Chapter 312

Michael couldn't wrap his head around the idea that Duncan would try to take out Isabella just because of something she said at a press conference.

There had to be more to it.

Isabella was on the same page. When she got back from work, she shared her thoughts with Michael.

"This has Bianca written all over it. No one else wants me dead more than she does," Isabella said, her voice icy.

Michael gently dabbed medicine on Isabella's wound. He looked at her and asked, "So, what's the plan? We might not have proof, but we can still give her a hard time."

"She's like a cockroach. One day, I'll squash her," Isabella fumed. With John protecting Bianca, she couldn't go after her directly.

Just then, Michael's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and ignored the call.

"Who's that?" Isabella asked, curious.

Michael showed her the caller ID. It was Jerry.

"Jerry probably wants to talk about a case, but you need me more right now," Michael said with a smile.

Isabella frowned at him. "The case is more important. I'm not as fragile as you think."

She took Michael's phone and called Jerry back. Michael just smiled and let her.

"Jerry, what's up? Any new leads on the case? Is someone pulling Duncan's strings?" Isabella asked.

Jerry hesitated before saying, "Yeah, we've got something. The cops found out Duncan got a call telling him to kill you to avoid being targeted. The caller said Bianca would protect him. The number's been deactivated, so we can't trace it. Also, Mason's been digging into this."

Michael's eyes narrowed. Jerry's last comment was a hint that Mason needed to talk to him. Michael's phone had a special program that hid calls from Mason, leaving no trace.

Jerry's message was clear: Mason couldn't reach Michael and had to go through Jerry.

"Sweetheart, you stay put. I'm heading to the police station," Michael said, pocketing his phone.

"Aren't you supposed to be comforting me? How can you leave now?" Isabella pouted.

Michael playfully pinched her nose. "But you just said the case is more important. Jerry's good, but he can miss things. I need to dig into this, see if Bianca's behind it, and figure out our next move."

After thinking it over, Isabella nodded. The security here was solid, so she wasn't too worried about being targeted. She just reminded Michael to be careful and keep a low profile.

Michael kissed Isabella on the forehead before heading out of the villa.

Instead of going straight to the police station, he took a detour and ended up at the Williams Villa.

Mason had just gotten back from the hospital and needed some rest. The Williams Villa was the perfect place for him to recover.

In the living room, Mason sat on the sofa, looking stern and leaning on a cane. John was on the other side of the room when Michael walked in.

"Mason, what's up? You wanted to talk?" Michael asked, taking a seat.

Mason's face was grim. "I heard Isabella was attacked and almost killed. You know about this?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah, I'm on it. The cops have already nabbed the guy."

Mason nodded, tapping his cane in frustration. "Isabella's family is a mess. She's the only decent one among them."

John frowned. Mason's harsh words stung, especially since they included Bianca, the woman he cared about.

Noticing John's reaction, Michael asked, "John, has Bianca been in touch with anyone lately?"

Mason paused and turned to John, frowning.

John glared at Michael. "What are you getting at?"

Michael stayed calm. "Duncan confessed that someone pushed him to go after Isabella and said Bianca would protect him. The contact was careful, using a single number that's now deactivated-a burner phone."

John's face darkened. "You think Bianca's behind this?"

Michael met John's gaze without flinching. "We have to consider who benefits the most. If Isabella's out of the picture, Bianca stands to gain the family shares without competition."

"Enough. You've got the wrong idea about Bianca. She might have been misled, but that doesn't make her evil," John snapped, standing up to defend her.

Mason looked at John, clearly angry and disappointed.

John turned to Mason. "Grandpa, you need to see the bigger picture. Someone might be trying to frame Bianca by taking out Isabella, stirring up trouble between us. Instead of pointing fingers at Bianca, why not check what the other three major families are up to?"

"You think the other families are trying to divide us with this scheme?" Michael asked.

"Isn't that a possibility?" John shot back coldly.