Filed To Story: Watch Out! She's a Mastermind Heiress (Isabella Patton) Book PDF Free
Suddenly, her phone rang. Emani answered it, and her mother’s stern face appeared on the screen. Observing the crumbs around Emani’s mouth, her mother immediately chastised, “You little scoundrel, what are you eating behind my back?”
“Mom, it’s snacks from the benefactor.”
“If you have snacks, you have to save them to bring back for your brother. How many times must I remind you, you little rascal?” Sally Walsh scolded furiously. Emani lowered her eyes, overwhelmed by her mother’s constant favoritism. Despite being only a year younger, her brother remained at home, enjoying a carefree life while she labored daily, managing all the chores and caring for the animals.
“You little pest, are you deaf? I’m speaking to you!”
“Sorry, Mom. I was wrong,” Emani replied softly.
Sally, switching topics abruptly, asked, “By the way, is Bennie dead?”
“Yes.”
“How did that bastard die?”
Emani’s expression turned complex. She hesitated, unsure whether to reveal the truth to her parents. Her hand trembled as she remembered Bennie’s death. Although she had maintained her composure in front of Isabella, she was still just a 13-year-old child grappling with overwhelming emotions.
“Mom, I didn’t mean to kill him.” Emani suddenly burst into tears.
“You little pest, what are you talking about?”
Emani recalled the horrifying scene of Bennie collapsing, blood pooling around him, and her fear became uncontrollable. Through her sobs, she explained, “Only one of us could receive the funding. Bennie promised to share it with me, but he came to my room at night and tried to attack me. I didn’t want to die. I don’t know exactly what happened, but he just… fell to the floor.” Terrified at the moment, Emani had quickly moved Bennie back to his room. Fortunately, the other children had slept deeply that night, and no one had noticed.
Sally was dumbfounded. “Crazy! You actually dared to kill someone. Didn’t the police find out?”
The police came up empty-handed. “I made sure to get rid of all the evidence,” Sally exhaled in relief. “As long as they don’t find anything, we’re fine. Your hotel room had no cameras, so there’s no way anyone will know. Just keep a low profile. With Bennie gone, that sponsorship is now yours.”
When Sally realized her daughter had taken a life, instead of feeling guilt or outrage, she was flooded with a sense of relief.
“Mm-hmm,” Emani replied, still feeling a touch anxious. “Don’t worry. Without any evidence, no one will connect it to you. Just keep it to yourself, alright?” Sally was worried Emani might slip up.
“Nobody would think it was a child who killed him.”
“Got it.”
“Oh, and put these snacks away for your brother. How dare you indulge in snacks alone?” Sally snapped in irritation.
Three hours later, Isabella burst in and told Emani, “Let’s go to the hospital.”
“What’s going on?”
“Bennie’s parents are at the hospital.”
Upon arriving at the hospital, Isabella and Emani found Bennie’s parents wailing in the hallway. The nearby children looked on in fear. A crowd of media had gathered around them.
“Look, it’s Miss Patton!” someone shouted upon spotting Isabella.
Bennie’s father, Fraser Palmer, lunged to grab Isabella’s face, but a bodyguard appeared out of nowhere and kicked him away. Five bodyguards quickly surrounded her.
Isabella glanced at the bodyguards, realizing they were working for Andrew.
“You cold-hearted monster! How could you treat my son this way? He was only 14, with a bright future waiting for him. What drove you to do this to him?” Fraser yelled, his voice filled with rage.
Officially, Bennie’s parents were classified as disabled and unable to hold jobs. Yet seeing them now, one with a limp and the other with an arm in a sling, Isabella could say they didn’t appear incapable at all. In fact, they seemed more energetic than most people around.
“You were aware your son was just 14, and yet you allowed him to travel alone by train to beg for money?” Isabella said icily.
Fraser paused momentarily, then shouted, struggling, “You promised to help us, but then you just backed out. How was my son supposed to continue his life?”
Bennie’s mother collapsed onto the floor, weeping loudly. “Oh, my poor boy! How am I supposed to go on without him? He had so much potential; he could have gone to school and achieved great things, but now he’s gone—killed in a hate crime! My son is gone! I can’t bear this!”
A growing crowd gathered in the hallway, all feeling deep sympathy for the Palmer family.
“This family is so unfortunate. Just look at what they’re wearing.”
“The couple has lost their only child. Both of them are disabled. This is precisely the kind of family that should be supported by the charity. Why did they cut off the sponsorship?”
“I’ve heard that some wealthy people pocket the sponsorship money for themselves.”
The crowd murmured in low voices, casting disdainful looks at Isabella.
The media began streaming the scene live, and soon thousands of netizens tuned in, expressing sympathy for the Palmer family.
“This family’s situation is heartbreaking. I feel like supporting them personally.”
“I used to suspect something was off with this family, but I was mistaken. They deserve all the help they can get. Isabella, what are you doing?”
“Isabella doesn’t deserve the title of Charity Angel. She’d better explain herself this time!” Everyone looked visibly angry.
With a cold smirk, Isabella responded, “One of you has a bad leg and the other a bad arm, but you could still find part-time work. It’s not that hard to support one child’s education, is it?”
Her words brought a sudden hush over the crowd.
A moment earlier, Bennie’s parents had been full of aggression, but it was clear to everyone that they weren’t as incapable as they claimed.
Supporting a child—was it really that difficult? Isabella pressed on. “Our sponsorship is for families in real need. The two of you can work, but it seems you’ve just gotten used to slacking off.”
“That’s not true!” Fraser sensed the crowd turning against him and quickly tried to defend himself. “We also have two elderly parents we’re supporting at home.”
“Oh, really?” Isabella scoffed, pulling out a thick stack of papers and tossing them into the air. They fluttered down like snowflakes, with people reaching up to grab them. As they read, the crowd saw the papers held details about families who weren’t truly in need, and their sponsorships had been revoked due to acts like bullying classmates or mistreating others.
After reading the papers, the crowd was outraged.
“Wow, we almost got fooled. These people are awful!”
“Right! So shameless! Can they even ask for sponsorship?”
“If they can send their kid on a train to beg for money, it says a lot about their character. Completely shameless!”
People began to curse loudly, while the children hung their heads in shame. Bennie’s parents looked visibly uncomfortable.
Yet soon they regained their defiance. “But Bennie came to see you! You couldn’t just ignore him and let him die. You’re responsible for my son’s death!” Fraser was set on making Isabella pay. He demanded a million dollars.
It didn’t matter if Isabella was involved or not—he was determined to pin it on her, just like Betsey had advised. “Did I invite your child to come here?” Isabella questioned coldly.
Fraser said nothing in response.
“Did I kill your son?” Isabella asked again.
Fraser retorted, “Even if you didn’t do anything, it’s still your responsibility to look after the children.”
“Whose children?” Isabella countered.
Fraser clenched his jaw, at a loss for words. His wife sank to her knees once again. “Miss Patton, I know you’re wealthy. Our child came to this city because of you. He was our only child, and we can’t have any more. Please, Miss Patton, don’t be so heartless.”
“So what you’re implying is that you pushed your child to come to this city, and now that something’s happened to him—something that’s not my fault—you expect me to compensate you, right?” Isabella asked.
Bennie’s parents were dumbfounded and humiliated by her inquiry. It was evident that pushing the matter further would only make them seem unreasonable. Beads of cold sweat formed on their foreheads. How could city folks be so sharp-tongued?
“Isabella,” a soft voice called from behind her.
Jada and everyone instinctively parted to let her through.
Jada helped Bennie’s mother to her feet. “Ma’am, please don’t be too distressed. I know you’re hurting. Don’t worry; I’ll provide you with some money to give your child a proper burial.”
Dressed in a white gown, she spoke gently, like a heavenly angel, melting many hearts.
“Thank you, Miss. Thank you so much. I’ve finally met someone kind,” Bennie’s mother cried.