Chapter 454
"How could this happen?"
Michael had been busting his butt for the company for years, never taking a break. Aiden always trusted him completely. So why the heck would Aiden suddenly kick him out?
What the heck went down?
If anyone else had told her, Isabella might've doubted it. But this came straight from Shadow. It had to be legit.
And if it wasn't 100% true, Shadow wouldn't have called her just to spill the beans.
"Shadow, do you know why this happened?"
Isabella knew Shadow probably wouldn't spill the whole story, but she had no other way to dig into it right now.
She was freaking out.
Michael was still recovering from injuries he got because of her, and now this huge mess at the company. Where could he be now?
Shadow sighed on the other end of the line but didn't say much more.
"Isabella, that's all I can tell you. For anything else, I'm really sorry."
Isabella felt crushed.
Michael had lost his CEO position and got booted from the company. Even though he still had the whole Brown Family backing him, losing his power was like losing his purpose.
For someone as proud as Michael, getting knocked off his high horse and stomped on by everyone was worse than death.
Isabella had lived with him for three years and knew better than anyone how proud he was.
Being the heir to the Brown Group wasn't just a power trip for him; it was the result of all his hard work over the years. And now it was gone, just like that.
How could he possibly accept this?
"By the way, Isabella, aren't you curious about who's taking over the company now that Michael's out?"
Isabella was caught off guard.
She had been so worried about Michael that she hadn't even thought about that.
Aiden was over eighty and couldn't possibly come back to run the company.
There was only one other person in the Brown Family who could take the reins.
"Nolan?"
"Exactly!"
Shadow snapped his fingers on the other end of the line and dropped another bombshell.
"Isabella, Nolan's no ordinary guy. And he's not just after the Brown Group; he's after you too."
"Me?"
Isabella frowned, not getting what Shadow was hinting at.
"Yep. Nolan's a master manipulator. Just as the Brown Group's scandal broke, news about you two popped up. Who knows if Michael will pass out from rage when he sees it."
"But for now, you should check the news online. The public's been going nuts from the start, and it's getting out of hand. Brace yourself for what you might see."
Isabella listened to Shadow's cryptic words, then hung up and immediately checked the latest news.
The top headline was about her and Nolan's forbidden romance, with nearly ten million shares. The comment section was a total mess.
[These rich families are so messed up. She was married to Michael from the Brown Family for three years, and right after the divorce, she's with his older brother Nolan. Disgraceful.]
[No wonder she suddenly wanted a divorce. She was tired of Michael and turned to seduce his brother Nolan.]
[She's shameless, and she comes from a prestigious family too.]
[Isabella must be after the Brown Group's fortune. She ruined Michael and now she's after his brother Nolan. Or maybe she just likes this kind of thing.]
Isabella couldn't read any more. Just these few comments made her so angry she almost threw her phone.
What was all this nonsense?
When had she ever had any relationship with Nolan? She didn't even know herself!
Scrolling back up, Isabella opened the photos. Recognizing the location and environment, she remembered it was from a few days ago when she was at a café with Nolan.
That was the day Nolan suddenly confessed to her and impulsively grabbed her hand.
She had been so shocked she couldn't think straight, and her expression was one of pure surprise.
But the photographer's angle and timing made her shock look like immense joy, and Nolan's deep gaze was clearly directed at her.
The person who took the photo had deliberately used it to drag her into a media storm.
Isabella scrutinized the angle. The photographer had been in the same area, secretly taking pictures from their right side.
If it had been a paparazzo, the café wouldn't have allowed it. And Nolan wouldn't have let such photos leak.
The only possibility was that Nolan had arranged it himself.
Only under his orders would someone dare to take such blatant photos in his presence.
Thinking back, she felt foolish.
She had been so concerned about his pride and face, afraid that rejecting him publicly would embarrass him.
It turned out it was all part of his plan.
Today, just as Michael was kicked out of the company, Nolan released these photos. He wasn't hiding his intentions at all.
His goal was to completely crush Michael.
Losing the company, his heir status, and his woman all in one night would devastate anyone, especially Michael.
Isabella's eyes reddened with anger. She had always treated Nolan like a brother, even if they weren't related by blood. She considered him her best male friend.
But he had used her as a tool to attack Michael.
Furious, Isabella found Nolan's number and called him directly.
She needed to ask him why he was using her like this!
When Nolan answered, he was both happy and surprised.
He had been waiting for her to reach out, but he hadn't expected her to see the news so quickly.
"Isabella."
"Nolan, what's with the headlines? What's with the photos? You better give me an explanation! Or I won't hesitate to get a lawyer involved."
Isabella's voice was full of anger and accusation.
If it had been anyone else, she might not have been so furious.
But it was Nolan.
She had always thought he understood her best, that they could talk about anything. Now he had manipulated her and used her to hurt Michael.
How could she tolerate that?
"Isabella, calm down. Just listen to me, okay?"
Compared to Isabella's rage, Nolan was surprisingly calm, as if everything was under his control.