Filed To Story: Watch Out! She's a Mastermind Heiress (Isabella Patton) Book PDF Free
Josie scoffed. “These are my closest friends. They wouldn’t steal from me.”
Kristine, always the tactician, intervened smoothly. “It’s fine, Josie. If Isabella thinks it’s necessary, let’s check. It’ll clear things up.”
With reluctance, the friends opened their bags, though they shot Isabella looks of disdain. Josie stood with her arms crossed, confident her friends were beyond suspicion.
Then suddenly…
A glint of light caught everyone’s attention from the red-haired woman’s bag. The distinct sparkle of diamonds was unmistakable. It was Josie’s ring.
The room fell silent, stunned by the unexpected turn.
The red-haired woman’s face went pale, utterly confused. “How did this get here?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Isabella broke the silence, her tone laced with irony. “It seems that being called a ‘friend’ is a pretty good disguise. We were all nearly deceived.”
Josie’s face turned crimson with shock and disbelief. “No! This can’t be! She wouldn’t steal from me! This must be a setup!”
Isabella raised an eyebrow. “The proof is right here. Who else could have set her up?”
Josie, now floundering for a defense, stammered, “But it was Susan… She’s the one who would…”
“And yet, you were so certain it was Susan. It makes me wonder if you’re the one who put the ring in Susan’s pocket in the first place,” Isabella replied coldly.
The guests, who had been so quick to judge Susan, now turned their judgmental gazes toward Josie, who stood frozen, her reputation crumbling before her eyes.
Josie and her friends squirmed under the weight of Isabella’s words, their discomfort evident to everyone present.
Kristine quickly interjected, hoping to salvage the situation. “Isabella, it seems this was just a misunderstanding. Please, don’t be upset. Thankfully, the ring has been found.”
“A misunderstanding?” Isabella raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips. “You were all so sure a moment ago that my friend was a thief. But now that the ring was found with your friend, it’s suddenly a misunderstanding? Sounds a little hypocritical, don’t you think?”
Kristine found herself momentarily speechless. How had things turned out this way? The ring was supposed to be found in Susan’s pocket. Now it had been discovered with Josie’s red-haired friend.
“Okay, I admit my mistake,” Josie chimed in, trying to downplay the situation. “Let’s just move past this.”
But Isabella wasn’t about to let it go so easily. “You smeared my friend’s name, humiliated her in front of everyone. And now that she’s cleared, you think a quick apology will fix everything? I want to know why you targeted us when we’ve done nothing to offend you.”
Guilt flickered across the faces of Josie’s group, their silence revealing more than words ever could.
The other guests began to pick up on the undercurrent of tension. Josie and her friends were close to Kristine, and it was clear they had tried to defend her in a misguided effort to preserve her place in the family now that Isabella had returned.
Kristine, always poised and composed, was now seen in a different light. The guests began to exchange glances, their perception of her beginning to shift.
Never before had Kristine felt so exposed, her carefully maintained image unraveling before her eyes. It was the first time she had ever felt this vulnerable.
“Isabella,” Kristine began, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry. My friends were just trying to protect me because they thought I might be treated unfairly after your return. I apologize on their behalf. This is all our fault.”
Josie and the others stood awkwardly, feeling guilty but unsure how to fix the situation.
Susan, her voice strong despite the tears in her eyes, spoke up. “I may not come from a rich family, but why did they feel the need to defend you from Isabella’s return? Do you feel threatened by her being back?”
The sharpness in Susan’s words stunned the group. How could someone so ordinary speak with such conviction?
Kristine quickly shook her head, her distress evident. “No, no, it’s not like that at all. Everything is fine at home. My friends just misunderstood the situation.”
Disappointment flashed in Glenn’s eyes as he addressed Kristine. “Kristine, if you were upset about something, you should have come to us directly. Isabella has been through a lot, and now that she’s back, I hoped you two could get along.”
His tone wasn’t harsh, but the disappointment in his eyes made Kristine feel as if the ground was crumbling beneath her feet.
She had always been a source of pride for the Patton family. She had worked tirelessly to earn that pride. And now, with one incident, it felt like it was slipping away.
Elaine, too, remained silent, her expression unreadable as she avoided looking at Kristine entirely. The unspoken disappointment in her silence hurt Kristine more than any words could have.
Kristine’s heart clenched painfully. What had she done to deserve this? Was it simply because she wasn’t their biological daughter? Was that why it felt like everyone was turning against her?
“I understand,” Kristine muttered, biting her lip to hold back the tears. “I have no hard feelings toward Isabella. I’ve always been fond of her, and I’m sure we’ll get along.”
Glenn nodded but said nothing more. Instead, he signaled for the group to move on and join the dinner.
As the awkwardness dispersed and the guests returned to mingling, Josie, still feeling the weight of guilt, glanced over at Andrew and approached him cautiously. “Mr. Klein,” she began, her voice quiet.
Andrew’s icy gaze froze her in her tracks, but she pushed forward. “Kristine is your fianc?e. She’s not Mr. and Mrs. Patton’s real daughter, and now that Isabella has returned, I fear she might be unfairly overlooked. Please, take care of her.”
Kristine, overhearing the conversation, looked toward Andrew with a glimmer of hope. Surely, he would show some concern for her. After all, they had grown up together, practically family.
But Andrew’s reply was cold, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. “Fianc?e?” he said, his tone sharp. “Since when was she ever my fianc?e?”
Josie was taken aback by Andrew’s words. “But aren’t you two planning to get married? Kristine has always said so.”
Andrew’s expression hardened as he turned his cold gaze toward Kristine. “Is that what you’ve been telling people, Kristine?”
The tension in his voice made Kristine’s heart sink. She had always known deep down that Andrew never saw her as a potential wife, but hearing him say it so coldly, in front of so many people, was unbearable.
“Our families have always wished for us to marry,” Kristine murmured, her voice trembling with desperation.
Andrew’s voice cut through the air, sharper than before. “I told you before—it’s not going to happen!” He paused, softening only slightly as he added, “And even if there were talks of marriage between our families, it wouldn’t involve you.”
His words shattered any illusion Kristine had clung to. With that, Andrew turned his back on her, walking straight toward Isabella, leaving Kristine to process the stares and whispers of the onlookers.
Josie, stunned, clutched Kristine’s arm. “Even Andrew has fallen under Isabella’s spell! She’s dangerous!”
Kristine’s heart ached with a mixture of frustration, anger, and helplessness. She whispered through gritted teeth, “I warned you—ordinary people can’t compete with her. You’d be wise to stay away before she hurts you too.”
Josie nodded, her defiance still simmering beneath her loyalty. “A country girl? I’m not afraid of her. Let’s see what she’s really capable of. You, Kristine, have true value, not her.”
“Thank you, Josie. Your support means a lot,” Kristine said quietly, her gaze hardening as she tried to maintain control over the situation.
Across the room, Dane, who had been entertaining guests, remained unaware of the confrontation until after it had passed. As he made his way to Isabella, his usually gentle demeanor carried a hint of irritation, though he spoke to her warmly. “Kristine might be having a hard time adjusting to your return, but you’re the rightful member of this family. If she ever causes trouble again, let me know. I’ll handle it.”
Dane had always been fond of Kristine, but Isabella was his biological sister. He had to protect her, even if it meant confronting Kristine.
Isabella offered him a small, appreciative smile. “Thank you, Dane.”
Dane’s eyes softened as he looked at her. There was something undeniably endearing about Isabella, and he found himself drawn to her in a way that made his protectiveness even stronger. Clearing his throat, he pulled out his phone and tried to appear casual. “We haven’t exchanged numbers yet. Let’s do that now.”
“Of course!” Isabella agreed, pulling out her phone as well.
Dane’s face lit up with a smile as he added her contact. He then discreetly transferred a large sum to her through Venmo.
$1,000,000.
Isabella’s eyes widened as she saw the figure. “Dane… this is a lot!”
“It’s a welcome-back gift,” Dane said with a warm smile. “It’s a family tradition.”
Isabella smiled gratefully, appreciating his gesture.
Unbeknownst to her, Dane added Isabella’s contact to the Patton family group chat, where he sent a message to Waylon, their other brother. Guess what? I just exchanged numbers with our sister!
Waylon’s quick response came with a playful tone: Took you long enough. Right now, she and I are the closest, and I even got Andrew involved to look out for her!
Andrew? Dane thought, surprised, but before he could react, Andrew appeared beside him, tall and striking as always.
“You’re back,” Andrew said, acknowledging Dane with a nod.
“Yes, I had to be here for the banquet,” Dane replied, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between Andrew and Isabella.
“Why haven’t you gone back to Ansport?” Dane asked, curious.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
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