out for a business trip. However, the effect was minimal. His longing for Isabella was becoming almost unbearable.

"Mr. Landon, this is the revised contract, please review it." Jack placed the document in front of Sebastian.

Sebastian glanced at it and closed the file. "Jack, tell the cafeteria not to reduce the prices of the meals too drastically."

"Understood."

"Also, the weather has been getting colder recently, and everyone's been working hard, so make sure the water cooler is stocked with some sour plums and nuts which should be nutritious and free of additives."

"Got it."

"Furthermore, have the finance department double-check the salaries and issue them by tonight."

Jack was puzzled. "But Mr. Landon, we usually pay salaries on the 15th. It's only the 8th today."

"From now on, we'll pay employee salaries on the 8th!"

Jack was very confused. Although he didn't understand why Sebastian was doing this, he agreed and made the necessary arrangements.

Isabella received her salary before she left work, but she thought it was a mistake.

When she inquired about it, she found out that everyone had been paid.

Someone asked the finance department about it and was told that the company had changed its policy. From now on, salaries would be paid around the 8th of each month. They would even be advanced on holidays.

"Mr. Landon is really awesome!"

"Mr. Landon is amazing!"

"We can go shopping tonight."

"I haven't eaten well in half a month, we'll feast tonight!"

The office was filled with a harmonious atmosphere. Everyone was smiling.

Isabella was also very happy. She had been eating well lately, and it wasn't just her meals. She was also buying appetizing snacks.

With her check-up approaching, her pockets were almost empty. She had been worried, but the timely arrival of her salary was a relief. Isabella immediately booked her prenatal check-up three days later. She had planned to buy some snacks after work, but when she went to the water cooler, she found a lot more snacks available.