Chapter 28

When Isabella picked up the phone, Michael grabbed the razor from the table and took off. He had other stuff to handle and couldn't hang around with Isabella all day.

Isabella, still in the room, had no clue Michael had left. She was deep in conversation with Amelia, who was sharing some juicy gossip.

"Quick, check the news. Pearl's in deep trouble this time. Every media outlet is talking about her fight," Amelia said, all excited.

Isabella pulled up the news and was shocked to see everyone trashing Pearl. They painted her as a total troublemaker, despite her rich background. The news even claimed Pearl had picked a fight with Isabella, got her butt kicked, and was dodging a $10 million debt.

As Isabella scrolled through the news, she noticed that in all the videos and pictures, her and Amelia's faces were blurred out, but Pearl and her crew were clear as day.

Isabella was stunned by these reports. If she remembered right, these journalists were originally hired by Pearl. How could they turn on her like this? She shared her thoughts with Amelia, who agreed.

"Money talks. It seems someone wealthier outdo an employer," Amelia speculated.

Isabella immediately thought of the three major families left and figured the Williams Family must be backing her.

"This can't be John's doing. He'd love to see me humiliated. Could it be someone else from the Williams Family?" Isabella wondered out loud.

Amelia, a bit exasperated, said, "Why don't you just call and ask? It's better than us guessing here, right?"

Isabella saw the sense in that and quickly hung up, dialing a media editor she knew. The editor didn't hold back and told Isabella straight up who was behind it.

After finding out, Isabella called Amelia right away.

"Amelia, you won't believe it. The person who helped me is actually John's uncle, the super mysterious tycoon!" Isabella said, totally amazed.

Amelia laughed, "Well, that makes sense. Have you noticed that besides that jerk John, the elders of the Williams Family seem to like you?"

"What's the point of them liking me? They want me to marry John, not the elders," Isabella said with a self-deprecating shrug.

Suddenly, Isabella remembered Michael, who she'd left in the living room. She rushed out of the bedroom, only to find the living room empty.

"What's up? Why'd you go quiet?" Amelia's voice came through the phone.

Isabella, feeling a bit helpless, said, "It's my husband. I got so caught up talking to you that I forgot about him."

Amelia immediately teased over the phone, "Hope I didn't interrupt anything spicy between you two. Sounds like my call came at the worst time."

Isabella's mind flashed back to that kiss with Michael in the living room, and her cheeks turned bright red.

Amelia picked up on the silence right away. "Wait, you guys didn't actually do anything, did you? You're still on your period," she exclaimed, making Isabella jump.

"What are you thinking? We just kissed, that's all," Isabella said, blushing even more.

"So you really were kissing. Looks like my call was a total buzzkill. Sorry for interrupting. I'll hang up now," Amelia teased before ending the call.

Rolling her eyes, Isabella thought about how she should thank John's uncle for his help, but she didn't have his number.

"Better to thank him in person. Guess I need to set up a meeting with Mason," Isabella decided and called Mason.

When the call connected, Mason's warm voice came through. "Isabella, what's up? Did John give you trouble again?"

Isabella felt a wave of warmth. Even though Mason wasn't her real grandfather, he always made her feel like family.

"Mason, John's uncle really helped me out this time. I want to thank him in person. Can you set up a time for me?" Isabella asked.

Looking at Michael sitting across from him on the couch, Mason smiled. "John's uncle is right here with me. Let me ask him."

Isabella was surprised to hear that and felt a bit nervous.

After setting up the time and place, Mason sighed as he looked at Michael. "I know Isabella doesn't really like John anymore. She used to talk about him so fondly, but now, she's so cold towards him, probably because of what happened with Bianca."

Michael just nodded, staying silent, unsure if he should spill the whole truth to Mason.

The situation with John and Bianca wasn't just about emotional betrayal; John had almost cost Isabella her life.

But seeing Mason's aged face, Michael felt that he might not be able to handle the shock, so he stayed silent.

"I heard Isabella got married. Do you know who she married?" Mason suddenly asked.

Michael's heart skipped a beat, but he played it cool, looking at Mason with a puzzled expression.

"My relationship with Isabella's grandfather was really good, and I've heard about her parents. Isabella can only rely on me now, but I don't know how long I'll be around. If I suddenly pass away, taking care of her will be up to you," Mason sighed, looking at Michael.

Michael nodded silently, feeling that the care Mason mentioned was more about the care of an elder for a younger one rather than a husband for a wife. It seemed Mason didn't know that Michael was actually Isabella's husband.