I'm back. I didn't want to leave you all hanging with one chapter so I'm immediately uploading the next chapter too. You can expect The entry of Bruce in the next 2 chapters for sure.

In this chapter Oliver waits for Felicity to arrive but is caught up in a weird conversation with Isabel and Laurel. Isabel is literally ganging up against him and talking crap about Felicity. Bruce will be here soon!

He gathered his composure and turned around to see who it was. Isabel was standing there to his horror.

'Bitch' Oliver thought.

Laurel looked at Oliver in dismay. She was expecting him to say no.

"Oh god I scared you're friend didn't I?" Isabel said and started laughing her light and fake laugh.

Oliver smiled a small smile.

"Just kidding. Just wanted to lighten the mood. I'm Isabel Rochev. I'm the future CEO of Queen Consolidated. "

"Co-partners she means" Oliver corrected.

Isabel turned around and stared at Oliver. Laurel didn't know what to do. She kept looking at Oliver and Isabel in deep confusion.

"Isabel owns half the stocks in QC." Oliver said finally. "Oh, ok. Hello Isabel." Laurel extended her hand to Isabel to shake. The two women shook hands like cold ice.

Laurel had an expression of immediate dislike on her face.

"What do you do Laurel?" Isabel asked her with no interest what so ever. She was making small talk with Laurel like she really gave a damn.

"I was working in the DA's office. I quit. I'm searching for a job." Laurel said. She looked down as she said it. Oliver knew she was lying. She lost it because of her substance abuse. He felt a pang of sadness for her.

They might have had a history but he still cared for her. Even when she was drunk in the Verdant he didn't want to talk with her much but he realized the extent of her pain at that moment.

"Why did you quit?" Isabel asked Laurel. She suddenly seemed interested.

"Uhmm. Just realized it wasn't working." Laurel nodded her head trying to look as convincing as possible.

"That's pathetic. Why don't you search for another job" suggested Isabel.

'Like I haven't. Who is this freak?' Laurel thought.

"I have been. Just haven't got anything I like." Laurel was going on. She had grabbed another glass of champagne.

"That's enough Laurel. Let me take that glass for you." Oliver said and took the glass from her. He wasn't ready for another incident happening again.

Isabel looked hard at Oliver. She didn't understand why Oliver took the glass from Laurel.

"Maybe now that you're having a break you can ask Oliver to take you up on a job in QC. Be his assistant." Isabel rubbed in. She just had to piss Oliver off.

"His assistant? I thought Felicity was his assistant?"

Oliver's jaws clenched. He wouldn't put up with these two women talking wrong about Felicity. He was so mad Laurel had even said those things about Felicity. He was not going to fire Felicity to bring in Laurel. No way.

"Felicity can be his second assistant. Seriously, what does a blonde I.T. girl know anyway? " Isabel was saying to Laurel. She was ganging up with Laurel against Felicity.

"You get a bonus too. If you are his assistant he'll probably take you to Russia in his private jet." Isabel added more fuel to the fire.

Laurel was flabbergasted. Her mouth slightly opened at the last sentence Isabel said.

"Is that true Oliver? What she said? You took Felicity to Russia?" Laurel asked with hurt.

Oliver didn't even blink once. He was so irritated. He just wanted kill Isabel.

"Laurel we had a business trip and for what it's worth Isabel came too." Oliver tried to sound like he was saying the truth because it was the truth, at least most of it was.

"Isabel came too. So it was not a trip for any fun purposes like Isabel mentioned." Oliver told Laurel with much strength in his words.

Laurel looked at Isabel. One of her eye brows was raised. 'She is such a phony' Laurel thought.

"I'm not the one at fault here. I found out Oliver was going away from the flight manifest. Which business partner goes to make business deals without the other partner right? So I confronted him and went with them. It's not my fault you're friend's assistant is an idiot. Take my advice. Stay away from Felicity." Isabel explained to Laurel like she was some goddess.

Oliver went wooden. He was clenching his fists out of pure rage. He didn't want to be impolite.

"It was a business meet with our clients in Moscow. Isabel, take a break will you?" Oliver said smoothly.

They both stared at each other. Cold, vicious stares. It was a battle of the stares. Laurel just stood there, blanked out.

"Fine." She regained her fake face. "It was good to meet you Laurel."

Laurel smiled back. Isabel took champagne from the waiters who were carrying the trays and walked near Laurel and leaned near her ear "If you need a job? You call me. I can help."

She walked off and left Laurel and Oliver back to their silence. Oliver tensed down a little after she left. "Wow, tough woman. "Laurel commented. "Yes, she is. Sorry you had to put up with that. Don't take anything to your head." Oliver justified to Laurel. There was nothing more he could do. The damage was done. He had to endure it.

"No I didn't. Just a lot of information about you and Felicity in one night. Are you two dating? She appeared even at the Verdant that day after.. .. you know what." Laurel tried to ask Oliver in a non-chalet way.

"No Laurel. I'm not dating her. She is a good friend of mine. " He was a bit harsh when he said it. He didn't intend to but it came out like that. He had enough of it.

"Ok Oliver. If you say so." Laurel answered back. She had found a few friends in the party. She was afraid to meet them. If they found out she was disbarred from her law career it would be worse. She wasn't ready to for such an early melt down.

Oliver noticed Laurel had found some people she knew. He knew what she was thinking. He wanted tell her it's ok but he couldn't breathe.

She had come. FINALLY!