Filed To Story: Watch Out! She's a Mastermind Heiress (Isabella Patton) Book PDF Free
“You’re J’s friend, and Mr. Welch specifically instructed us to help you. I didn’t trust anyone else to scout around the Perkins family’s residence, so I came myself. I didn’t expect to find you being chased by those people. Did they hurt you?”
He was sensible enough not to pry into why Jared was being chased by the people of the Perkins family.
J had helped the Welch family. Because of her guidance, they discovered the truth behind the “suicide” in the west of Estresa. So, since learning that Jared was J’s friend, the butler had been very attentive to Healy’s instructions to keep an eye on the Perkins family’s residence. He drove around the area almost every day, wanting to do whatever he could to repay J’s kindness.
Jared appreciated the butler’s gesture.
“Alright. Since you say so, I won’t beat around the bush. I need your help with something else.”
The butler said solemnly, “Mr. Cooper, just say it. I’ll do my best to help.”
Jared’s phone had been broken during the fight. He looked at the butler and said, “I need to borrow your phone. But only in a completely secure location.”
“Yes, of course.”
The butler immediately told the driver to pull over in a safe spot. Then, he handed his phone to Jared and got out of the car with his men, leaving Jared alone.
As soon as Jared took the phone, he called Isabella’s number.
“Boss, I’ve got the evidence. I need you to contact Chief to hand it over to him.”
“Okay.” Isabella readily agreed.
She asked about the situation and contacted her superior without further delay.
Aldwin sat in his car parked in front of the Estresa government building, waiting for Lilian to return. As the minutes dragged on, impatience crept in. Frowning, he called the bodyguards, but none of them could give a clear explanation as to why it was taking Lilian so long to retrieve the jade.
“Boss, are we still going to wait? The negotiation is about to start. We can’t give those government officials any reason to criticize us for being late,” Aldwin’s subordinate said anxiously outside the car.
Aldwin glanced at the time, his frown deepening. His subordinate was right. Any further delay could reflect poorly on them.
He opened the door and got out of the car.
“Forget it. Let’s go in first.”
Aldwin and his subordinate strode into the government building side by side, only to be halted the moment they reached the floor where the venue was.
“Apologies, gentlemen, but a security check is mandatory before entry. You’ll also need to surrender all mobile phones and communication devices.”
Aldwin’s expression darkened in an instant. Even his subordinate looked displeased, but they were on government turf, and they were the ones seeking cooperation. There was no room for protest.
Aldwin’s gaze dropped to the tray held by the official barring their way. It was already lined with neatly arranged mobile phones, along with a small handgun—likely belonging to someone who had entered before them.
With a weary sigh, Aldwin retrieved his phone, powered it down, and placed it on the tray.
“Fine. Get on with it.”
He and his subordinate relinquished their phones simultaneously. But no sooner had they done so than the Perkins family’s bodyguards, failing to capture Jared and unable to reach Lilian, began dialing Aldwin’s number one by one. The calls, however, all went unanswered.
“What do we do now? The hell is going on?”
The bodyguards were in a frenzy, pacing like caged animals. Meanwhile, Andrew received an eagerly awaited message from the Qiviut Organization.
“We have the evidence against the Perkins family. When can you pick it up?”
Andrew’s eyes darkened, as if a storm were brewing behind them. Rising from his chair, he immediately typed out a response.
“I’ll send someone right away.”
His gaze flicked to Eaton, who had been waiting nearby.
“Use the development project in the west of Estresa to keep Aldwin occupied. You’re coming with me—we have business to take care of.”
Andrew had been handling nearly every aspect of this mission himself. With the most crucial evidence now within reach, he had no intention of leaving it in anyone else’s hands.
Inside the negotiation conference room, the meeting had already begun, but Eaton was nowhere to be seen. Initially, the company representatives remained patient, but as time dragged on, murmurs of discontent rippled through the room.
“What’s the hold-up? Why hasn’t the person in charge arrived yet?”
“Yeah, this is ridiculous. Let’s just wait a while longer. Even the Welch and Perkins Groups are waiting here with us.”
“Speaking of the Welch Group, they’ve had nothing but bad luck. The project in the west of Estresa is a gold mine, but they botched it so badly it cost someone their life. Now that the government is reevaluating partnerships, it’s obvious they’re looking for new players. Maybe we’ll get a shot at it this time.”
“If you ask me, the one with the best odds of securing the lion’s share is Aldwin. His daughter’s been getting pretty cozy with the CEO of Homelight Enterprise…”
From the moment Aldwin and his subordinate had taken their seats, they exuded an air of unshakable confidence. Across from them sat Healy and his secretary.
Hearing the hushed speculations swirling around the room, Aldwin remained impassive, but inwardly, he was smug. His gaze flickered toward Healy, his eyes glinting with a silent message: “You’re still wet behind the ears, kid.”
Young, ambitious, and having been suppressed by the Perkins family more times than he cared to count, Healy was determined to turn the tide. Had it not been for Isabella’s guidance, he might have blamed himself entirely for the recent failure, convinced he had failed to handle the residents’ resettlement properly. He never would have uncovered the truth—that someone had been pulling the strings all along. And that someone was none other than the man sitting beside Aldwin at this very moment.
Healy drew in a slow breath, his sharp gaze landing on Aldwin’s subordinate.
Not long ago, he had used this man’s connections to track down the ruthless debt collector who had pushed the resident to his death that fateful night. The drunk debt collector had spilled more than he should have.
Now, with damning evidence in hand, Healy had been biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike—to teach Aldwin a lesson he would never forget.
Healy remained silent, but gone was the reckless young man of before. Experience had tempered his impulsive nature. Instead of reacting to Aldwin’s barely concealed scorn, he met his gaze with quiet intensity, exuding a presence that refused to be overshadowed. His eyes gleamed like unsheathed steel, sharp and unwavering.
Aldwin narrowed his own gaze, taken aback by the change.
He leaned back slightly, intertwining his thumbs as he studied Healy. There was something different about him—something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
“It’s…”
“It’s been a while, Mr. Welch. You’ve become much more composed. Not like before. I used to see you as nothing more than an inexperienced youngster.”
The statement sent a ripple through the room.
Aldwin’s words were a subtle way of asserting dominance. It positioned Healy as an underdog, someone lacking in capability.
Once upon a time, Healy might have bristled at the remark, his temper flaring at the implication. It had always reminded him of the whispers circulating through Estresa—the rumors of the Welch family’s decline.
Healy curved his lips into a faint smile and said, “Mr. Perkins, people grow. I’ve always believed we should look at people and situations with a developing perspective, not get stuck in the past.”
His words, laced with subtle sarcasm, were aimed squarely at Aldwin.
Aldwin’s eyes narrowed, and he pressed on with a pointed remark that hit a nerve with the Welch Group.
“Mr. Welch, your insight mirrors my own. But we’re all gathered here today because of the development project in the west of Estresa, which holds the key to the city’s economic future. I wonder if you have any thoughts on this matter?”
Aldwin scanned the room, his tone dripping with feigned politeness.
“Your Welch Group has already started the development, though there’s been a minor setback. But everyone knows the Welch Group is a household name, essential to the livelihoods of the people. I’m sure your intentions were to improve the lives of the people in the west of Estresa. Why not share the situation with us, so we can all understand it? Regardless of who ultimately controls the project, it’s an opportunity to contribute experience to the development project, don’t you think?”
Aldwin, standing on moral high ground, boldly pressured Healy into revealing the details of the development project. His intentions were clear to Healy and everyone else present.
Healy hadn’t anticipated Aldwin’s boldness. His assumption that the development project was all but secured for the Perkins Group left Healy in disbelief. Was Aldwin really so sure that the Welch Group had already lost their chance?
Healy’s voice turned icy.
“Mr. Perkins, you’ve been in business for many years. Surely, you understand the most basic principles, right? The development project has not been divested from the Welch Group. As it concerns company secrets, I, as the highest-ranking person in the enterprise, cannot disclose them openly. I suggest you be mindful of the setting, Mr. Perkins!”
Aldwin had encountered all kinds of situations, so he managed to remain unfazed. He even chuckled when Healy’s public confrontation became more heated. In fact, the more riled Healy got, the more comfortable Aldwin felt.
“Look, Mr. Welch, I praised you for keeping your composure, and now you’re back to your old ways…”
Aldwin was too aggressive, and most of the room silently sided with him.
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.