Filed To Story: Watch Out! She's a Mastermind Heiress (Isabella Patton) Book PDF Free
Isabella remained unfazed, her expression as cool as ice. “Shall we have them appraised?” she suggested calmly, her eyes locked onto Teresa’s necklace with unsettling confidence.
For a split second, Teresa’s bravado faltered. But she quickly masked her hesitation with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I don’t have time for this nonsense.”
“Exactly!” Liza, ever the loyal follower, chimed in with a smirk. “There’s no way Teresa would wear a fake. After all, she’s a member of the Patton family!”
Isabella, sick of the charade, glanced at the group indifferently. “We’re done here. Teresa, are you going to pay the bill?” she asked in a voice that carried an edge of finality.
The waiter turned to Teresa expectantly, as did everyone else.
The weight of their stares pressed down on her, making her palms clammy.
Gritting her teeth, she reluctantly handed over her card. “Use this,” she ordered, trying to maintain her composure.
“Certainly, miss. That will be sixty-six thousand dollars,” the waiter announced with a hospitable smile.
Teresa’s heart dropped.
Sixty-six thousand dollars?! She had been so meticulously careful with her spending for years, and yet she only had eighty thousand dollars to her name. How could a single meal cost sixty-six thousand dollars?
Regret washed over her like a cold wave.
Liza, however, failed to read the room and exclaimed, “We’re so lucky to have had such a delicious meal! Thank you, Teresa!”
“Yes, I’ve walked by this place so many times but never got the chance to try it. Thank you, Teresa!” another chimed in.
“Teresa, it’s great to have you in our department!” another voice added to the chorus of praise.
Teresa forced a tight-lipped smile, her vanity momentarily appeased by their words. “It’s nothing, really,” she managed to say, though inside, she vowed to never make the same mistake again.
They all left the restaurant together, and one by one, the group hailed taxis, their evening coming to an end.
Just as Teresa opened a car-hailing app on her phone, Liza approached her with a questioning look. “Teresa, will your driver pick you up?”
Panic surged through Teresa as she quickly turned off her phone, her mind racing. She had almost forgotten the persona she was supposed to maintain—the image of a lady from the illustrious Patton family.
A wealthy lady should have her own driver.
“Well, my driver should be here soon. You can go ahead,” Teresa said, flipping her long hair and feigning composure.
Liza responded with a hint of awe, “Wow, is this how the wealthy live? I’m so jealous, Teresa. Can you give me a ride? If your driver is coming, they must be driving some sort of exclusive luxury car.”
Teresa’s confident expression faltered. What did she just say? Was this woman used to taking advantage of others? How irritating!
Just as Teresa was about to dismiss Liza, a luxury car pulled up right in front of them.
“Wow, a limited edition Lamborghini! That’s amazing! It’s the first time I’ve seen such a luxury car.”
“Amazing! Look, someone is getting out. Oh my gosh!”
While everyone was marveling at the Lamborghini, a man emerged. He was dressed in a lavish, stylish suit, looking every bit the part of a dashing young protagonist from a TV drama. Many onlookers were taken aback by the sight, their eyes wide with awe.
He was strikingly handsome. Not just handsome—he was wealthy too!
Liza was dumbstruck, gazing at him in disbelief. Then, a realization seemed to hit her. “Teresa, he looks like he’s here for you. Is that your ride?”
That was when Teresa noticed the man was indeed looking her way. Her heart raced. Had he fallen for her? It had to be. She stood out the most in their group, dressed stylishly like someone from affluence. Any man would be ensnared by her.
With a blush, Teresa lowered her gaze.
The man approached confidently. Everyone instinctively turned to look at Teresa. Oh, the thrill of it! Could Teresa be any happier?
From the corner of her eye, Teresa caught sight of the man’s long, straight legs and his gleaming shoes. He moved toward her, each step resonating with Teresa’s heartbeat. She couldn’t help but thrill at the thought. Was her dream of marrying into wealth about to come true?
As the man drew closer, Teresa couldn’t contain herself any longer. She lifted her head and said, “Hi!” She was not shy. She wanted to seize the moment.
Yet, the man bypassed her without a glance, heading straight for Isabella, who stood behind the others.
He reached Isabella, removed his coat, and draped it over her shoulders. “Have you finished your dinner?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
Andrew took Isabella’s hand, led her to the passenger side, and graciously opened the car door for her. As Isabella entered, he carefully guided her head to prevent her from hitting the car roof.
It was like a scene from a TV drama unfolding right before their eyes.
The other women looked on with envy. “He’s here for Isabella? Why her?” “How is Isabella so lucky?” “Look at him. He must be wealthy.”
As the car pulled away, Teresa felt as if her heart had shattered.
After a few seconds, she regained her composure and said coldly, “She was just putting on a show. Did she fool everyone here? I know Isabella well. She was once from a wealthy family, but it was soon revealed she was a fake. She was then disowned. Her real parents are just farmers. How could someone wealthy be interested in her?”
“Really?” Hearing about Isabella’s backstory, everyone started to despise her more.
Liza adjusted her glasses and said, “So she arranged for someone to act just to appear wealthy in front of us? To maintain this facade of wealth, she must be spending a fortune. How foolish! She probably paid tens of thousands of dollars to rent the car and hire that guy. Has she even saved up a hundred thousand?”
Liza’s comment stung Teresa deeply. Damn it! Why did it seem like Liza was referring to her?
“I need to handle something. I have to leave now.” Teresa couldn’t bear to stay any longer and quickly exited.
“Hey, Teresa, your driver hasn’t arrived yet,” Liza called out, but Teresa hurried away.
In the Lamborghini, Andrew inquired, “How do you feel about the headquarters?”
After a moment’s reflection, Isabella smiled and replied, “It’s quite interesting. Someone was putting on a show for me.”
Isabella chose not to share the details, and Andrew didn’t press further. “How’s Howard doing now?”
“He should be recovering soon.”
“That’s good. Can I meet him once he’s better?” Andrew looked at her intently.
She sensed his underlying motive and asked, “You want to see Howard? Is there something you need?”
“We’re currently in need of talents in scientific research. Howard was a prominent figure in that field. I’d like him to join my company. We could benefit from collaborating.”
Isabella thought it over. The Klein Group was a globally renowned entity.
“I’ll speak to him about it,” she said.
“Thank you, darling.” Andrew smiled warmly, his eyes radiating affection.
Andrew shifted his hand, and a delicate pink box magically appeared.
“What’s this?”
“A gift for your start at the new company.”
Isabella was slightly taken aback. Did she really need a gift for something so minor? She responded, a bit overwhelmed, “If you keep this up, I will be spoiled.”
“I’m giving you this because I want you to feel joy every day.” Andrew’s smile was soft and comforting.
Isabella felt moved. A genuine person like him always lifted her spirits. She opened the box to discover a simple, elegant ring. “I noticed you weren’t wearing any rings. Do you like it?”
Andrew’s tone was steady, yet there was a hint of nervousness.
The thought struck Isabella about how the CEO of a major company could seem like a shy young man in matters of the heart. She found this endearing.