Filed To Story: Watch Out! She's a Mastermind Heiress (Isabella Patton) Book PDF Free
Andrew’s entry immediately drew all eyes to him. Those who knew him were taken aback, and those who didn’t were struck by his charisma. The rumors didn’t do him justice—Andrew’s charm was on par with that of a movie star.
Courtney’s friends were momentarily lost for words, then one of them nudged her excitedly. “Wow, Courtney, you’re so lucky! Who knew Mr. Klein was this handsome!” Although Courtney had seen Andrew before, it had always been from afar. Never had she been this close to him.
Her heart raced uncontrollably. Not only was Andrew incredibly good-looking, but he was also… exceptionally wealthy. If she could end up with a man like him… she would certainly feel like she had won at life. Courtney’s cheeks reddened with excitement, yet she maintained the composure expected of a young lady and didn’t rush to greet Andrew. Instead, she stood still, waiting for him to come to her.
True to her expectations, Andrew started walking towards her.
“Courtney, is Andrew here for you? He must have come specifically for you, right?” her friend whispered, her eyes sparkling with envy.
Courtney’s heart raced even faster. If this was indeed true, it would mean Andrew had been paying attention to her all along. She was truly remarkable—of course, Andrew must be interested in her. As Andrew drew nearer, Courtney summoned her courage and called out, “Mr. Klein…”
But Andrew walked straight past her, making his way directly to Elaine and her family. The smile on Courtney’s face stiffened as she watched Andrew warmly engage with Elaine’s group, sharing laughs and clearly enjoying the conversation. The color drained from Courtney’s face. Andrew hadn’t come for her?
Her friends were just as puzzled. “Is Mr. Klein that close to your uncle’s family?” one of them inquired. Courtney watched as Andrew and Isabella engaged in an easy, friendly conversation. The pleasant atmosphere between them echoed what Tatiana had mentioned—that Isabella and Andrew were quite close…
Tears began to form in Courtney’s eyes. Isabella had indeed charmed Andrew. How could Isabella, who was merely beautiful, truly deserve Andrew? Isabella must have used some means to seduce Andrew! Courtney was boiling with rage.
“Mr. Klein must have a strong business connection with them. If he picks a fianc?e, it will definitely be Courtney!” one of Courtney’s friends remarked.
“True, your cousin is attractive, but she lacks real talent. Wealthy people are sure to choose a fianc?e with talent and skills.”
“Absolutely.”
The comments from everyone eased the discontent Courtney had been feeling. She was also convinced that the Klein family wouldn’t allow just anyone to marry into their family. When she became Hutton’s student, she was sure the Klein family would regard her differently. Courtney felt confident about this.
“Since everyone has arrived, we’re ready to start the banquet,” Hutton announced as he took the stage. At this, everyone settled into their seats and listened attentively to Hutton’s speech. The opening portion followed the usual routine.
Eventually, it reached the crucial part. Hutton said, “In my youth, I had a few students, but as I aged, I stopped accepting any new ones. I thought I would never teach again. But now I have found someone incredibly talented—a true star of the art world!” He gazed at Isabella with warmth.
Meanwhile, others speculated anxiously. “It’s Courtney, isn’t it?”
“It must be. Courtney looks overjoyed.”
Courtney was so excited that she couldn’t contain herself and stood up. Sarai was equally thrilled, her eyes slightly red with emotion. Their family was on the brink of a major breakthrough!
“Come here, Isabella!” Hutton called out loudly. The announcement left everyone stunned. Isabella rose and made her way to Hutton, causing shock among many attendees. What was happening here? Wasn’t Courtney supposed to be Hutton’s student? Why was Isabella walking towards him?
Courtney was equally stunned but quickly regained her composure. She had resolved not to let Isabella benefit from this, yet it seemed she still had. She suspected that Isabella’s parents might have orchestrated this, pressuring Hutton to accept Isabella as his student too.
Courtney was seething with anger and resentment. She found this family infuriatingly spiteful! She didn’t realize that without Isabella’s parents, she might never have had the opportunity to see Hutton.
Seeing that Isabella was walking fast towards the stage, Courtney swiftly followed her. With a forced smile, she positioned herself next to Hutton. Isabella glanced at Courtney, clearly surprised. Courtney threw a disdainful look at her, as though she were a contemptible person.
The audience was stunned by the sight on the stage. Hadn’t Hutton stated that he would accept only one student? Why were there two on stage? After their initial shock, Rowan and Sarai came to understand that Isabella had leveraged Courtney’s situation to become Hutton’s student as well.
Sarai was immediately repulsed, feeling that Isabella and her family had overstepped. They had hoped that by learning painting, Isabella could improve herself and match Andrew’s level. However, Sarai was convinced that Isabella, lacking real talent, would be scorned despite becoming Hutton’s student. Her eyes burned with revulsion and disdain.
At that moment, Hutton looked equally confused. “Young lady, what are you doing here?” he asked Courtney.
Courtney’s confident smile abruptly faltered. She stared at Hutton in disbelief. “Aren’t you going to accept me as your student?” Isabella had only got the opportunity by exploiting her connections, she believed.
Hutton frowned and replied, “From the start to now, there’s only one student I’ve intended to accept, and that’s Isabella Patton. Who are you?”
Hutton didn’t even remember who Courtney was! Courtney’s face turned bright red. Following the initial shock, a commotion erupted offstage. Although it was rumored that Hutton had an interest in Courtney, no one anticipated that he wouldn’t even recognize her.
Rowan and Sarai flushed with embarrassment. Courtney’s face felt like it was burning. She couldn’t bring herself to meet anyone’s gaze. Trying to clear her head, she looked at Hutton and asked, “Are you certain? My cousin has just returned from the countryside and has no painting skills whatsoever.”
After making her point, she turned to Isabella with a mix of anger and frustration. “Isabella, what is happening here?”
Hutton’s expression grew cold. “I am more qualified to judge Isabella’s painting skills than you are. Please step off the stage and don’t disrupt the event,” he said.
Furious at Hutton’s response, Sarai turned to Glenn and demanded, “Glenn, what’s going on here? Did you let Isabella take Courtney’s chance?” Her eyes blazed with fury. If that was the case, she would make sure Glenn and his family faced consequences. They understood how important this was for Courtney. However, Glenn was as puzzled as everyone else. After frowning and thinking for a moment, he said, “There must be a reason behind Mr. Marquez’s decision.”
“What reason could there be? Isabella has no experience in painting, while Courtney has studied art for over a decade.” Sarai was utterly distraught, unable to accept the turn of events.
The heated exchange between Sarai and Glenn rapidly captured the interest of everyone nearby.
“What on earth is happening? Did Mr. Marquez pick Isabella or Courtney?”
“Hasn’t Isabella been reunited with the Patton family only recently? I heard she’s never learned painting before.”
“Is it possible that Isabella leveraged her connections to snatch Courtney’s place? That would be beyond outrageous.”
The low murmurs in the crowd didn’t go unnoticed by Hutton. He grew enraged as he overheard people doubting his choice of a student. From the moment they first met, he had been determined to make Isabella his student. Sadly, she hadn’t accepted his offer at first. Now that she had finally agreed, how could these people dare to question her qualifications?
“Enough!” Hutton barked, silencing the hall immediately. He then announced, “From the very start, it has always been Isabella that I intended to mentor. This lady is her cousin, right? Sure, she has some potential, but her skills are still lacking.”
Courtney was utterly shocked by what she heard. Could Isabella actually paint? In an instant, her perception of Hutton crumbled. She had always believed him to be someone who pursued art with integrity, but it now seemed that even he could be swayed by money like anyone else. Why else would he choose Isabella as his student if he hadn’t been bribed by her family?
Courtney, always full of pride, couldn’t bring herself to accept this harsh reality. Her gaze hardened as she realized that if they were bent on corrupting the art world, then she had no reason to show them respect either.
“Very well, Mr. Marquez. If you’re so determined to make Isabella your student, then she must be an extraordinary artist. Why don’t we all have a look at her work?” Courtney proposed.
“Yes, we’d really like to see Isabella’s work,” Sarai quickly added.
One of Courtney’s friends chimed in eagerly, “Exactly! If Isabella is really going to be Mr. Marquez’s student, we deserve to see her artwork, right?”
Even though many in the hall stayed quiet, their curious eyes said it all. The entire new student introduction banquet was now clouded with doubt.
Hutton shook with rage. It had taken him so long to find the right student, and now she was facing so much skepticism. He glanced at Isabella, worry etched on his face. “Isabella…”
“It’s fine,” Isabella cut in, her voice steady. “If everyone is that eager to see, I can paint. But…” She shifted her gaze to Courtney. “No one can question Mr. Marquez’s decisions at will. Courtney, since you’ve raised your doubt, are you ready to face what comes next?”
Courtney sneered. Did Isabella really think she could scare her?
“Alright, let’s make a bet,” Courtney suggested. “If your painting is better than mine, I’ll quit painting. But if it’s not, you owe me a public apology.”
Courtney shot a look at Hutton but held back from saying more about him. After all, if Isabella failed to prove her talent, Hutton’s reputation would be on the line. Everyone would soon realize that her talent was miles ahead of Isabella’s and that Hutton only took Isabella as a student because of a bribe.
“Fine,” Isabella said. “But there’s no need for you to stop painting. Instead, if you lose, you’ll publicly apologize and donate five million dollars to charity.” Isabella wasn’t trying to be overly generous. She simply understood that Courtney would never really quit painting. If Courtney lost, she’d definitely keep bothering her until she could paint again.
“No problem,” Courtney agreed without a second thought, convinced that there was no way Isabella could paint better than her. Actually, Isabella’s agreement made her feel relieved. Courtney glanced at her with a hint of contempt. “What do you need to get started?”
“Just a pencil and paper,” Isabella responded calmly.
“That’s it?” Courtney arched an eyebrow.
“Exactly.”
“Fine.”
Courtney swiftly had someone prepare the pencil and paper, her disdain growing stronger. If all Isabella needed were these basic tools, she probably had no clue how to handle more advanced art materials. The result would likely look like something a child would draw—completely embarrassing.
The pencil and paper were quickly brought over, and Isabella started sketching right there on the stage. The audience below began to murmur, their whispers filling the air.
Courtney took a seat next to Sarai, who squeezed her hand and whispered, “If Mr. Marquez can be bought off that easily, we’ll just find a different mentor for you.” Sarai didn’t bother lowering her voice, making sure Elaine and her family could hear every word. Elaine’s expression immediately darkened. Did they seriously believe that Hutton had been bribed?
“Agreed,” Courtney responded, her eyes shining with a confident smirk.
Throughout the whole drawing process, Courtney kept a close watch on Isabella, making sure there was no chance of any foul play. Every so often, she stole a glance at Andrew. He stayed seated, composed and graceful. Though his posture seemed casual, every move he made radiated a noble air—he was a true gentleman of the highest social standing.
Once again, Courtney felt her heart begin to race uncontrollably. Everyone waited patiently, assuming Isabella’s drawing would take a minimum of two hours. But to their surprise, she straightened up after only half an hour.
“It’s finished,” she declared.
That quickly? The audience was caught off guard. Everyone knew that creating a quality drawing took time, yet here was Isabella, done in just thirty minutes. What could they expect in terms of quality?
Courtney’s disdain grew even stronger. Just as she thought—Isabella obviously had no real talent for painting. She got up and walked to the stage to examine Isabella’s work.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.