Chapter 12

Bianca was in a daze, barely able to grasp what John was saying. Her rock, her constant ally, was telling her to get out of here, and fast.

She wanted to know why, but John wasn't giving her any answers. Instead, he just scooped her up and shoved her into the car.

John was pretty rattled himself. One of his guys had just handed him a new phone and mentioned Bianca's situation at the hospital.

John was very angry, just as he was about to call her to find out what was going on, Owen's call came in.

"Why haven't you sorted out Bianca yet? She even called me! Don't forget what your grandfather told you!" Owen barked before hanging up.

John's face twisted in frustration. He was worried Mason might have found out about the kidney swap for Isabella. But then he figured if Mason knew, it wouldn't be Owen calling.

Taking it as a warning from Owen, John decided to get Bianca out of the hospital and move her somewhere else.

Isabella had left before John showed up, missing the chance to see his sour face.

With Michael's help, Isabella settled back into bed. Giving Bianca a hard time had lifted her spirits and worn her out, making her feel sleepy.

With Michael by her side, Isabella drifted off.

Michael watched her sleep, a slight smile on her face.

'Why do I feel happy when she's happy? Have I really fallen for her?' he wondered, gently touching the back of her hand.

Michael still wouldn't admit he had feelings for Isabella. He saw it as part of his duty in their marriage.

Looking at her hand, he seemed to remember something. He pulled out a beautiful bracelet from his pocket. The emerald bracelet was flawless, carved from a natural gemstone. It could fetch a high price in any jewelry store.

Michael slipped the bracelet onto Isabella's wrist.

When she woke up, she quickly noticed it.

"What's this?" she asked, surprised, looking at Michael.

"It's a gift. Do you like it? I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. Even though you weren't in danger, you still got hurt," Michael said with a smile.

"I told you, it's not your fault. You don't need to give me a gift to apologize," Isabella said, trying to take off the bracelet, but Michael stopped her.

"Let me do something for you, okay?" he said seriously.

Isabella looked at him, his eyes shining as brightly as the bracelet.

She pursed her lips and nodded. This time, she didn't take off the bracelet, but she decided she'd give Michael a gift of equal value in return.

Michael then grabbed an apple from the fruit basket.

"What's next? Are you going to tell John's grandfather about this?" he asked as he started peeling the apple.

Isabella let out a deep sigh, staring up at the ceiling. "What's the point in telling him? At best, John might get locked up or get a good beating from Mr. Williams. But as that jerk John said, he's the heir to the Williams Family. I almost lost my life, and he still gets to live his. I don't have any good feelings towards the Williams Family anymore, except for Mr. Williams."

Michael was peeling an apple when his hand suddenly shook, causing the peel to fall to the ground with a soft thud, catching Isabella's attention.

She looked at Michael, who seemed a bit off, and laughed. "What are you doing? I was talking about the Williams Family. Not everyone with the last name Williams is the same. You're just an ordinary company employee."

Michael paused for a couple of seconds before laughing along. "Yeah, it's just a shame the apple peel can't be eaten."

He continued peeling the apple, but now he was slower and less efficient.

After a moment of laughter, Isabella got serious. "To really get revenge, I need to build up my power. I have to pull together what's left of my family's strength and help them rise again. Only then will I be able to take on John."

Michael looked at her, curious. "Are you that confident?"

Isabella nodded with a smile. "A drowning man will clutch at a straw. There's still life in the old dog yet. My family might be in decline, but we still have a solid foundation!"

Michael stayed silent for a couple of seconds. He knew the truth about the Taylor Family's finances-they weren't as strong as Isabella thought. Her parents had been hiding things from her.

"I'll help you. Legally speaking, I am your husband," Michael said with a smile, handing her the peeled apple.

Isabella nodded gratefully, finding the apple in her hand to be very sweet.

She stayed in the hospital for about a week, and after some rest, she was finally able to walk again.

On the day she was discharged, she got a call from her friend Amelia.

"You must be having a great time with your new husband these days, right? I feel like you've almost forgotten about me, your good friend," Amelia teased with a hint.

Not wanting Amelia to worry, Isabella lied and said she had been traveling out of town with Michael during her hospital stay.

"Of course, I haven't forgotten you. Actually, I have something to discuss. Let's meet up," Isabella said, mentioning a location and heading there directly.

They met at the most famous jewelry store in the city.

Isabella didn't waste time chatting. She showed Amelia the bracelet Michael had given her.

"Is this the bracelet your husband gave you? It's gorgeous. Men are at their best when they're giving gifts," Amelia said, gently touching the bracelet and sighing.

"Amelia, let's get this bracelet appraised here. I want to know its value," Isabella stated. She needed to know the bracelet's worth so she could give Michael a gift of equal value.