Chapter 418

If Joe was a total idiot, Michael would've never hired him back. Shy folks usually play it safe and think things through.

Joe knew his good looks and a few sweet lines wouldn't be enough to win Carol over.

Carol probably still had her doubts about him, but time would tell.

To be safe, Joe did a thorough sweep of the room and didn't find any bugs or hidden cameras. This made him feel better but also a bit confused.

"Did she really not mess with this room?" Joe muttered, still suspicious, as he scanned the walls and ceiling.

Joe grabbed a chair, stood on it in the living room, and checked the ceiling for any hidden devices but found nothing.

Finally, he cranked up the music on a speaker in the living room, blasting it at full volume.

Soon enough, there was a knock on the door.

Joe peeked through the peephole and saw a middle-aged woman looking pretty ticked off.

"How can I help you, ma'am?" Joe asked, opening the door with a friendly smile.

The woman's anger faded a bit when she saw Joe's handsome face. She still looked annoyed but said, "Sir, could you please turn down the volume? I just got off a night shift and need to sleep."

"I'm really sorry, ma'am. I was just testing my new speaker. I'll turn it off right away." Joe quickly went back and turned off the music.

"Feeling better now, ma'am?" Joe asked, still looking apologetic.

The woman smiled. "Much better, thank you. I live next door. My name's Tammy. If you need anything, just let me know."

Tammy Thorne waved and headed back to her place.

After Tammy left, Joe felt sure no one was eavesdropping next door.

If someone was spying, they wouldn't have come over. They'd act like nothing happened. Tammy's reaction confirmed it.

Joe jumped onto Carol's bed. The bedding was a luxurious purple with a silky feel.

Joe knew this type of woman well-cool on the outside but fiery inside, like a queen waiting for a man to conquer her and fill the void in her heart.

Just then, Joe's phone rang. He saw it was Mike calling. Joe picked up.

"How's it going? What stage are you at now?" Mike asked.

"I'm in Carol's house now. Her bed is way cozier than yours," Joe said with a smirk.

Mike paused, "Weren't you supposed to get into Isabella's company? How'd you end up at Carol's place?"

Joe waved the house key around like a trophy. "It's all thanks to my irresistible charm. She's got some deep desires, man. This mission's gonna be a breeze."

Mike's mouth twitched. "Just be careful, and call me if you run into any trouble."

"Relax, Mike. I've got this. Don't you trust my charm?" Joe grinned smugly, hopping off the bed and heading to the kitchen.

"Alright, Mike, gotta go. Time to whip up dinner for the lovely Ms. Lester. Her kitchen's stocked, so I'm making a feast," Joe said, about to hang up.

But Mike cut in, "Hold on, don't hang up yet. I need to ask you something."

Joe pulled out a carton of eggs from the fridge and asked casually, "What's up?"

"When you were the gang leader, didn't you read the old boss's diary? Describe the format and style of the paper," Mike said seriously, showing this was important.

Joe's eyebrows shot up. "You planning to forge a diary?"

Mike didn't deny it. "Yeah, we might need to, but we need your help."

Joe set the eggs on the counter and thought back. "The diary was pretty standard, and the paper was common. The tricky part was his handwriting-it was kinda unique. Damn, how could I forget that?" Joe suddenly slapped his forehead as he remembered something.

"What did you remember?" Mike asked eagerly, knowing this task was straight from Michael.

Mike could guess Michael's plan-to create some fake evidence to send to Paxton and take out certain people.

Joe pulled out his phone, searched for something, and sent a photo to Mike.

"That guy once wrote a love poem and asked me if it was good enough for his mistress. You can copy his handwriting from this," Joe said.

Mike looked at the love poem Joe sent, his lips twitching. "'I want to have a beautiful house with you, sunlight streaming through the windows, shining on your serene face, time freezes at this moment, no evening, no sunset.' This is from a rough gang leader? It reads like a woman's delicate penmanship."

Joe shrugged. "Never underestimate a man in love. We all have hidden talents when it comes to wooing women."

"Got it. Thanks for the poem," Mike said, hanging up somewhat helplessly.

After putting away his phone, Joe cracked an egg into a bowl, planning to make some cupcakes for dessert.

Michael took the cupcakes out of the oven and placed them in front of Isabella.

"Darling, try the dessert I made," Michael said, looking at Isabella with anticipation.