Chapter 401 Chance Encounter

Michael and Isabella were both surprised and delighted to see Courtney suddenly appear. They couldn't believe their luck; it was as if they had conjured her by merely talking about her.

Aria was equally thrilled and asked Courtney how she ended up there.

Courtney explained, "Today's school event was organized by the student council and the school together. To reward ourselves, we decided to go out for dinner tonight. I didn't expect to run into you."

"Just a moment ago, I was talking to Michael about you. He attended your school's event today and mentioned that you helped them out. They wanted to thank you." Aria said.

Courtney looked at Michael and Isabella in surprise, feeling puzzled. Weren't they her brother's friends? Why did they say she helped them?

"Courtney, you remember us, right? We met today." Isabella quickly said.

Courtney nodded, "I remember, you are..."

"Courtney, there's something I want to talk to you about privately. Is that okay?" Isabella interrupted her.

Courtney looked helplessly at Aria.

Aria, also unsure of Isabella's intentions, glanced at her in confusion, about to ask what she wanted to discuss with Courtney.

Before she could speak, Michael suddenly said, "Aria, do you remember Professor James from our department?"

"Of course I remember. Courtney, go ahead and chat with Ms. Taylor. It's fine," Aria said, not wanting to miss the chance to talk to Michael alone. She patted Courtney's shoulder, encouraging her to leave with Isabella.

Courtney obediently nodded and followed Isabella.

Isabella looked at Courtney, who resembled Michael, and felt a strong affection for her.

 After they sat down in a different area, Isabella ordered some desserts that little girls typically love.

"Thank you, ma'am," Courtney said politely.

Isabella smiled warmly and said, "I want to talk to you about your brother. I lied to your cousin, saying you helped us, and that's how we know you. I didn't tell her that we know your brother."

"Why?" Courtney asked curiously.

Isabella sighed and said, "Because it's a bit complicated."

Courtney's curiosity grew, and she couldn't help but sit closer to Isabella, urging her, "Ma'am, please tell me. Since you want to talk to me privately, don't keep me in suspense."

Isabella revealed that she and Calista were her cousins and explained Calista's feelings for Michael.

"That's so complicated?" Courtney's eyes widened in surprise. She was still young and couldn't fully grasp these complex emotions. However, it seemed these matters didn't involve her brother.

"Your brother has always hoped we could help with Calista's treatment. Because of this, we've had some unpleasant incidents. I feel really sorry, but I don't know how to apologize to him. Since you're his sister, do you know what he likes? Maybe if I give him a gift he likes, he will forgive me."

Isabella gently stroked Courtney's hair, hoping to get some strands. As she thought about how to obtain her hair while weaving a story to deceive her, Isabella felt her brain cells were being exhausted.

"Well, I didn't grow up with my brother, so I'm not sure what he likes. Let me think about it; I'll definitely help you," Courtney said earnestly, deep in thought.

Isabella continued to stroke Courtney's hair, but not a single strand fell out. She couldn't help but marvel at how young people rarely lose hair.

"Courtney, your hair is really nice."

If she increased the pressure, Courtney would surely notice. So, Isabella had to find another excuse to admire her hair openly.

Courtney proudly said, "My mom has great hair, and I inherited it from her."

"I'm so envious of your hair," Isabella said, gently combing through it with her fingers. Finally, she managed to catch two or three strands and quickly secured them without Courtney noticing.

"Oh, my brother likes reading. You could give him books. But he has a lot of books, so you should give him something rare to make him happy," Courtney said, her eyes lighting up as she shared her idea.

Isabella was thrilled, "That's wonderful, Courtney. Thank you so much for helping me come up with a solution. I'll go find some rare books right away. You should go back to your classmates and enjoy your meal."

"Okay, ma'am, I'll go now," Courtney said, standing up and waving goodbye.

Isabella breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took out a plastic bag from her purse to store the hair.

"Finished talking?" Michael asked as soon as she returned.

Isabella nodded and gave him a look, signaling that she had succeeded.

Michael quickly said to Aria, "It's getting late, and we've had enough to eat. We have some things to take care of, so let's meet up next time."

"So sudden?" Aria was a bit taken aback.

"We'll arrange another time," Michael said, taking Isabella's hand and leaving.

Watching them walk away hand in hand, Aria couldn't help but feel envious and sighed.

"Aria, did that lady leave?" Courtney ran over, curious to see only Aria there.

Aria snapped out of her thoughts, nodded, and asked, "Did you need to talk to her?"

Courtney explained, "That lady asked me about my brother's hobbies. I told her he likes reading, but I just remembered he also likes wood carving. So I ran out to tell her, but she had already left."

"Why was she asking about your brother's hobbies?" Aria asked curiously.

Courtney explained, "She said it was because of Calista. Their relationship is a bit complicated, and my brother seems to be upset with her. She wanted to apologize and was asking about his hobbies."

"I see. I have Michael's contact information; I'll let him know," Aria said.

Courtney nodded and quickly ran back to join her classmates for dinner.

Aria hesitated for a moment before dialing Michael's number.

"Michael, sorry to bother you. My cousin just told me that Ms. Taylor was asking about my brother's hobbies. She remembered that he also likes wood carving and wanted to tell Ms. Taylor, but you had already left, so she asked me to pass it on."

"My brother's hobbies?" Michael frowned, momentarily confused about who she was referring to.

"My brother is Leroy. Michael, you didn't know about this?" Aria asked, puzzled.

Michael finally understood and quickly said, "Got it, Aria. Thank you. I'll pass it on to my wife."

"Thanks for your help," Aria said, smiling as she hung up.

It seemed she needed to talk to Leroy about his relationship with Isabella!