Filed To Story: Watch Out! She's a Mastermind Heiress (Isabella Patton) Book PDF Free
Albertine’s mouth gaped open. She was at a loss, not knowing what to do. Didn’t Ailyn and her father say Isabella wanted the Liliuma from their estate’s forbidden area? She had heard them clearly. They even said it was the reason why Isabella was treating the patriarch of the Vettel family.
To give the Liliuma to Isabella, she had dug it up with great care, making sure it was intact. She even added soil to its roots to keep it alive. All the while, she thought Isabella would be pleased. But why did Isabella look so uneasy now?
Albertine glanced at Isabella again and said tentatively, “Miss Patton, don’t you like this gift? I’m sorry. I thought you would like it. I…”
Before Albertine could finish her words, she was interrupted by Isabella’s gentle embrace.
She was so surprised that her round eyes widened. As far as she could remember, a hug was a friendly way of greeting people. However, no one had ever hugged her before.
Isabella hugged her after seeing the gift. Did this mean Isabella didn’t hate her gift?
“Miss Patton?” Albertine’s voice was soft. It was as if she feared Isabella would stop hugging her. She still wanted to savor such a wonderful experience.
At this moment, Isabella’s emotions had calmed down a lot. She let go of Albertine, but she was still moved. “Albertine, thank you. I need this gift so much.” Isabella’s silence just now wasn’t from displeasure but sheer astonishment. Albertine’s gift was the Liliuma she had been looking for for years. It was the one her mentor always told her to find. She couldn’t believe Albertine handed it to her today.
When Albertine heard Isabella’s words, her cheeks flushed, and a shy smile spread across her face. “You’re welcome, Miss Patton. I’m glad you like it.” Isabella stared at the Liliuma, admiring its unique appearance. The branches, devoid of any flowers or leaves, were an intricate maze of twists and curves, shimmering with a frosty silver-white hue that seemed almost otherworldly.
Her thoughts drifted to her mentor’s book, the one that contained meticulous notes on the plant’s growth and care. She couldn’t help but smile as she reflected on the parallels between the Liliuma and Albertine.
At first glance, the Liliuma looked plain. But inside its branches was a warm, soothing liquid.
The four of them enjoyed their meal.
After saying goodbye, Isabella carefully placed the large box in the trunk of the car.
It was Andrew’s first time seeing her value a gift like this. He realized she must really like it.
After helping Isabella close the trunk, he casually wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pulling her closer. He hugged her tightly and whispered in a deep voice, “Honey, I can give you lots of gifts.”
Isabella broke free from his embrace, looked at him, and asked briskly, “Do you want to know what gift Albertine gave me?”
Andrew’s eyes deepened. He asked, “What is it?” Isabella wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned closer to his ear, and whispered something.
Andrew raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. He must admit, he didn’t expect someone as carefree as Albertine to give Isabella such a thoughtful gift.
At that moment, Ailyn was particularly anxious. Since the Liliuma was missing, she didn’t dare to face Isabella. She wasn’t even sure if Isabella had already left the hotel and Mafelen.
Ailyn wanted to check the manor’s surveillance footage to see if Isabella had sent someone to dig up the Liliuma. But surprisingly, she was blocked by the servant managing the manor’s monitor room.
Ailyn was able to endure all kinds of pressure for two days. But this servant’s blatant defiance made her lose her temper.
She raised her hand and struck the servant. However, the servant dodged and explained, “Miss Vettel, please understand. It’s not that I don’t want you to check it, but Mr. Axton Vettel said no one can enter the monitor room without his permission. I am just following orders.”
Ailyn scoffed. “Axton? Who does he think he is? My father runs this manor. Whose orders do you follow, his or mine?”
The servant, who had long disliked Ailyn’s temperament, straightened up and said, “Miss Vettel, you and your father used to run this estate, but that was in the past. Now, Mr. Axton Vettel is in charge of the Vettel Group. So, from now on, we follow his orders first. Please don’t make it hard for us.”
“What do you mean? Since when did the Vettel Group and the estate become Axton’s property?” Ailyn’s tone dripped with disbelief as she stared at the servant, convinced he must have lost his mind. Her gaze shifted sharply to Nathan as she ordered, “Hold him back. I need to see the surveillance footage today.”
Seething with anger, Ailyn stormed into the monitor room. Behind her, Nathan blocked the servant’s path, leaving him helpless to stop her.
After Axton seized control of the family and the group, he had issued strict orders to strip Ailyn of most of her authority over the estate. Allowing her access to the surveillance footage would mean breaching those directives.
The servant was visibly anxious. Just as his panic reached its peak, the sound of a car approaching caught his attention, and his face lit up with sudden hope. “Mr. Vettel!”
Axton stepped out of the car, Albertine following close behind. He walked over to Nathan and the servant. “What’s going on here?”
The servant wasted no time in tattling. “Mr. Vettel, I followed your orders to prevent Miss Vettel from accessing the monitor room, but she insisted on going in.”
Inside the monitor room, Ailyn was already scanning through the footage. She searched specifically for the entrance to the forbidden area, but as she adjusted the playback, the screen remained pitch black. The surveillance system had apparently been out of order for a long time.
From outside the room, Axton’s voice carried a clear warning. “Ailyn, if you want to continue living comfortably on this estate, you’ll have to follow the rules I’ve put in place. Come out of the monitor room right now.”
Ailyn glared at the door, fury burning in her eyes. How dare he speak to her like that?
She exited the monitor room, her posture defiant. Standing on the steps above Axton, she leveled a withering glare at him. “My father is the rightful owner of this estate. Even if he hasn’t recovered yet, as long as I’m here, don’t even think about taking what doesn’t belong to you.”
Axton narrowed his piercing blue eyes, his expression unyielding. “Ailyn, if you’d shown up at the shareholders’ meeting, your words might have held some weight. But you didn’t. The meeting is over, and now, the person with the most authority in the Vettel Group is me.”
Ailyn’s confusion was evident. “What shareholders’ meeting? I wasn’t informed of any meeting!”
Axton shrugged, spreading his hands in mock regret. “Your father has been absent for so long that the shareholders were growing restless. To secure the group’s future, the meeting was held. We tried contacting you, but you didn’t respond. By default, your absence was treated as a waiver.”
Panic surged through Ailyn as she hastily switched on her phone. Notifications flooded the screen—over thirty missed calls and countless messages.
Her heart sank. It was too late now. Her legs felt like they would give out beneath her as shock and regret coursed through her.
Axton observed the transformation in Ailyn’s expression, from haughty defiance to stunned disbelief, and spoke with a measured tone. “Ailyn, you’re too reckless. Your actions offended Dr. Mia, and because of you, the Vettel family was nearly ruined. I’ll handle the fallout, but you must take responsibility for your carelessness. Starting today, you’ll stay in your castle with your father. You’re not to leave unless absolutely necessary—or you can take your father and leave the estate altogether. You have one minute to decide.”
Ailyn was still reeling from the previous blow when Axton blindsided her with yet another issue.
She didn’t want either option, but leaving the estate and facing isolation seemed worse. Compared to that, living in the castle was the lesser evil.
“I’ll stay in the castle,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper, rough with emotion.
Axton showed no surprise at her choice. His gaze shifted to Nathan. “Starting today, you’ll be reassigned to work at the Vettel Group. You’re not to have any contact with Miss Vettel without my express permission. Understood?”
Ailyn’s head shot up, her eyes blazing with indignation. She was ready to argue, but before she could speak, Nathan had already bowed his head and replied calmly, “I understand. Thank you, Mr. Vettel.”
Ailyn’s eyes instantly welled with tears. Clutching her phone tightly, she shook her head in silent despair, but it was already too late—remorse could change nothing now.
Axton made no effort to disguise the shift in power within the Vettel family.
Meanwhile, far away, on the road to the airport, Jared turned to Isabella and Andrew, filling them in on Axton’s treatment of Ailyn.
Isabella’s face remained impassive as she listened, her thoughts straying to the Liliuma in the trunk. Ailyn was simply reaping what she had sown.
The plane soared thousands of miles above the ground, cutting through the vast expanse of sky. Isabella managed to catch some sleep and eventually returned to her villa in Ansport.
After quickly freshening up, Andrew headed off to the Klein Group for work that afternoon. Meanwhile, Isabella recalled the promise she had made to Susan before leaving the country and decided to give her a video call.
As the call connected, Susan’s face lit up from her office chair. Her eyes darted to the background behind Isabella, and she exclaimed with delight, “Isabella! You’re back from your trip! You have no idea how much I’ve missed you while you were away.”
Isabella smiled warmly as she spoke with Susan. After a brief exchange, she asked, “Are you still working? How’s everything going?”
Susan placed a hand on her stomach and nodded. “I’m doing much better. No more nausea. My bump hasn’t been showing yet at four months. I’ve also taken your advice and handed off most of my tasks to my team.” She paused, a playful glint in her eyes. “By the way, Isabella, when are you free? I want you to meet someone.”
Isabella tilted her head, curiosity sparking. “I can make time tomorrow. Who is it?”
Susan grinned but didn’t give anything away. “You’ll find out soon. Tomorrow, I’m meeting Natural Beauty to discuss a collaboration. I’ll bring her with me. You just returned, so I’m guessing you’ll be inspecting the companies anyway?”
Isabella nodded. “That’s true. Let’s meet there, then. Now I’m really curious about this person.”
Susan’s smile widened. “Patience, Isabella. You’ll see tomorrow.”
After the call, Isabella turned her attention to the pile of documents sent by the vice presidents of various companies. She spent the rest of the day catching up on the companies’ affairs during her absence.
The next morning, in the CEO’s office at Natural Beauty, at precisely 10:30, the secretary knocked and stepped inside. “Miss Patton, Miss Riggs has arrived.”
“Please, send her in,” Isabella said.
She quickly organized the documents on her desk and had just made her way to the sofa when Susan entered, accompanied by a young woman and the secretary.
“Susan, take a seat,” Isabella said warmly.
She poured a glass of Susan’s favorite juice, then turned her attention to the woman who had walked in alongside her.
The young woman had bright, lively eyes that sparkled with curiosity. When she noticed Isabella looking at her, she offered a sweet, genuine smile.