Chapter 121: Big Trouble
William was attending a business dinner when he suddenly received a call from one of the racers.
His brow furrowed slightly, and his tone carried a hint of displeasure.
"Shouldn't you be training at this hour?"
Summit Holdings Corporation was interested in investing in the racing industry, with the renowned Snake Team as their first target.
After their initial meeting, the team's lead racer had used the collaboration as an excuse to get William's contact information.
The racer could hear William's irritation but pressed on anyway.
"Mr. Montagu, we are training, but there's this arrogant guy who showed up at our facility. He's deliberately provoking us, disrupting our training schedule, and trying to kick us out."
"I really had no choice but to contact you. Could you possibly have your secretary come handle this situation?"
The lead racer's tone was quite diplomatic, even offering a backup solution.
As the team's investor, William felt he'd look bad if he didn't step in to help.
He agreed offhandedly, exchanged a few more pleasantries with the dinner guests, then headed straight for the training facility.
Isabella had already mentally rehearsed what she'd say when she inevitably faced William.
Surprisingly, less than fifteen minutes after that phone call, William arrived at the facility.
His speed indicated he must have been at some nearby event or meeting.
He strode in wearing a sharp business suit, completely out of place among the people in racing gear.
Upon entering, William frowned and scanned everyone around him.
The first thing he saw was Joseph holding Olivia above his head, both of them laughing and having a great time.
Few people were willing to play with Olivia like this, and she was absolutely delighted being held in Joseph's arms.
This scene was nothing but painful for William to witness.
His daughter was having so much fun with a strange man.
It made him jealous!
"Higher, higher!" Olivia squealed with excitement, wanting Joseph to lift her even more.
Joseph laughed helplessly. "My arms are only so long, but if you really want to go higher, I suppose I could manage that."
He tossed Olivia gently into the air, then caught her securely as she came down.
Isabella watched from the side without a hint of objection, her eyes even crinkling with amusement.
They looked so perfectly harmonious together that it made William's heart ache.
He quickly approached Joseph with a cold expression. "Who gave you permission to play such dangerous games with Olivia? Give me back my daughter!"
The lead racer, who had been grinning and ready to brown-nose William, suddenly froze. He stared at Olivia in disbelief for a long moment.
He felt like his ears were playing tricks on him.
If this little girl was Mr. Montagu's daughter, then the woman she'd been calling "Mommy" was...?
The lead racer's pupils dilated as realization hit him like a truck.
Could the beautiful woman they'd just insulted and called a trophy girl actually be Mr. Montagu's wife?
They were screwed. They might never race again!
After this terrifying thought struck, several of the men became nervous wrecks, not daring to say a word as they shrank into the corners, desperately trying to become invisible.
They could only pray that William wouldn't notice them and would just treat them like air.
Joseph slowly set Olivia down and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
William's arrogant entrance instantly soured Isabella's mood, her expression turning ice-cold.
"Olivia can play with whoever she wants. What business is it of yours? I'm Olivia's guardian, and I gave permission for her to play with Joseph like this. Do you have a problem with that?"
Isabella stepped protectively in front of Joseph, shielding him from William's interrogation.
The two of them inevitably fought every time they met—Isabella had grown used to it.
William let out a cold laugh. "You bring Olivia to a place like this just so you can hook up and satisfy your own desires, and you have the nerve to act righteous in front of me?"
He was practically laughing with anger.
"What's wrong with a racing facility? Joseph and I have a completely innocent relationship. Don't assume everyone's as filthy as you are just because you're dirty yourself!"
If Isabella had shown some restraint when dealing with that racer earlier, she felt no need to be polite with William.
Because he simply didn't deserve courtesy.
"Daddy," Olivia said fearfully, not daring to watch her parents fight. She gently took William's hand and shook it. "Those men made a bet with Mommy and tried to kick us out. Daddy, please don't fight with Mommy!"
Children suffer the most when their parents fight.
Isabella knew this from personal experience.
Olivia's cautious, sensitive nature was largely due to witnessing their arguments and the failure of their marriage.
Isabella didn't want to affect their daughter, but William always brought up old grievances whenever he appeared, which frustrated her to no end.
William finally put the pieces together.
The team had called him because Isabella was competing with them for track time!
Isabella was the root cause of today's problem!
Once he realized this, William was surprised to find he wasn't surprised at all.
The man who'd been watching nervously from the sidelines quickly approached, sidling up to William with a fawning expression.
"Mr. Montagu, you really need to hear my side of the story. It's absolutely not what you think."
"We were just training normally when this lady and her companion suddenly showed up, claiming they'd reserved the entire track and wouldn't let us use it."
"At first we were trying to discuss the issue civilly, but then she suddenly launched into personal attacks, saying Snake Team could never win, that we'd be stuck in Aetheria forever and never get anywhere near the racers at Valeria headquarters."
For any racer, such an assessment was the deepest possible insult.
It was no different from pointing at their faces and calling them failures.
They all felt utterly humiliated.
After hearing this, William's expression darkened.