Chapter 112: She Is Not My Type
Frederick remained silent.
Peter drew a card and said casually, "Sure, it's all grudges from the previous generation, and Isabella is innocent. But who told her to be part of the Taylor family?"
First Peter, then Frederick—both men were saying essentially the same thing.
They wanted him to stay away from Isabella.
The thing was, neither of them was being very clear about it.
Benjamin's eyes were full of confusion.
Ethan, sitting nearby, finally explained the whole story in a few sentences.
Isabella was the illegitimate daughter of John Taylor, head of the Taylor family, one of Empire City's elite families.
Normally, with that kind of status, especially after being acknowledged by John, Isabella's mother Anna should have thought about her daughter's future—whether living abroad or keeping a low profile in Empire City, either would have made sense.
But Anna wouldn't have it.
Whether it was elite social gatherings or private functions, Anna showed up every single time, making her presence known.
When people gave John face and called her Mrs. Taylor, Anna would smile and accept it.
This infuriated the legitimate Mrs. Taylor so much that she fell ill several times.
Some said Anna had no shame.
Others said John couldn't think straight.
But the fact was, Isabella, already branded as an illegitimate daughter, was looked down upon in these circles.
The society ladies looked down on her.
Those who were also illegitimate children wanted to get close to her, but couldn't stand her cold attitude.
Over time, Isabella became known as a loner in elite circles.
Then rumors started circulating about Isabella being seen with blonde, blue-eyed, handsome men going in and out of nightclubs and hotels. The gossip mill churned out stories about Isabella being wild, saying like mother, like daughter.
Gradually, Isabella's reputation in these circles got even worse.
"Oscar Taylor, the eldest son of the Taylor family, put the word out in the circle—whoever hangs out with Isabella is going against him."
Peter picked up the thread, looking at Benjamin. "You're going to have endless dealings with Oscar in the future. For business and personal reasons, you'd better keep your distance from Isabella!"
Thinking about how Benjamin kept chatting with Isabella at dinner, Peter smiled. "You're not actually interested in her, are you?"
"Are you kidding me?"
Benjamin's eyebrows shot up. "Interested? She's not my type at all!"
"Better not be."
Frederick glanced at Benjamin.
Benjamin shook his head helplessly, then asked with an amused expression, "Didn't you say Isabella was a loner in the circle? How come I saw her and Becca acting like real sisters?"
His words earned him another cold look from Frederick.
Knowing Frederick didn't like him calling her that, Benjamin smiled back, refusing to change.
"Isabella is loyal, and Becca values relationships."
Frederick said in a low voice, "She helped Becca out a few times years ago, and they became close friends."
As if feeling that wasn't convincing enough, Frederick added, "When the Getty family had trouble before, she sold her house and car and scraped together thirty million for Becca to pay off debts. She even mortgaged her racing garage..."
Isabella had a bad reputation, and the rich kids in the circle who loved cars thought it was bad luck and didn't take it over.
That's how the garage was saved.
No one but Frederick knew about these things. When he brought it up now, even Ethan, the most calculating of them all, was surprised enough to say "that's rare."
Then Frederick looked seriously at Benjamin. "Becca treats her like a real sister, so if anything happens to her in the future, I'm definitely taking her side. Keep your head clear and don't cause me any trouble!"
"Who are you looking down on?"
Benjamin said righteously, "I already told you, she's not my type. Don't worry!"