Filed To Story: Watch Out! She's a Mastermind Heiress (Isabella Patton) Book PDF Free
Andrew tried to calm her down, his voice soft. “Hey, babe, don’t worry about it. We’re together, remember? There’s nothing unusual about this.”
Isabella gave him a sharp look. “Let’s stay focused. Back to the project.”
Without another word, Andrew dropped the topic and, with a slightly awkward pause, shifted back to the task at hand, resuming their discussion of the project.
Just as they were finishing up and getting ready to head out for dinner, Elaine’s call came through, interrupting their flow.
“Isabella!” Elaine’s voice was filled with enthusiasm.
“Why don’t you come home for dinner tonight?”
“Sure, Mom,” Isabella replied, catching a glimpse of Andrew’s slightly disappointed face. She hesitated before adding, “Would it be okay if Andrew came too?”
“Of course. Bring him along! We’ve got a special guest joining us tonight,” Elaine replied, her voice brimming with excitement.
Isabella’s curiosity piqued. “This special guest you’re talking about?”
Elaine responded, “Oh, it’s Howard’s girlfriend.”
Isabella froze.
Howard’s girlfriend? Since when did he have a girlfriend? Could it be Nalani? Was he really serious about her? What about Milly then?
“Isabella, is something the matter?” Elaine’s voice took on a worried tone when she noticed her daughter’s long silence.
Isabella shook off her thoughts and responded quickly, “Mom, everything’s fine. I’ll be home tonight. Don’t worry.”
After she ended the call, she turned to Andrew, her face showing a mix of emotions.
Andrew didn’t miss the shift in her mood and asked right away, “What’s wrong? Is something going on back at home?”
“Yeah,” Isabella answered. “Howard’s bringing his girlfriend home tonight.”
Andrew’s face grew just as serious, matching her mood.
Isabella let out a deep sigh. “It just doesn’t seem fair to Milly, you know?”
Milly had quietly done so much for their family, and Isabella was convinced that Milly really cared for Howard. If Howard ever found out all that Milly had done, he’d surely feel regret and be touched. But he was still in the dark.
A wave of sadness washed over Isabella. She couldn’t bear the idea of standing by and watching Howard end up with someone he didn’t truly care about.
“I think I’ve got an idea,” Andrew said, breaking the silence.
“Go on, tell me what you’re thinking.”
“The only way to get Milly and Howard together is to send them abroad,” Andrew said. “I own an island they could stay on, but the thing is, they wouldn’t be able to come back to the country.”
“That’s not going to work. Howard cares about our family too much,” Isabella dismissed the idea. Saying it out loud only made her feel more frustrated. She could solve so many other problems, but when it came to this, nothing seemed right. It was as if the only way to save Milly was to tear the Serpentine Palers down.
Without missing a beat, Isabella turned to her computer, typing furiously to follow the most recent activity of the Serpentine Palers, coming from her undercover sources. Andrew observed her closely, noticing the serious expression on her face and the reflection on her screen. It revealed the movements of the Serpentine Palers… So, she was even capable of getting that information…
By 6 in the evening, Isabella and Andrew made their way back to her parents’ villa.
Elaine, in high spirits, had taken it upon herself to prepare a grand dinner.
“Howard finally decided to stop worrying me,” Elaine remarked with a broad smile.
Now that two of her sons had found someone special, how could she not be over the moon with happiness?
“Yeah,” Isabella replied, not feeling like saying much. She forced a small, polite smile.
A short while later, Susan and Dane made their appearance as well.
The living room was buzzing with energy as everyone waited for Howard and his girlfriend to show up. At 5:30, the couple finally walked in.
Elaine rushed to welcome them, but when she saw the woman, her face showed surprise. “Oh, it’s you.”
“Good evening, Mrs. Patton. I’m Nalani,” the woman introduced herself, dressed in a graceful white gown that added to her elegant and soft demeanor.
Although Elaine was caught off guard, she quickly recovered, warmly inviting her in. “Come and have a seat.”
Nalani gave a warm smile and nodded, gracefully settling into her seat.
Throughout dinner, Elaine chatted excitedly with Nalani, who managed the conversation with poise, ensuring the mood stayed light and enjoyable.
Meanwhile, Isabella couldn’t help but glance at Howard every now and then.
Howard looked just as polished and handsome as always, his face holding a soft smile, but his eyes lacked any real happiness.
“We’re planning to get engaged by the end of the year, Mom,” he said.
Elaine looked a little surprised. “That is quite soon. Do you want to choose the date yourselves, or should I take care of it for you?”
“We’ll leave that up to you,” Howard answered.
Elaine beamed, happily agreeing to the task.
After dinner, Howard escorted Nalani to his room so she could rest.
Once inside, Nalani glanced at him with a shy smile. “Your family is so lovely.”
Howard gave her a brief nod, his smile barely there. “Go ahead and rest.”
“And what about you?” Nalani asked, her eyes filled with a touch of hope.
In many people’s eyes, Nalani seemed like a catch. She was attractive, came from a decent family, and held a respectable job.
“I’m going to rest in the next room,” Howard remarked.
At those words, a shadow passed over Nalani’s eyes. Although they were together, there was no real intimacy between them. They hadn’t even held hands.
Was this what they called a relationship?
Nalani felt a numbing emptiness.
Howard turned away and left, entering the guest room next door. He gazed out the window, where the tall trees danced in the night breeze. Suddenly, through the rustling leaves, a shadowy figure materialized. Howard’s normally gentle eyes hardened.
Their gazes locked through the foliage.
Seconds later, Howard opened the window, and as he stepped back, a figure leapt inside.
Under the room’s light, the girl’s face was as cold as ice, radiating a chilling aura. Yet, as her eyes met Howard’s, there was a trace of warmth.
Howard’s expression turned even colder.
“Is this fun for you?”
Meanwhile, Nalani approached the door, intending to speak to Howard, but stopped when she overheard his icy tone—a kind she had never heard from him before.
Was there someone else in the room?
Nalani was puzzled. A moment later, a woman’s voice responded, equally cold and emotionless. “What do you mean?”
“Betraying me? Then following me around? Do you think this is some kind of game?” Howard’s voice deepened, his tone icier.
Nalani’s heart quivered.
This was a side of Howard she had rarely seen. She didn’t think Howard despised Milly; rather, it was because he cared.
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.