Chapter 456

Mason noticed the way Michael's hands moved and a lightbulb went off in his head. Looked like his hunch was right, and his nephew was finally cracking.

But then, out of nowhere, Michael jumped up from the couch, glaring daggers at Mason.

"Mason, I have no idea why you're thinking such crazy things. My name isn't one-of-a-kind; lots of people have it. There's nothing weird about that," Michael snapped, clearly pissed off.

Mason was caught off guard, not expecting such a fiery reaction.

He felt a wave of frustration. He was almost sure Michael was Isabella's husband, but he had no proof.

"If you dragged me here just to spout this nonsense, I'm outta here," Michael said, turning to leave.

Mason went quiet for a bit, then suddenly grinned at Michael.

"Hold up, Michael, don't be in such a hurry. I was just messing with you. Think of me as a confused old man," Mason said, stopping him.

Michael paused and turned back to look at Mason.

Leaning on his cane, Mason walked over to Michael with a smile. He sighed and said, "I actually called you here for something else. It's about Isabella. I didn't expect her to take control of the Taylor Family's business empire so quickly. She might need some help."

But Michael shook his head. "Mason, I've heard about Isabella's situation. She's got most of her family's power now, and her influence is almost on par with the big four families. I don't think she needs any help right now."

Mason nodded, Michael had a point. Isabella had the company, wealth, power, and loyal people left by Patrick, which explained the ongoing absorption of the Brown Family's wealth.

But Mason had other concerns.

"I'm not asking you to help her run the company. She doesn't need that. What I need you to do is keep an eye out for any threats to Isabella," Mason said seriously.

"Are you saying she's in danger? I heard she was attacked. Was it Paxton?" Michael asked.

Mason had previously told Michael at a family gathering that he saw Isabella as his true granddaughter and wanted Michael to protect her.

Mason nodded. "Yeah, it was Paxton, but he's not the mastermind."

Mason's tone was grave, his expression darkening. "Paxton's just a pawn. There's someone else pulling the strings. Don't you think it's odd how the Taylor Family fell from grace so quickly? There's gotta be a reason."

Michael's expression was just as serious, and he didn't deny Mason's words. He and Isabella had talked about this issue countless times. But their plans weren't something they'd share with Mason, so he played along, pretending to be unsure.

"I've been thinking about this a lot. What kind of trouble did Patrick from the Taylor Family get into that led him to dissolve the family? And now, some of the scattered factions are coming back together. Why has all this happened in just a few years? There's got to be something more to it," Michael speculated.

Mason nodded, clearly on the same page as Michael.

"So, what I need from you is to help Isabella if she faces danger again, and maybe even dig up the truth from back then. Only by knowing these things can we really protect her." Mason patted Michael's shoulder, his tone serious.

Michael hesitated for a moment, then finally asked the question that had been bugging him.

"Mason, why haven't you been as kind to John as you have to Isabella?" Michael looked at Mason, hoping for an answer.

Even though Michael had a pretty good idea of the answer, he still wanted to hear it straight from Mason. Kenna had refused to tell him and had suggested he ask Mason himself. Today, Michael finally got his chance.

Mason hesitated. He didn't really want to dig up the past, but after a moment of silence, he decided to spill the beans.

"It's nothing special, just some old, embarrassing emotional stuff." Mason lightly tapped his cane, his eyes filled with memories.

"Your dad, Isabella's grandpa, and I went to the same university. We were tight until your dad and I both fell for the same girl. We competed like crazy for her love, and our friendship went down the drain. One day, we got into a fight over something stupid and ended up in the hospital. Later, we found out that the girl chose Isabella's grandpa," Mason said, a hint of regret in his eyes.

Michael's lips twitched slightly. He had guessed right; it was indeed a love triangle between three old men.

"That girl was really kind. The main reason she married Isabella's grandpa was that she was worried about the strained relationship between your dad and me. Your dad couldn't handle it, so when the family expanded overseas, he left and never came back. I stayed and took over the family business. I wanted Isabella to marry John to make up for my youthful regrets. Isabella looks so much like her grandma," Mason said, his eyes slightly red.

After a moment of silence, Michael said, "Mason, is it possible that you've got it all wrong?"

Mason was taken aback. "Got what wrong?"

Michael said calmly, "Isabella's grandma didn't marry someone else because she was afraid you two would become enemies. She just thought your jealousy was too childish."