Chapter 173

173 I Will Teach You

Lukas looked at Isabella, who was sitting next to Joseph, and his eyes flickered out of shock. “Nothing. I just want to invite Mr. Zachary to sit down...”

He could stop Zachary from harassing Isabella, but he did not dare to stop Joseph.

Lukas barely knew anything about Joseph at all.

Moreover, it was said that Joseph was interested in the Shaw Group, and Lukas needed his help very much.

“Well, that’s also what I wanted to say.” Jayden smiled as he raised his eyebrows at Zachary, “These are all noble young ladies. Zachary, can you behave yourself? Come and sit down.”

Zachary responded in a muffled voice. Then, he looked at Isabella unwillingly and sat back on the sofa unhappily.

“Do you mind me smoking in front of you?”

Joseph passed the cigar to Isabella. Isabella shook her head, “Of course not.”

Then she picked up the lighter on the table.

.....

Isabella directly tried to light the cigar.

Someone laughed. Zachary crossed his arms and smiled, “Miss Isabella, cigars are not a bigger and longer version of cigarettes.”

Then he revealed a meaningful smile and said, “A lady so beautiful like you must have dated a boyfriend. Haven’t you seen things that are big and long before?”

Isabella was not a fool. She might not be too sensitive if Zachary spoke normally. But since he deliberately emphasized “long” and “big”, she knew right away what he was trying to say.

In front of so many people, Isabella was unable to answer this kind of question. Neither “yes” nor “no” is a good answer.

“Isabella, you can’t directly light a cigar.”

Lukas hurriedly said to rescue Isabella and took out the toolbox in the drawer. “Mr. Joseph, Isabella is still a student and hasn’t much experience. She must think it was just an ordinary cigarette. Let me do it for you.”

Joseph indifferently refused, “I never let men light a cigar for me.”

Lukas was stunned. Rosy stood up with a smile. “Mr. Joseph, let me have a try...”

“Not all women are qualified to light cigars for me.”

Joseph glanced at Rosy arrogantly and mockingly, “Strange smell will affect the taste of cigars. Miss Rosy, I could smell your pungent and cheap perfume when I was downstairs. To be honest, I am suffocating for being in the same room with you.”

Rosy looked at Joseph in disbelief. How could he say her fragrance was pungent?

The perfume she was wearing was a limited edition from a luxury brand. It should attract all men! Moreover, what did he mean by she was not qualified? How could Isabella be qualified while she wasn’t?

Carl looked embarrassed. “Rosy, why are you still standing here? Get out!”

“Dad! Today is supposed to be about me!” Rosy was so aggrieved that she was about to cry.

“Hurry up and go out. We’re talking business. There’s no point for you to stay here.”

Joseph ignored the dispute between Carl and Rosy. He looked at Isabella and said gently, “Take the tools here. I’ll teach you how to do this.”

Isabella nodded. She might not have noticed it herself. But among so many people, she only had followed Joseph’s words without hesitation.

Joseph tilted his head and patiently told Isabella which one was a cigar cutter and how to cut a cigar. Seeing that she had difficulty cutting the cigar, he even held her hand to help her adjust the angle.

Everyone present, including Rosy and Carl who were arguing, looked at them with slacked jaws.

“I made it!”

Isabella was completely immersed in the joy of learning a new skill. Recently, Joseph had taught her a lot of things. For a college student like her who didn’t have much experience, it was really interesting. She had been studying very seriously.

So, when she was learning how to light a cigar, maybe it was because Joseph’s vibe was too powerful or she was too absorbed, she forgot where she was and her discomfort and fear of the Smiths disappeared.

It was like Joseph’s side was a completely safe place.

Therefore, after the cigar was lit, she happily tugged on Joseph’s sleeve and smiled triumphantly. “Is there any strange smell? Have I overdone it?”

“Not bad.”

Joseph looked at her flushed face and smiled brightly. “Practice more in the future. It’ll be better if your hands are more stable when you light it.”

“Sure! I will practice more and do it for you next time!”

“Well.”

Jayden coughed lightly, breaking everyone’s shock. “Joseph, didn’t Mr. Lukas say that he had something important to discuss with us alone? Why don’t we start?”

Isabella suddenly realized that her actions had attracted everyone’s attention. She immediately released Joseph and sat upright.

Joseph glanced at her but didn’t say anything. He nodded. “Well, let’s begin, Mr. Lukas.”

“Sure.”

Lukas looked away from Isabella’s face. “Isabella, I will discuss business with the gentlemen. You and the ladies could go downstairs and enjoy the banquet first.”

“Alright!”

Isabella wanted to leave this place as soon as possible and immediately pulled Jane downstairs.

“Is that Mr. Joseph interested in you?”

As soon as they left the break room, Jane asked curiously, “I think he is different from that playboy Zachary. He looks very gentle.”

“Gentle?” Isabella tried to fan the heat on her face away with her hands. “How could he be interested in me?”

“But the way he looks at you is very different. And he is very easy-going with you.”

Jane smiled. “Rich and handsome. Perfect! Out with the old, in with the new. Lukas is getting engaged today. Maybe it’s a good day for you to find someone new!”

“Stop joking.”

Isabella touched her face and thought of Joseph’s patient and gentle manners just now. She shook her head, “You haven’t seen him bully me without reason.”

“Really?”

Isabella choked out of embarrassment. “Yes. My dad asked me to propose a toast to him, and then he became fierce to me because I spilled wine on him.”

“Well.”

Jane shook her head in regret. “What a pity. I have always thought Joseph is a low-key, steady, and rich man. But that accident might also bring you together! Most importantly, he also thinks that Rosy is very disgusting. By the way, I always feel that I have seen him somewhere, especially his back, not in the magazine...”

Isabella immediately thought of what happened at the bar that day and hurriedly changed the topic. “Let’s not talk about this for now. Let’s find something to eat. I’m starving.”

“Alright. The only thing you care about is food. Is this how Rosy usually bullies you? If she does it again in my presence, I will cut off her hair to teach her a lesson.”