Chapter 23

Isabella brought the breakfast over to the table, ready to dig in with Michael.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Isabella got up, a bit puzzled, and headed over to see who it was.

"Why is everyone knocking on my door this morning?" she muttered as she opened it, only to find no one there.

With a mouthful of food, Michael asked casually, "Someone at the door?"

Isabella shook her head and closed it again. "Probably just someone at the wrong door."

She shrugged it off and went back to her breakfast. Not long after she closed the door, John appeared at the end of the hallway.

John was sure he hadn't misheard. There was definitely another guy in Isabella's place.

Feeling a mix of emotions he couldn't quite pin down, John stood there with a gloomy look. He didn't really like Isabella, but seeing her with another man bugged him.

If Isabella knew what was going through John's head, she'd probably laugh at him.

John always treated Isabella like something he could toss aside whenever. But now that this "something" was with someone else, he was not happy about it. After standing there for a bit, John sighed and walked away.

Back at the table, Isabella and Michael were chatting.

"So, what's on your agenda today?" Michael asked.

Isabella thought for a moment and remembered something important.

"I'm going to an auction. There's a painting I want to buy for an elderly man," she said.

Michael raised an eyebrow. "John's grandfather, right?"

Isabella looked at him, surprised. "Wow, you're sharp. How'd you guess?"

Michael just smiled.

Resting her chin on her hand, Isabella sighed. "Manson has always been so kind to me. I haven't told him about us getting married yet, and I feel like I've let him down. So, I want to buy this painting for his birthday as a sort of apology."

Michael nodded, not saying much. After breakfast, he said he had to get to work and left.

After cleaning up, Isabella called her friend Amelia, and they met up at the auction house. As they caught up, Amelia's eyes lit up when she heard Michael had stayed over at Isabella's place.

"Did you two sleep together last night? How was he in bed? What positions do you like? How long did you last?" Amelia's questions got more and more explicit.

Blushing, Isabella quickly covered Amelia's mouth.

"Nothing happened! He drank too much and passed out as soon as he hit the bed," Isabella explained quickly.

Amelia looked disappointed. "Seriously? A hot guy in your bed and you just watched him sleep?"

Isabella rolled her eyes. "We're just contractually married. No sex involved."

To steer Amelia away from more explicit questions, Isabella quickly brought up John and Bianca's apology visit that morning.

"You slapped Bianca twice? That must've felt good. She totally deserved it. Did you get a chance to slap that jerk John too?" Amelia asked, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Isabella realized she had missed her chance to slap John and felt a twinge of regret. Just then, they noticed a luxury car pulling up to the auction house. Isabella recognized it immediately as the Brown Family's car.

Pearl stepped out, looking glamorous in a stunning dress. Reporters swarmed her, snapping photos and bombarding her with questions.

"Ugh, look at her pretending to be all innocent. It's disgusting," Amelia said, glaring at Pearl.

Isabella gave Pearl a quick glance but then turned her attention away.

In the city's elite circles, Pearl's family was known as typical nouveau riche, always trying to act like aristocrats to boost their status.

"Let's go. We don't need to waste our time on her," Isabella said, pulling Amelia into the auction house.

As they walked past Pearl, Pearl noticed them too. Normally, Pearl would have gone out of her way to mock Isabella, but with reporters around, she had to keep up her noble act.

"Alright, everyone, I need to head inside before all the good stuff is gone," Pearl joked, waving to the reporters before heading into the auction house.

Once inside and away from the cameras, Pearl's smile vanished, replaced by a sinister look. She quickly spotted Isabella and followed her into the women's restroom.

Isabella was washing her hands when she heard the click of high heels behind her and saw Pearl's reflection in the mirror. Ignoring her, Isabella continued washing her hands, which only made Pearl angrier.

"Isabella, who do you think you are? I'm about to marry John's uncle. Once I do, I'll cancel your engagement with John! Let's see how you fare without the Williams Family's protection," Pearl spat, her face twisted with malice.

Drying her hands, Isabella turned to face Pearl.

"If you've got issues, see a doctor. Whether you marry John's uncle or not, it's none of my business. Do you expect me to respect you like an elder? Get real, you old hag," Isabella said mockingly, then walked out of the restroom.

Pearl's eyes widened with rage. She pointed at herself and shouted after Isabella, "How dare you call me an old hag! Just wait, Isabella. Once I marry John's uncle, I'll make sure to crush you under my feet."