Filed To Story: Watch Out! She's a Mastermind Heiress (Isabella Patton) Book PDF Free
“If he had no such intentions, things wouldn’t have unfolded like this today. Did you change your stance just because you knew he bought your paintings?” Sarai said sarcastically. “You’re too soft-hearted, and that’s why you’ll never outdo Glenn.”
Sarai’s words struck Rowan deeply. Just then, they arrived home. Rowan opened the door, stepped out, and walked away without a word. Courtney looked up, tears streaming down her face. Sarai embraced her, whispering, “Baby, don’t cry. Hutton doesn’t matter. Let him go. Did you see Andrew today? If you marry him, Hutton will become even more irrelevant.”
“But Isabella is close to Andrew,” Courtney felt utterly hopeless. She had never imagined being overshadowed by someone she had once looked down on. The pain was intense.
“So what? Andrew might have come to the banquet because of your uncle, not because of Isabella,” Sarai said softly. “You’re not like those country girls like Isabella. You’ve had a top-notch education since you were a child. How could Andrew not be attracted to you?” Sarai’s encouragement restored Courtney’s confidence. Just then, Courtney’s phone rang.
“Courtney, congratulations!” Tatiana said excitedly. “Is the banquet over? Congratulations on becoming Hutton’s student. To be so accomplished at your age, you genuinely make me jealous!”
Courtney clenched her teeth and said, “I’m not Hutton’s student.”
Tatiana was taken aback and replied, “If not you, then who?”
“It’s Isabella.” Courtney’s voice was heavy with frustration as she mentioned Isabella.
Tatiana gasped in disbelief and responded, “How is that possible? Her?” Could Isabella even draw? Yet, Courtney’s silence confirmed the shocking truth for Tatiana.
Tatiana was stunned and quickly found a reason, saying, “Isabella is so shameless. She must have used the Patton family’s influence to get the opportunity. By preferring someone like Isabella over a true talent, Hutton showed poor judgment. It really tarnishes his public image!” Although it wasn’t true, Courtney stayed silent and secretly enjoyed Tatiana’s harsh words about Isabella.
“But it doesn’t matter, Courtney. Even if Isabella is Hutton’s student, you will be Andrew’s future wife,” Tatiana replied.
Courtney bit her lip. “Can I… really?”
“Absolutely, you can. By the way, are you going to visit the Klein family the day after tomorrow?”
“The day after tomorrow?” Courtney sounded puzzled. “Don’t you know? Isabella and her family are planning to visit the Klein family then.”
Courtney had a sudden realization. Darn it! They planned a visit to the Klein family without telling her! After ending the call, Courtney quickly told her mother about this.
Sarai pondered briefly, then said coldly, “Humph, I knew it. They’re too shameless, trying to snatch all the good opportunities for themselves. I won’t let them succeed!”
Hutton stayed at Glenn’s house until late. Isabella saw him to the gate.
“I didn’t make things clear in the beginning, which led to misunderstandings,” Hutton said to Isabella apologetically.
Isabella replied, “It’s fine. Even if I had clarified things beforehand, they wouldn’t have believed me.”
“When should I start teaching?” Hutton asked eagerly, his eyes gleaming.
Isabella thought for a moment. Hutton quickly added, “Don’t worry! If you’re busy, just one painting a month to show me would be enough!” Such flexibility. Hutton’s previous students were required to practice daily in the drawing room, and they all became influential figures.
“Okay, I will,” Isabella responded. Hutton was very pleased. “There is hope for our country’s painting industry!”
Isabella said, “Mr. Marquez, I think you’re expecting too much from me.”
“I believe in you.” Hutton replied, his eyes filled with optimism. He then inquired, “You’re dating Andrew?”
“Yes. Do you know him?”
“Everyone in Ansport knows him,” Hutton said with a sigh. “He’s the pride of Ansport, so many people would naturally want to marry him. Now that you’re my student, it will be easier for you to marry into the Klein family.”
Isabella realized Hutton’s thoughtfulness. “Thank you, Mr. Marquez.”
Hutton continued, “In Ansport, there are four major influential families, with the Klein family leading. The other families are tough as well, especially the Riggs family. You must be cautious around them. The Riggs are known for their decisive and merciless nature. Particularly, there is a young lady in their family who is said to be quite difficult to deal with; there have been rumors about her and Andrew.”
Isabella was taken aback. Rumors about a young lady and Andrew? Hutton leaned in, his voice low but earnest. “Don’t overthink it. That young lady has a crush on Andrew, but I know that no woman has ever been close to him. You’re the first.”
Isabella nodded to show her understanding. It seemed Andrew had unknowingly charmed quite a few hearts. After bidding Hutton farewell, she made her way into the house. Andrew had gotten along quite well with her parents lately. Wise as ever, Andrew chose just the right moment to depart. Once he left, Elaine’s countenance fell.
Isabella, concerned, inquired, “Mom, what’s bothering you?” Elaine’s eyes met hers, filled with a mix of admiration and concern. “Honey, I realize now how little I know about you. You have so many skills; you must have worked incredibly hard since childhood. Did Phyllis push you to learn those? Did you have a hard time back then?” Others saw only Isabella’s successes, but Elaine recognized the relentless effort behind them. Talent wasn’t built overnight.
The thoughts of Isabella’s tough childhood weighed heavily on Elaine, stirring a deep-seated guilt within her—and Glenn felt it too, his gaze laden with worry.
“No, I didn’t have a hard time,” Isabella reassured them gently. “Actually, I’m not that into painting. I don’t know why Mr. Marquez took such a liking to me. He wanted to take me as his student once, but I saw painting merely as a hobby and didn’t agree.” Relief washed over Elaine’s face. Isabella didn’t seem to be lying. Was their daughter aware of how remarkable she was?
Glenn beamed with pride. “Our daughter is truly remarkable.” As they reveled in this pleasant family moment, Glenn’s phone broke the silence.
“I heard that Isabella has become Hutton’s student. Is that true?” Waylon’s voice crackled with excitement through the phone. “Isabella, you are incredible,” Waylon exclaimed.
“Well, Waylon, are you still tied up?” Isabella looked at the screen, seeing that Waylon was doing makeup in a dressing room.
“I’m managing, but Dane’s been swamped lately,” he replied. “Recently, the company’s profit has increased greatly.”
“That’s a good thing,” Isabella said thoughtfully.
“But whenever the company thrives like this, it means Dane is in a terrible mood,” Waylon said, his tone carrying a hint of concern.
Isabella’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Is that really the case? What’s troubling Dane?” she asked, her voice tinged with worry.
“I’m not sure. When I asked, he blacklisted me.” Waylon shrugged, seemingly accustomed to this action of Dane’s. Isabella’s lips twitched with amusement, but a quick glance at her parents revealed they also didn’t know what had happened to Dane.
After ending the call, she turned to Elaine. “Should we reach out to Dane?”
Elaine waved dismissively. “Dane is almost thirty now. He’ll come to us if there’s something he wants to discuss. If not, it’s probably nothing.”
Isabella was at a loss for words. Clearly, her mother was not worried, yet she couldn’t shake her concern. Dane had always been kind to her, after all.
The next day, Isabella dialed Dane’s number. After several rings, his familiar, gentle voice greeted her.
“What’s wrong, Isabella?”
“Dane, how have you been lately?”
“I’m fine. How about you?” Dane’s voice sounded normal. They slipped into easy conversation, Isabella carefully avoiding any rush to probe. Yet, as the minutes ticked by, Dane’s tone wavered, hinting at hesitation. Eventually, he ventured, “How are you managing in Ansport? Have you made any friends? And… has Susan been in touch with you recently?”
Although his questions were straightforward, Isabella detected an unusual undertone.
“Susan? No, she hasn’t reached out for quite some time now,” Isabella replied, her brow furrowing as she recalled their last conversation. “She mentioned something about needing to handle a family issue back home. I’m not sure what happened exactly.”
“Really?” Dane’s voice faded into a thoughtful silence.
“That’s right. I’ve known her for years, yet I know so little about her family,” Isabella admitted, her worry evident.
“Maybe you should reach out to her,” Dane suggested softly. “After all, she’s your friend. If there’s a problem, we might be able to help her.”
Isabella squinted, a suspicion dawning on her. She could sense that Dane harbored feelings for Susan, especially when she recalled the night he got drunk and unwittingly called out Susan’s name. Her friend and her brother got romantically involved, yet she had been kept in the dark. Though the revelation stirred a complex mix of emotions within her, Isabella wasn’t angry. They must have had their reasons for keeping her out of the loop.
“Okay. I’ll reach out to her.” Indeed, she missed Susan, so she dialed her number. The phone rang longer than usual, making Isabella almost believe it would go unanswered before Susan finally picked up.
“Isabella.”
“What are you doing? Why did it take so long to answer the phone?”
“Sorry. The signal here isn’t great,” Susan replied, her tone apologetic. Isabella understood her. She remembered all too well the modest means of Susan’s family. During their school days, Susan often wore the same few outfits and rarely attended parties. Isabella had pieced together that financial constraints might be the reason behind them.
“Did you solve the family issue?” Isabella asked, her voice tinged with concern.
“I’m still dealing with it, but don’t worry. I’ll manage,” Susan replied, her tone calm.
Isabella trusted Susan’s abilities, but she couldn’t help feeling concerned. Whatever was going on, it had to be serious enough for Susan to resign and return home to deal with it.
“If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out,” Isabella urged. “We’re best friends, and we’re supposed to help each other through tough times.”
“Okay,” Susan agreed. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes welling up with tears. She was dressed in a delicate gown, the type that would have taken Isabella by surprise if she had seen it.
Susan was about to say more, but the door suddenly swung open, startling her into cutting the call short. Her expression hardened as she turned to the intruder. “Why didn’t you knock before coming in?”
The woman who entered was elegantly dressed, the picture of sophistication. Though she appeared to be in her thirties, she was actually well into her forties. Her features were delicate, but there was a trace of menace lurking in her eyes and the arch of her eyebrows.
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