Chapter 17

John's first thought after hearing Isabella was that she had lost her mind.

"Isabella, do you still think you're some kind of heiress? What makes you think you can negotiate with me?" John shot back, dripping with sarcasm.

Isabella leaned in, locking eyes with him. "If you don't agree to my terms, I'll tell your grandfather how you dragged me to the hospital. Have you thought about how he'll react?"

John's face twitched. The bruises from Mason's beating still throbbed.

"What do you want to bet?" John asked, his voice icy.

Isabella straightened up, her tone serious. "I've crunched the numbers. To keep the Taylor Family's remaining businesses afloat and pay the employees, we need 30 million dollars. If I can get that in a week, I can save them."

John chuckled. "Do you even know what 30 million dollars means? The old Taylor Family could've pulled that off, but now? Your dad probably can't even scrape together 10 million."

"I don't need his money. I can handle it," Isabella said, her voice brimming with confidence.

John sneered but then looked at her seriously. "Fine, you have a week. If you can't get the 30 million, then you'll have to get a divorce."

"Divorce isn't on the table, but I can give my kidney to Bianca. She wants it, right? Then you'll have to find the best hospital and doctor for the transplant." A wild look flashed in Isabella's eyes. She wanted to see if Bianca would dare to take her kidney, given their mismatched blood types.

After a moment's hesitation, John agreed. Saving Bianca was his top priority.

With John's agreement, Isabella left the CEO's office. But there was a little hiccup.

As she opened the door, Jasper and Mia, who had been eavesdropping, tumbled to the floor.

They'd heard about Isabella's 30 million dollar bet and thought she was being reckless. They tried to talk her out of it, but she shoved them aside.

"Mr. Williams, you shouldn't have agreed to her. Isabella's not thinking straight. Give me some time to talk to her," Jasper pleaded, but John was done and had security escort them out.

After Isabella and her family left, Michael emerged from the lounge.

"Michael, Isabella's changed a lot. Do you think it's because of her husband?" John asked, scratching his head.

Michael glanced at him and shook his head. "I don't know her well. But she's right about one thing."

"What's that?" John asked, confused.

Michael pointed to his head. "Your IQ is definitely questionable."

With that, Michael walked out, leaving John puzzled.

"Is he insulting me? My IQ is fine," John muttered, still not getting it.

After leaving the John's office, Isabella headed home and pulled out a thick address book. It was filled with contacts her grandfather had helped over the years. She planned to use these connections to borrow the 30 million dollars she needed.

But to her dismay, every time she mentioned borrowing money, the person on the other end would hang up immediately.

As her phone battery dwindled, she still hadn't secured a single dollar.

"Grandpa, if you can see this from heaven, you'd be so disappointed. Your kindness hasn't been repaid. Everyone's so selfish," Isabella muttered, staring out the window.

She dialed the last number in the book. It belonged to Eric Allen, the city's top electrical supplier, who had also been helped by her grandfather.

Meanwhile, in Eric's office, a scandalous scene was unfolding. Eric was sprawled in his chair, pants around his knees, while his secretary was on her knees, giving him a blowjob.

When his phone rang, he glanced at the number and hung up.

The secretary looked up, puzzled. Eric stroked her hair and chuckled coldly. "It's Isabella. Everyone knows about her bet with John. She must be calling to borrow money. I'm not risking John's wrath for her. But, you know, Isabella is pretty hot."

A lecherous look flashed in Eric's eyes as he imagined Isabella in place of his secretary. He grabbed her head and pushed it harder against him.

The secretary, struggling to breathe, slapped his thigh until he climaxed, releasing into her mouth before letting her go.

Just as Eric was pulling up his pants, his phone rang again. He looked at the number, surprised.

"John? Why's he calling me?" Eric frowned and quickly answered.

The conversation left him with a strange expression.

Back at Isabella's place, she was pondering her next move when there was a knock on the door.

She opened it to find Michael standing there.

"I heard about your situation. Do you have a plan to get the 30 million dollars?" Michael asked bluntly.

"Looks like John told everyone about our bet. They're all waiting for me to fail," Isabella shrugged, her face showing her frustration.

Michael could tell she hadn't had any luck borrowing the money.

"I can help you get the money. Just say the word, and I'll have 30 million dollars ready for you," Michael said seriously.

Isabella looked at him in surprise, then remembered Michael mentioning a friend who made counterfeit antiques. She misunderstood his offer.

"I appreciate your help, but we can't break the law. You've already done so much for me, and I don't want you ending up in jail," Isabella said, looking at him earnestly.

Michael's mouth twitched. He had no idea what she was thinking, but he knew she had misunderstood him completely.