Chapter 421
Emilio had recognized Michael a while ago, but to save face, he pretended not to know him in front of Isabella.
Before he could say anything, Isabella grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the crowd.
They finally squeezed through, and when Isabella saw Michael getting publicly scolded and unable to defend himself, she almost burst out laughing.
It was so satisfying!
Michael, having a rough day, huh?
After asking around, Isabella found out what foolish thing Michael had done.
But she wasn't here to help Michael out; she was here to enjoy his embarrassment.
He even took a kid's toy? She had underestimated Michael's character.
He was truly despicable.
She listened as an elderly lady patiently advised Michael not to be someone who breaks promises.
Isabella stifled her laughter, cleared her throat, and joined in with the crowd criticizing Michael's "shamelessness."
"That's right, how can someone be so low? If you break this kid's toy, you should compensate, and double the amount at that."
Her clear, pleasant voice suddenly reached Michael's ears. He turned sharply and saw Isabella standing in the crowd.
She looked at him with a burning gaze, as if challenging him.
It would have been perfect if Emilio wasn't standing next to her.
He didn't care what she had just said; her presence alone showed that he still held some place in her heart.
Over the past three years, he had figured out her temperament. If Isabella didn't care about someone, she wouldn't even stop for them.
Seeing Michael's eyes fixed on the beautiful woman beside him, the kid's mom couldn't help but glare at him. He really wasn't a good person, still having a filthy mind at this moment.
"I'm talking to you. You broke my kid's toy, you can't just walk away without doing anything."
"The toy isn't worth much, but it's something my kid loves. As an adult, you should at least apologize to my kid."
Before the kid's mom could finish, the dad stopped her. "Alright, honey, it's just a toy. We can buy another one for our baby. It's not worth getting angry over."
"And he's not refusing to pay; he just didn't bring his wallet. Let's not make it difficult for him."
The kid's mom wanted to say more, but the dad held her hand and gently reassured their child, "Baby, Daddy will buy you a new one, okay?"
The family of three turned to leave, not planning to argue with Michael any further.
But they had only taken a couple of steps when a hand stopped them.
"Wait!"
The family looked at Isabella, who had just been helping them criticize Michael. Before they could ask what she wanted, Isabella took out a hundred-dollar bill from her bag and handed it to the kid's mom.
"Sorry, he's a friend of mine. We came here together. He's not the kind of person you think he is; his phone just happened to die. Please take this money as compensation for your kid's loss."
The kid's mom was momentarily stunned.
She had noticed that since Isabella appeared, Michael's eyes hadn't left her.
She thought Michael had some interest in Isabella.
So they were friends. That explained it.
The family took the money and left, and the crowd slowly dispersed.
Isabella watched the family leave, lost in thought.
It was such an ordinary family dynamic, yet it was something she had always dreamed of.
A well-behaved child, a loving husband, a mother who accompanies her child's growth. She had dreamed of each role.
But in her three years of marriage, Michael had never given her any warmth.
It was truly sad when she thought about it.
And she hadn't done this just to help Michael. She didn't want the child to be upset.
Ever since she lost her child, whenever she saw a family of three, she couldn't help but imagine how wonderful it would be if her child were still here.
Returning to reality, Isabella walked towards Michael, but this time she didn't look at him, instead standing next to Emilio.
Michael's expression changed, but he held back his irritation.
His eyes were fixed on Isabella, and he spoke in a low voice, "Thanks."
Michael wouldn't be so self-absorbed to think Isabella still liked him.
He was just impressed by her principles. Even though they were heading towards divorce, she still maintained his dignity in public.
"No need to thank me!"
Isabella chuckled softly, "I was just curious. After all, you're the CEO of a big company. Why aren't you at the office and instead praying at a church?"
The funniest part was that he had broken a child's toy and was being asked to compensate by the parents.
Michael probably had never faced such an embarrassing situation in his life.
And she had witnessed it.
Michael swallowed and found an excuse, "I was praying for someone else."
He couldn't admit it was for her.
"Really?"
Isabella didn't hold back, "Praying? But I remember you aren't one to care about these things. And it's such a coincidence we ran into each other today. Do you believe what you're saying?"
Isabella knew Michael was following her, but Isabella couldn't figure out how he knew her whereabouts.
She had agreed to come here with Emilio on a whim, and everyone around her hated Michael. There was no way they would leak her information to him.
Where did Michael get his information?
Standing nearby, Emilio noticed a glimmer in Isabella's usually calm eyes, and his gaze darkened.
In the half-day he had spent with Isabella, he had never seen such a look in her eyes. It was like a stone skipping across a calm lake, creating ripples and bringing everything to life.
Michael was the key to unlocking Isabella's hidden emotions.
Only when he appeared did Isabella revert to the lively, radiant princess she once was.
Though Emilio didn't want to admit it, the truth was right in front of him.
At this moment, even though there were three people standing there, the subtle connection between Michael and Isabella seemed to exclude everyone else. They only had eyes for each other.
Emilio felt a pang of anxiety and instinctively moved closer to Isabella. He didn't want to give up on her.
As Emilio reached out to hold Isabella's hand, Michael's face darkened.
Were they really going to flaunt their affection in front of him? Did they think he didn't exist?