Chapter 52

Mason and Charles were just about to leave the hospital when they heard John screaming from the ward behind them.

Charles's muscles tensed up a bit. "Mr. Williams, are you really not going to do anything about that?" he asked, a bit unsure.

Mason kept his smile. "Why should I? A little roughhousing between young folks is pretty normal, right? It's just how they bond, I get it."

Mason left the hospital, leaning on his cane, while Charles just pressed his lips together.

"This doesn't sound like flirting at all, more like someone getting back at him," Charles muttered, but he didn't step in either. Mason was John's grandpa, and if he didn't care, why should a butler like him?

Inside the ward, Isabella wasn't doing anything too crazy to John. The worst she did was burn his leg hair with a lighter or pinch his waist.

"Had enough?" John snapped at Isabella.

Isabella smirked. "Can't handle a little pain? I almost bled out on a hospital bed, you know."

"Don't try to fool me with that crap. I don't believe a word you say. Bianca would never do something like that!" John shot back, glaring at her.

Isabella had long given up on John's smarts, but she still had to take Mason's orders seriously.

"Once I'm done cooking, I'm outta here. Just looking at you makes me sick," Isabella snorted and headed to the kitchen.

John's hospital room was top-notch, with a private bathroom and a kitchen for the maid to cook in.

Isabella checked out the kitchen's fancy ingredients, some of the best in the world. Without a second thought, she grabbed a plastic bag, packed the ingredients, then cooked some broccoli, sprinkled a bit of salt, and served it to John.

"You're giving me this? I don't even work out, why this stuff?" John glared at her.

Isabella stared back coldly. "Mason said if you don't eat it, he'll break your legs. So, if you don't like it, too bad."

John shoved the plate of broccoli away. "I'm not eating this. I want a top-notch steak and Boston lobster."

"If you don't eat, I'll make that call," Isabella said, pulling out her phone to find Mason's number.

John, scared of Mason's wrath, reluctantly started eating the broccoli.

"Alright, meal's done, I'm outta here," Isabella said, grabbing the bag of top ingredients and leaving the hospital.

John watched her leave, feeling an unexpected sense of reluctance.

"Damn, do I have a thing for pain?" John angrily threw the empty plate to the ground.

Meanwhile, Isabella got home with the bag of fancy ingredients. As she put them in the fridge, she couldn't help but think of Michael.

"Why am I thinking of Michael? There's not a single good guy out there. I'll eat all this stuff myself and not leave any for him," Isabella muttered at the fridge, but in the end, she didn't eat it all, mostly because she couldn't finish it.

Meanwhile, Michael, totally clueless about what he was missing, hit the bar with Benjamin, downing drink after drink, looking pretty down.

"Seriously, Michael? You're this upset over something so small? It's just a misunderstanding," Benjamin said, shaking his head at Michael's mood.

"So, what should I do? Got any bright ideas? I always feel like there's this invisible wall between us. Even without the Pearl thing, there'd be something else," Michael said, staring into his glass, looking miserable.

Benjamin took a sip of his drink and smirked. "Actually, I do have a plan that'll have Isabella falling for you in three weeks, tops."

Michael's eyes lit up at that.

"Alright, spill it. What's the plan?" he asked, looking hopeful.

Benjamin put down his glass, looking all smug. "It's pretty simple. You know Isabella and Pearl don't get along, right? Just tell her Pearl was trying to make her jealous by flirting with you, and that lipstick mark on your shirt? Blame it on Pearl."

Michael nodded, taking it all in.

Benjamin shrugged and continued, "When a woman starts doubting her partner, even if you tell her it's a misunderstanding, she'll only believe half of it. The other halfis on you to show her you're sincere."

Michael waited, but Benjamin didn't say anything else. Annoyed, he glared at him. "I don't know if Isabella will buy that half, but I swear, if you only give me half a plan, my fist is gonna land on half your face."

Seeing Michael clench his fist, Benjamin chuckled nervously and took a step back. "No need to get violent. You two have been married for ages and you haven't even given her a ring, right? The other half of the plan is simple: give her a wedding ring. Trust me, women go nuts for that."

Michael frowned, then immediately pulled out his phone to check out rings on the big jeweler websites.

Benjamin peeked at his phone and saw prices ranging from tens of thousands to millions of dollars. Suddenly, Michael closed the website and called Kenna directly.

"I want the Eye of Aurora ring. Bring it to me," Michael said, then hung up.

Benjamin, who had just taken a sip of his drink, spat it out in shock.

"Wait, are you talking about the Eye of Aurora? The ring that sold for a billion dollars 30 years ago? There's only one in the world, right?" Benjamin asked, stunned.

Michael nodded casually. "Yeah, my dad bought it and gave it to my mom. After she passed, he planned to give it to my wife."

Benjamin clapped his hands, impressed. "Looks like you finally realized how much you love Isabella."

Putting his phone away, Michael patted Benjamin on the shoulder. "Thanks for the advice, but here's some for you: find a girlfriend while you're still young."

Benjamin watched Michael walk away and sneered. "Only a rough guy like you would fall in love and not want to get out. Smart guys like me never fall in love."