Chapter 858: Different Ideas

Isabella remembered, of course. What she could not figure out was why Michael was bringing it up now.

She let out a slow breath. "Michael, when Grandpa handed me those shares, I never actually planned to keep them. I only signed the papers to spite you. I never wanted to take his life's work for myself."

"I know."

Michael tightened his grip on her hand, his gaze locking on hers with a rare intensity. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have been the one to hand you the pen when you signed."

Isabella blinked. "Then why did you still..."

She was even more confused now. If he had understood her intentions all along, why push her to sign the transfer agreement at all?

Michael gave her his answer. "When the Brown Group was in trouble, no one wanted to step in. The company was on the brink of collapse, and even I couldn't guarantee we could survive it.

"But you believed I could. If you hadn't pulled me up when you did, the Brown Group would never have bounced back this fast.

"I have never regretted that decision. No matter what you think, half of the Brown Group belongs to you now.

"Maybe only now do I truly understand what Grandpa was thinking back then."

He held her gaze, his dark eyes steady, full of something unshakable.

Aiden had once told him that Isabella was the only woman he could ever spend his life with. The only one who truly fit him. He had been too blind before, hurting her more than he cared to admit. Now that he understood, he would never let history repeat itself.

"You..."

Isabella was stunned. Back when the Brown Group was drowning, she had only followed her instincts and helped him. She had never imagined it had left such a deep mark on him.

"That's not the same thing," she said quickly. "My grandfather and your grandfather were close friends. Of course I would step in when the Brown Group was in trouble. It wasn't just because of us."

But even as she said it, something in her chest tightened. The truth was, she had acted because she couldn't bear to watch Michael go under. Admitting that now, in front of everyone, felt like betraying herself.

Especially since she had once sworn to Atticus and the others that once the Brown Group was safe, she would cut all ties with Michael. And now...

Olivia's voice broke in, light and teasing, her eyes flicking between the two of them before she lifted her brows at Isabella. "Have you two forgotten we're still here? Keep this up and I'm getting my phone out to record."

The Wilson brothers were less amused. Their expressions darkened as they realized the conversation had veered far from what they had planned.

They had wanted Michael to admit his mistakes and swear in front of them that there would never be another stunt like the kidnapping. Instead, Isabella looked dangerously close to forgiving him. Worse—she seemed to be worrying about him.

This was not part of the plan.

Kian shot Atticus a look, his eyes flicking toward the bag by Michael's side. The message was clear: If Michael was willing to transfer half the Brown Group's shares to Isabella, why hesitate? Just take them.

He wasn't the only one thinking it. Holden had caught the silent exchange too.

But Atticus turned his gaze away, making it clear he wasn't going to push Isabella into something she didn't want. She had already refused once. Forcing her to take what she believed wasn't hers would only put her in an impossible position.

Besides, the Wilsons had their own company. Isabella was the president of the Wilson Group. If she didn't want to merge interests, she had her reasons.

Kian and Holden exchanged a look of disbelief. No wonder Isabella and Atticus got along—they were both stubborn as hell. Once they decided on something, nothing could change their minds.

But Kian saw it differently. This was half of the Brown Group. Who would turn that down? With the Wilson Group already in Isabella's hands, combining the two would create a powerhouse. The Brown and Wilson families were already the biggest players in the south and east. Together, they could dominate the market in ways most people couldn't even imagine.

Opportunities like this didn't come twice.

And yes, Isabella was married to Michael, which technically made her the Brown Group's first lady. But titles meant nothing in business. They were both running their own empires, barely seeing each other. Michael was not yet thirty and too damn good-looking for his own good. Who could say there wouldn't be another Bianca in the future? And Michael had a history.

Better to be safe. In their world, binding two people's interests together was the only real insurance.

The more Kian thought about it, the more certain he became. He touched his nose, feigning casualness. "Isabella, don't be so quick to refuse. I think it's a good idea."

He added, "Don't forget—when the Brown Group was in trouble, you risked a lot for them. You almost dragged the Wilson Group's reputation down with it. Taking a little compensation isn't too much to ask."

Isabella's brows drew together. "Kian, what are you talking about?"

If she weren't looking right at him, she would never have believed those words came from his mouth.

Kian nudged Holden, giving him a look. "Holden, back me up here. Am I wrong?"

Holden jumped in without hesitation. "Isabella, Kian's right. You stepped in to save the Brown Group's name, even put the Wilson Group's credibility on the line. When the lawsuits came, you called Thomas back from overseas to help. That's a long list of favors. Taking some shares isn't unreasonable."

"Holden—" Isabella's voice sharpened. "Since when do you think like this? Does our family need that money so badly that you're all ganging up on me?"

She was furious now. She hadn't helped the Browns for a payout. She had done it because she wanted to pull Michael out of the wreckage. And now they were twisting it into some kind of bargaining chip.

Across the room, Orion and Thomas were watching with barely concealed amusement. Thomas, being a lawyer, knew exactly how valuable those shares were. If Atticus hadn't kept quiet, he might have been tempted to join Kian and Holden in convincing Isabella to take them.