Filed To Story: Watch Out! She's a Mastermind Heiress (Isabella Patton) Book PDF Free
“Mom, do you need any help?” Isabella offered, her voice light.
“No, sweetheart. You stay with Howard. I haven’t seen him this talkative in a long time.”
Elaine paused, her eyes softening as she added with a wistful sigh, “Isabella, you know, Howard really likes you.”
Isabella felt a warm glow spread through her chest at her mother’s words. “He’s a good man, Mom,” she replied, her voice tinged with quiet determination. “I’ll do everything I can to help him get better.”
“Alright,” Elaine replied, thinking Isabella meant she could make Howard open up. She didn’t dwell on it and returned to her cooking.
The medicine needed time to simmer, filling the kitchen with a soft, herbal scent. By noon, Elaine had finished preparing the meal and called, “Howard, Isabella, lunch is ready!”
The rich aroma wafted through the air, surprising Isabella. She hadn’t expected her mother to be such a skilled cook. With a smile, she wheeled Howard to the table.
As they reached the table, Isabella saw the spread—four beautifully arranged dishes and a steaming pot of soup. She couldn’t help but give Elaine a thumbs-up. “Mom, you’re amazing!”
Elaine grinned, ladling soup into their bowls. “Of course I am. Now dig in and let me know what you think.”
Isabella eagerly blew on her soup and took a sip while it was still hot, only to find herself struggling to swallow. The excitement in her eyes dimmed, and she quickly glanced over at Howard.
Howard, however, sipped his soup without flinching. He even turned to Elaine with a warm smile. “Mom, this is delicious.”
Elaine, who hadn’t shared a meal with Howard in what felt like a lifetime, was visibly touched. Her eyes grew misty as she said, “Have some more, sweetheart. You’ve lost so much weight. I offered to get you a servant, but you refused.”
Without waiting for a reply, she ladled more soup into his bowl, her concern evident in every movement.
Isabella noticed the faint, enduring smile on Howard’s face, and a sense of warmth filled her heart. Howard was truly a kind and gentle soul.
Seeing Howard accept the soup so graciously, Elaine beamed with happiness and gave him the rest of it. Howard accepted it all with the same gentle smile, never once hinting at the soup’s taste. Isabella couldn’t help but admire his kindness.
She decided to try the other dishes, which, thankfully, were quite good. It seemed her mom’s culinary skills excelled in every area except soup-making.
“Howard,” Elaine said softly, her voice filled with affection, “I’ll make sure to cook for you more often, whenever I can.”
“Mom, you know I can manage on my own. Don’t worry about me. I’ll let you know if I need anything,” Howard replied softly.
Elaine’s face flickered with a hint of sadness, but she quickly masked it with a smile and nodded. “Alright.”
After a brief pause, Elaine seemed to remember something. “We’re hosting a banquet tomorrow. Would you like to join us? If you’re not up for it, you can stay upstairs and just soak in the atmosphere. After everyone leaves, we can catch up properly. Your father and brothers miss you too, you know.”
Elaine’s tone was hopeful. She wished Howard wouldn’t isolate himself forever.
“Tomorrow? I’ll think about it,” Howard murmured, his gaze softening but noncommittal.
Lunch carried on warmly. Later, Howard took them outside to admire the roses he had planted, carefully picking a few for Isabella.
When they returned, Elaine couldn’t hide her smile. “Howard really likes you. You know, when Kristine was here, she saw those roses and wanted to pick some too, but Howard wouldn’t let her.”
Isabella inhaled the roses’ sweet scent, a soft smile tugging at her lips. Howard’s quiet gesture spoke volumes.
That afternoon, preparations for the banquet kicked into high gear. The house was alive with activity—colorful balloons were hung, tables and chairs were set up, and food for the next day was prepped in the kitchen. The main house buzzed with excitement as people hurried in and out.
Kristine, hearing the commotion from her room, wandered downstairs to find the servants cleaning the house.
Huh? What was this? A party?
A sly grin curled her lips as an idea began to form.
After a day bustling with preparations, the estate finally embraced the hush of evening, settling into a serene stillness.
The next morning, the sun rose with a brilliance that bathed the grounds in golden light, heralding the beginning of what would be an extraordinary day.
The whole family was up early, and as soon as breakfast was over, the first of the guests began to arrive.
Isabella found herself at the center of it all, the sudden wave of compliments from those who recognized her leaving her with a smile that grew increasingly strained. She wasn’t accustomed to so much attention, and the sheer volume of admiration felt overwhelming.
At the grand entrance, Eliza and Gilbert stepped out of their car.
Eliza, with no direct ties to the city’s wealthiest family, had leaned heavily on Gilbert’s connections to secure an invitation.
As they stood before the sprawling estate, Gilbert couldn’t help but be struck by its grandeur. “The Patton family is ridiculously rich,” he murmured, almost in awe.
His family’s business had intersected with the Patton’ interests, though they weren’t particularly close.
This was his first visit to the estate, and he’d heard that today’s celebration was in honor of Mr. Glenn Patton’s daughter receiving some kind of award.
Gilbert recalled hearing whispers about Glenn recently discovering his real daughter, who had grown up far from the privileges of city life. The award she’d received might not have been anything exceptional, but the sheer scale of the celebration made it clear how much she was cherished.
“Eliza, let’s go in,” Gilbert urged, a note of caution in his voice. “Watch what you say; the people here are the cr?me de la cr?me.”
“Of course, Gilbert,” Eliza replied, a polished smile on her lips, though her eyes betrayed the envy simmering beneath. The lavish garden and the grandeur of it all tugged at something deep inside her. If only she were Glenn’s daughter!
Eliza’s eyes swept over the opulent surroundings, her thoughts racing. There must be many wealthy young men here today. The Santos family was respectable, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the prestige of the Patton family. A spark of ambition flickered within her. If only one of Glenn’s sons took a liking to her.
As she strolled through the garden, something—or rather, someone—caught her eye.
Blinking in surprise, she tugged urgently at Gilbert’s arm. “Gilbert, look!” she exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief. “Isn’t that… Isabella?”
Gilbert squinted in the direction she was pointing, equally shocked. “What? What is she doing here?”
Isabella, meanwhile, was enjoying a moment of quiet, watering the flowers to escape the lively crowd inside. Watering the flowers offered a brief escape, a calm contrast to the bustling chatter she wished to avoid.
But her peace was suddenly disrupted by a voice she hadn’t expected to hear. “Isabella!”
Startled, she turned to see Eliza standing there, an unwelcome surprise. What was Eliza doing here?
“Eliza?” Isabella asked, her voice laced with curiosity. “What brings you here?”
Eliza’s eyes swept over Isabella, her gaze settling on the watering can in her hand. A smug smile spread across her face. “Oh, so you’re working as a part-time servant for the Patton family?”
Isabella paused, glancing down at the watering can. Eliza couldn’t have been more wrong, but she chose not to correct her. With a quiet sigh, she looked back at Eliza and Gilbert, realizing they were here for the banquet.
Great, just what she needed.
Isabella turned her attention back to the flowers, determined to ignore them.
Eliza, basking in a false sense of superiority, couldn’t help but gloat. Isabella had won a championship just days ago, and now she was working as a servant? She must have been really desperate for money.
With a smirk, Eliza stepped forward deliberately, crushing the flowers Isabella had been tending under her heel. “My shoes are a bit dirty. Why don’t you clean them for me?”
Isabella’s temper flared as she looked at the crushed flowers. Her eyes flashed with anger. “Eliza, have you lost your mind?” she retorted, her voice sharp with fury.
In a swift motion, she shoved Eliza back, causing her to stumble and nearly fall.
Gilbert quickly caught Eliza, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Isabella. Despite her simple outfit of a T-shirt and trousers, she radiated an undeniable vitality, her face fresh and strikingly beautiful. He found himself momentarily captivated until Eliza, seething with anger, pinched him back to reality.
He frowned as he addressed Isabella. “Isabella, how dare you treat a guest like this?”
Isabella cast them both a dismissive glance, as if they were nothing more than a pair of losers, and decided the situation wasn’t worth her time.
Eliza felt humiliated and enraged. She was a guest here! How dare Isabella lay hands on a guest!
Her indignation quickly turned into a demand. “Apologize to me right now, or I’ll make sure the Patton family fires you. Do you understand?” She raised her chin, her tone dripping with entitlement.
Gilbert stood by silently, but his demeanor clearly showed his support for Eliza. He, too, was irritated by what he perceived as Isabella’s arrogance. Who did she think she was? Glenn’s daughter?
Speaking of Glenn’s daughter, Gilbert had his own intentions. If Glenn’s real daughter, despite her rural upbringing, turned out to be beautiful, perhaps she was worth pursuing. After all, the Patton family was the wealthiest in town, and his mother had insisted that he build a good relationship with them.
“Isabella, your arrogance is astounding. The Patton family won’t tolerate you after this,” Gilbert sneered, his voice full of contempt.