Chapter 405
Michael's grip was shaken off, but he still stood firm in front of Isabella, refusing to back down.
"No way, you're coming with me today."
He couldn't convince her with words, so he was ready to use force.
As long as he could keep her here, he didn't care if Isabella ended up hating him.
Isabella took a deep breath and then let out a cold laugh. "Alright, give me one good reason why I should stay, and I'll go with you."
"Isabella."
Olivia was stunned, her eyes wide open.
Isabella patted her hand and whispered, "We don't have much time. If he keeps this up, do you think we'll still make our flight?"
Olivia immediately caught on.
Isabella was playing a strategy to make Michael let go on his own.
For a moment, Olivia was scared. She thought Isabella still had feelings for Michael and wanted to go with him.
Michael's eyes lit up when he heard she was willing to stay. He revealed his biggest worry and the most dangerous point.
"Isabella, Bianca is in Auroria. You can't go there."
Isabella felt a sharp pain in her chest.
She never expected that Michael's reason for wanting her to stay was because of Bianca.
"So, you're stopping me so ruthlessly just because you don't want me to run into your sweetheart, huh?"
As for why Bianca was there, it was definitely Michael's doing.
The Brown Group was in turmoil, and since they weren't fully divorced yet, Bianca's status was that of a mistress.
So he sent her abroad to hide for a while, waiting for things to settle down before bringing her back to marry her openly into the Brown Family.
He had everything planned out for Bianca.
He just wanted to give Bianca a legitimate status, so she wouldn't be criticized for her past.
If he loved Bianca so much, why did he still torment Isabella?
"Michael, if you're so worried about your darling, why don't you just bring her back and hide her in your place? Don't strip me of my right to go abroad just because she's there."
"I really don't get it. If you like her so much, why are you delaying our divorce? Only when we're no longer connected can you marry Bianca, right?"
"Isabella, what are you talking about?"
Michael frowned, never expecting that just mentioning Bianca would lead Isabella to such conclusions.
These things had nothing to do with him.
They said those involved were confused, while bystanders saw clearly.
Standing aside, Olivia finally understood this saying, watching Isabella pretend not to care when she clearly did.
She felt heartache for Isabella.
What was so good about Michael? Any random guy outside would be better than him.
Why couldn't she let go of such a bad man?
But she had to admit, Michael was right about one thing.
That was Bianca, the crazy woman.
If it weren't for her, Isabella wouldn't have lost her child.
Now that Isabella's body had just recovered, if she ran into that lunatic Bianca again, who knew what Bianca might do?
For safety's sake, this trip to Auroria was off the table.
Seeing Michael getting closer to Isabella, clearly intending to take her away, Olivia quickly pulled her aside and said to Michael, "Back off, Michael. I don't know what you're trying to pull, but we'll trust you this time. Just don't get too comfortable. Keep your distance from Isabella."
With that, Olivia pulled Isabella away quickly.
As they walked out, Isabella looked at Olivia in confusion. "Olivia, are we not going?"
"No!"
"Why not? Do you also think I'm afraid of Bianca?"
Isabella was baffled. She was actually eager to find Bianca. If Bianca was in Auroria, she wanted to confront her.
She wanted to capture Bianca and avenge her child.
"It's not about fear."
Olivia sighed and explained, "Isabella, Bianca is a complete lunatic now. A lunatic can do anything. We can't risk your safety."
"Besides, abroad is different from Evergreen City. Here, we have people everywhere. But if we go abroad, there's no one to control the situation. Bianca is vengeful. If something happens, we won't even have anyone to call for help. It's too dangerous."
"If you're worried about Renee, we can send someone to protect her. How about that?"
Isabella didn't respond. Just then, her phone buzzed.
It was a text from Aaron.
He said he was on the flight to Auroria with Renee and assured her he would protect Renee.
Olivia, standing close, saw the message too.
"Aaron went with her, Isabella. Now you can relax, right?"
"Okay."
With Aaron there, she felt much more at ease.
Meanwhile, watching Isabella get into the Wilson Family car, Michael finally felt relieved and returned to the office.
But as soon as he arrived, he was faced with a big problem.
The project confirmation from Auroria had come through.
The Adri Family's concession had finally given him the mining rights to the largest mine.
But the Adri Family had a condition. The mining rights had to be bought out in one go, worth a billion dollars.
Otherwise, they would take a 20% cut of the profits from each batch of diamonds mined.
Even though diamonds were highly profitable, they could only be monetized after being brought back to the country.
They not only had to invest in mining but also manage the entire process, including risks and resource costs.
The Adri Family demanding 20% was outrageous.
Michael took one look and knew this wasn't the contract Aaron had signed.
He quickly dialed Aaron's number to clarify, as Aaron was the one in charge of the project.
And the contract had already been stamped by the local government. If not handled promptly, the Brown Group would suffer.
But his phone was turned off.
Michael frowned deeply. How could he forget? Aaron was on a plane and likely out of the country by now.
He sat down to calm himself.
Luckily, he had reviewed the contract. Even though the Adri Family had stamped it, it wouldn't be valid without his signature and submission.
The worst outcome would be a delay in the project's start.
He rubbed his temples, wondering if he was overthinking.
Lately, whether it was the Brown Group or his personal life, strange things kept happening, never a moment of peace.
Just as Michael shook off his thoughts and started working, his phone buzzed again.