Chapter 276

Isabella thought Carol had her grandfather Patrick Taylor's money, but she didn't expect Carol just wanted to lend her some.

A couple of days ago, Isabella would've been sweating the share buyouts and probably been short on cash. But she got John's bank card from Jasper, and now she had plenty of money.

After leaving the company, Isabella headed home, her mind racing the whole way.

At home, Michael had prepared some desserts for Isabella because he knew she wouldn't become a major shareholder today.

Just as Michael completed the last dessert, Isabella walked in, looking disheveled. She tossed her coat and handbag on the sofa and collapsed onto it, clearly exhausted.

"Michael, you wouldn't believe the day I had at the company," Isabella said, her voice heavy with frustration as she rubbed her forehead.

Michael, though he had a pretty good idea of what she went through, played along. "What happened, babe? Tell me all about it."

Carrying a plate of cake and a cup of coffee, Michael walked over, set the treats down, and sat next to Isabella, gently massaging her forehead.

Isabella let out a heavy sigh, the weight of her father's schemes bearing down on her. "You wouldn't believe how my dad played us all. He sold forty percent of the shares to other companies before selling all of his shares to John. Now I've gotta fight for John's shares and the ones those minority shares. Whoever controls those minority shares will become the second-largest shareholder of the company."

Her frustration was palpable as she ran her fingers through her hair, her grievances against Jasper clear.

Michael chuckled, "So, my dear wife, you're worried about how to get those shares from the minority shareholders?"

His tone shifted to a more serious note. "But you're right to be concerned. Even though you got a lot of money from John, he might have more and can offer better deals. Unless you borrow money from Mason."

"Or I could just threaten them with their weaknesses. But I'm not too thrilled about that idea," Isabella's unexpected suggestion caught Michael off guard.

Michael quickly realized something else had happened to Isabella.

Pointing to the bag beside her, Isabella said, "Honey, I've got a surprise for you. Check out what's inside the bag."

"Did you get me a new razor? Now that you mention it, I do need a shave," Michael said with a grin as he opened the bag.

Isabella sat up from the sofa, wrapping her arms around Michael's neck and planting a kiss on his chin. "Why do you wanna shave? I think you look hotter with a bit of stubble."

Michael's smile faded as he looked through the documents.

"Are these the dirt on those minority shareholders? Where'd you get this stuff?" Michael's voice was serious, his eyes wide with surprise.

Michael knew Jasper had shares held by those minority shareholders, but his investigation had just started, and he hadn't gathered any intel yet.

Pointing to the papers in Michael's hand, Isabella said just as seriously, "This is what I wanted to tell you. You'd never guess my grandfather left me a loyal supporter in that company."

Isabella spilled everything about her and Carol to Michael.

Even though Michael seemed like just another mid-level employee, his sharp mind could help her figure out a lot.

Michael rubbed his stubbled chin thoughtfully and said, "In this world, love and hate don't just happen for no reason. Everything has its own logic. Is someone really helping you out of gratitude? Or is Carol aiming to climb the ladder and gain more power once you take over the company?"

"How would I know? Right now, all I can do is send someone to check if there's any info about Carol in that charity fund." Isabella shrugged, grabbed a plate of cake, and leaned back on the sofa.

Michael set the documents he was holding on the table and smiled. "Since she was brave enough to tell you about her background, it's probably legit. She's likely someone your grandpa sponsored back in the day. With a good reason, the next step is to figure out her intentions. I'll help you verify these documents."

Isabella nodded and fed Michael a piece of cake with a fork. "Thanks. If the documents are real, at least it shows she doesn't mean any harm to me right now. We might even find some common ground. I could really use some capable allies."

Enjoying the cake, Michael's smile widened. "Besides Carol, your grandpa might have left you a bunch of friends. But what I'm more curious about is who your grandpa pissed off to make the company go bankrupt like this."

Isabella shook her head. "I have no idea, but I'm sure the Williams Family couldn't pull this off. If this were a novel, there'd be some secret organization behind it, or maybe..."

"The government," Michael cut in, saying what she was thinking.

"No matter how rich you are, when it comes to power, it's like a sandcastle. One big wave and it's gone," Michael said, his voice casual but full of meaning.

Isabella sighed. "Honey, I think the most important thing right now is to get control of those three companies first, then we can take our time to grow. As for why the family fell apart, we can look into that later. We're already having a hard time competing with John; we don't need another enemy on our plate."

Michael nodded. "You're right. I'll hire a private detective to check if the info Carol gave us is legit. If it is, we need to reach out to those minority shareholders ASAP before John buys them out at a high price."

Isabella nodded, her eyes steady. "Thanks. We must move fast. Even if those shareholders hear John's offer, they'll wait to see what we have to say."