Chapter 457

Michael threw out his theory, and Mason's face instantly turned stormy.

Michael kept going, acting like he didn't notice. "Only animals fight like crazy during mating season, trying to impress the ladies. But, you know, animals aren't exactly known for their smarts compared to us humans."

As Michael wrapped up, he saw Mason's face had gone from bad to worse. Inside, Michael was doing a little victory dance. This was exactly what he wanted. Mason had always been suspicious of him.

"You and your dad really make people want to strangle you sometimes," Mason suddenly blurted out.

Michael just rubbed his nose, staying silent.

Mason gave his cane a hard tap and let out a long sigh. "Actually, you've got a point. Back in the day, when I was chasing after Isabella's grandma, we did a lot of stuff we thought was romantic but was actually pretty dumb."

"What kind of stuff?" Michael asked, curiosity all over his face.

"I once put covers on every street lamp at school. When the lights came on, they projected lines of text on the ground through holes in the covers. Each line was a love poem I wrote to Isabella's grandma," Mason reminisced, a flicker of happiness in his eyes.

"And then, knowing my dad, he must've messed it up, right?" Michael's curiosity grew.

"That jerk found out about my plan and swapped my lampshades with ads for nearby shops. Not only did I fail to impress Isabella's grandma, but he also made some advertising money!" Mason glared at Michael, seeing a bit of that old Kenna in him.

Michael almost lost it, covering his mouth to stifle his laughter. It was classic Kenna, even if he was more mellow now.

But Mason's anger quickly faded, replaced by a mischievous grin. "You think I just took that lying down? Your dad set up a beautiful fireworks display, planning to play a love song over the school's PA system at the peak moment. Guess what I did?"

Michael's mouth twitched as he guessed, "Did you pour water into those fireworks?"

Mason slapped Michael's chest. "Bingo, nephew! I drilled tiny holes in each batch of his fireworks and poured water in. So when his fireworks went off, all they did was puff out black smoke! And I also snuck into the broadcasting room and swapped his love song with pig squeals!"

Thinking back, Mason burst into laughter, looking at Michael.

Michael's face didn't change much, just a hint of helplessness and a wry smile. "In some ways, you both were pretty childish back then."

After a good laugh, Mason shook his head, his face returning to normal. "That's all ancient history. Over the years, I think your dad's forgiven me, and I've forgiven him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let you come here."

After saying that, Mason's face turned serious. He looked Michael straight in the eye and said, "You gotta remember what I told you. I'm good to Isabella because she reminds me so much of her grandma. And before her grandma passed, she asked me to look after Isabella. It's a promise I made, and I hope you can help me keep it."

Michael hesitated, then asked, "Mason, do you really trust me with this? Isabella's grandma was your first love, not mine."

"Well, she was also your dad's first love. You listen to your dad, right? I don't think he'd turn down my request," Mason said, a knowing smile creeping onto his face.

Michael shot back, "My dad might have had feelings for Isabella's grandma, but not as deep as yours. He loved my mom a lot."

Mason gave Michael a puzzled look. "I didn't make it to your dad's wedding, but he sent me photos. Haven't you noticed Isabella looks a bit like your mom?"

Michael froze. He thought hard about Isabella's face and then pictured his mom, Audrey.

His expression turned strange, his brow furrowing.

'Did my dad marry someone who looked like Isabella's grandma? Is my mom just a stand-in?' Michael suddenly felt a pang of resentment towards Kenna.

"Alright, whether it's my request or your dad's, I hope you can help Isabella when she needs it. I believe you can. It's a promise between us men," Mason said, giving Michael a firm pat on the chest.

Michael's face stayed serious. He nodded. "As long as it doesn't mess with my interests, I'll help Isabella find out who's behind all this."

Mason raised an eyebrow at Michael's expression, then waved his hand. "Well, I came to see you just for this. I'm a bit tired, so I'll rest now."

Michael nodded goodbye to Mason and left the Williams Villa.

Not long after, he ran into Benjamin.

Benjamin hopped into Michael's car and asked, "How'd it go? Did Mason get suspicious?"

Michael nodded. "Yeah, he did, but I managed to throw him off. I probably can't keep it up for long. Sooner or later, he'll figure out I'm Isabella's husband. He even punched my chest a few times to test me."

Everyone knew Isabella's husband had been shot in the chest and the wound hadn't healed.

Mason wanted to see if Michael would flinch in pain when his chest was hit.

"Good thing the meds I gave you worked, but you might be in for a rough time later," Benjamin said, shaking his head.

"It's fine, I can handle it," Michael said with a brief smile, though his face turned pale and cold sweat started to bead on his forehead.