Chapter 405 Think of a Way

"Let's cut to the chase." Michael interrupted Terry, clearly impatient.

"Alright, Mr. Serious, can't you take a joke? Anyway, Michael, the test results are in. She's your half-sister." Terry said.

Michael closed his eyes and sighed deeply. No surprises there.

"When are the original documents arriving? I need them."

"They've already been sent. You should have them by tomorrow. The digital copy is in your email."

"Good. Don't tell anyone about this, especially my sister." Michael instructed.

"Do you even know me? My lips are sealed." Terry assured him over the phone.

Michael let out a cold laugh and hung up.

He didn't trust Terry's promises one bit.

"Is it confirmed?" Isabella asked after Michael ended the call.

Michael nodded. "Looks like I'll need to find a way to meet her."

"But I heard from Leroy that she rarely leaves the house. Meeting her won't be easy," Isabella pointed out.

"I know." Michael said, frowning. "I've had people watching their place, and she never steps out. Meeting her without Milan finding out is going to be tough."

"Milan works during the day. Maybe we could get Leroy to help us meet her when Milan's not home?" Isabella suggested.

Michael shook his head. "Runyon Manor has plenty of staff. They're all loyal to Milan. Meeting her there without him knowing is nearly impossible."

"True, with all the staff they have, meeting her alone is a challenge." Isabella agreed.

"If Leroy is willing to help, we might be able to meet her somewhere else." Isabella said.

Michael nodded. "But Leroy won't agree to help."

"Let's try," Isabella said, pulling out her phone. "I'll call him. If he refuses, we can find another way."

Michael hesitated but then nodded in agreement.

Even though he knew the likely outcome, he couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope.

Leroy refused without hesitation. "Sorry, I can't help. Our family is stable now, and I don't want to disrupt that."

"But the Johnson family is far from stable. As the cause of our troubles, how can the Runyon family enjoy peace?" Michael angrily grabbed the phone and shouted at Leroy.

Leroy replied, "I'm a Runyon. As long as the Runyon family is at peace, that's all that matters to me. The Johnson family's issues are not my concern. Mr. Johnson, everyone has their own interests. My father and Courtney are my family. I won't hurt them for someone unrelated."

"You're right. You don't want to see your family hurt, but I want revenge for the harm done to mine." Michael said coldly before hanging up.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hoped he would help us." Isabella apologized.

Leroy's refusal had only fueled Michael's anger. Isabella regretted making the call.

"It's not your fault. Actually, it's good you called. It helped me make up my mind." Michael said, gently touching her cheek, though his eyes remained cold.

"So, what do we do now?" Isabella asked, worried.

"Your job is to take care of yourself and not stress me out. I'll figure something out." Michael said, trying to sound reassuring.

But Isabella knew how difficult it would be to meet Milan's wife. She never left the house, unless Michael could somehow get into Runyon Manor.

Aaron had been keeping an eye on things, and there was no sign they were hiring.

Over the next few days, Isabella saw how stressed Michael was, barely eating. She suggested, "Why don't you try meeting Aria again? Maybe she can help."

Aria had called Michael several times recently, but he had refused to see her, either not answering or quickly ending the calls.

Isabella appreciated the security Michael gave her, but suggesting he meet Aria, knowing her intentions, was painful.

"Isabella, do you really want me to see her?" Michael asked, surprised.

"No," Isabella said without hesitation. "I don't want you to see her because I know she likes you. But we have no other options. For the bigger picture, I'm willing to put up with it."

Michael hugged her, touched. "If it makes you uncomfortable, we won't ask her. I can't let my wife suffer for my problems."

"I was joking. I don't feel uncomfortable. Really, call her." Isabella insisted.

Michael explained, "There's another reason I won't ask her. She's not stupid. She might help with a casual meeting, but if I ask her to help meet Mrs. Runyon, she'll want to know why. I can't lie to her about that."

"We only know two people from the Runyon family. One won't help, and we can't ask the other. What do we do?" Isabella said in frustration.

Michael's mind raced. Suddenly, he thought of someone else.

"There's another Runyon we know, someone who might help us meet her." Michael said.

"You mean Courtney?" Isabella's eyes lit up.

Michael nodded. "Courtney is her daughter. She's our best chance."

"But Leroy said not to involve Courtney. Is it okay to go against that?" Isabella asked.

Michael scoffed. "Leroy doesn't want us to contact Courtney because he fears it will disrupt the Runyon family's peace. He doesn't really care about her. Leave this to me."

He gently stroked her cheek to comfort her.

Isabella sighed and leaned on his shoulder.

She knew she couldn't change his mind. Thinking of Courtney, she just hoped the kind-hearted girl wouldn't get hurt.