Chapter 377

Renee didn't need to say a word for the bodyguard to recognize what she was holding. He didn't even dare to take it from her, his face turning pale with fear.

"Renee, are you trying to get me killed?"

It was a tracker. And he was just a bodyguard, what right did he have to put it on his employer? It was insane!

Renee didn't care about any of that. She just wanted Isabella to be happy and safe at the same time.

"Why can't you be a bit more flexible?"

"Do you think this is a normal situation? If you don't let Isabella go out, she'll be upset. But if you let her go out alone, who can be at ease? Without this tracker, if Mr. Atticus Wilson asks where she is, and you don't know, then you're really done for."

The bodyguard had to admit she had a point.

But he didn't have any other options at the moment.

In the afternoon, Michael had just finished his work when he received a call from Aaron, who was overseas.

"Mr. Brown, our people have talked to the head of the mining operation, but strangely, he suddenly lost interest in the cooperation he was so eager about last time. Instead, he keeps using the negotiations as an excuse to probe into our situation."

"I found it suspicious, so I paused the negotiations. But the head of the operation said they've already completed all the paperwork and just need to finalize the profit-sharing ratio. He asked for more time."

If Aaron hadn't told him this personally, Michael would have thought the head was playing games with them.

Securing mining rights wasn't a small matter. It was a multi-billion-dollar project.

If the head wasn't doing this on purpose, then there was clearly something wrong.

Michael could see it, and Aaron had thought of it too.

"Mr. Brown, I suspect the head of the mining operation has been bought off by the Adri Family. They're pretending to cooperate with us to delay and waste our resources, leaving us with nothing in the end."

Eventually, the mining rights would go to the Adri Family, and Michael's team would be left in ruins.

Aaron's suspicion was reasonable, but Michael knew how hard it was to establish a foothold in a foreign country without any influence.

But no matter how hard it was, he had to try.

"Are there any other mining operations nearby that we could approach?"

If the Adri Family was focused on one large mining operation, they might not pay much attention to the smaller ones.

Undermining their efforts could be a viable strategy, even if it meant Michael would lose some profit.

After all, they had already invested too much in the mining project. If they ended up with nothing, that would be the biggest loss.

Right now, the most important thing was to secure the mining rights. Once they had that, they could take their time with the rest.

This wasn't their home turf; a head-on confrontation wouldn't benefit him.

Aaron, on the other end of the line, was still reluctant to give up on the largest mining operation.

"Mr. Brown, I still want to give it another shot. Their internal structure isn't as solid as it seems. If we can find their weak spot and offer better terms than the Adri Family, I think we might still have a chance."

"Even abroad, no one can resist the lure of profit."

Michael was silent for a moment before finally agreeing to Aaron's request.

"Alright, come up with a new project estimate as soon as possible."

"Yes, Mr. Brown."

Even though he knew the situation, Michael still wanted to remind him, "Aaron, I get that you don't want the Adri Family to snag this project, but remember, we've already sunk a lot into this. If we can't cut our losses in time, we'll end up losing even more."

They had poured a ton of money, manpower, and resources into this project, and the upcoming jewelry market would need a hefty promotional budget.

These were major expenses, and he had to think long-term.

"I understand, Mr. Brown."

Aaron had been with Michael for several years and understood the weight of his words.

Since Aaron was sent there, he would make the most of his role. If it didn't work out, he would find another way.

After discussing work, Aaron hesitated before asking a personal question.

"Mr. Brown, there's something I want to ask you."

Michael immediately knew what he was getting at.

He decided to be straightforward. "Renee is staying with the Wilson Family, with Isabella. I heard her leg is almost healed, so you don't need to worry."

"As for anything else, I can't help you."

He hadn't had a chance to see Isabella either. Even the divorce papers were handed over to Thomas to deliver.

"I understand. Thank you, Mr. Brown."

Aaron knew Renee's stubborn personality well. If she didn't trust someone or something, no amount of explanation would change her mind.

He just wanted to know how she was doing.

As long as she was safe, he didn't ask for more.

When he left last time, her leg was still badly injured. Now that she had recovered so quickly, it seemed staying with Isabella was a good thing for her.

Since he wasn't in the country, he couldn't protect her. Knowing she was with Isabella gave him peace of mind.

"Alright, speed up your progress over there, and you'll naturally get to see her."

Michael couldn't stand Aaron's lovesick demeanor.

He decided to give Aaron some reassurance, so he wouldn't be distracted by thoughts of his girlfriend all the time.

"Thank you, Mr. Brown. I'll speed things up and make sure to complete the task." Aaron was eager to return home and see Renee.

He missed her terribly.

As night fell, Michael, dressed in a sleek black suit, stepped into the Starlit Tavern.

He checked the time; there was still half an hour before Bianca was supposed to arrive.

He headed to his private booth.

A waiter quickly brought his usual drink and placed it on the table before leaving.

Michael wasn't in a hurry. He took out a small bear keychain and fiddled with it.

His purpose for coming here tonight was to get the truth from Bianca.

Then he planned to have her arrested and taken to the police.

He hadn't forgotten the pain she caused his child and Isabella's kidnapping.

Bianca had hurt his wife and killed their child; there was no way he would let her go.

His men were already in position outside, ready to surround the bar as soon as Bianca showed up. She wouldn't be able to escape.

Thinking about this, Michael narrowed his eyes, took off his suit jacket, and relaxed on the sofa.

The drink in front of him was the same one he had with Ethan last time. He remembered it was quite strong.

But he had important matters to attend to tonight, so he decided not to drink it.

Just then, a waiter pushed open the door and handed Michael a freshly made cocktail.

"Mr. Brown, this is our new drink. Please try it; it's not very strong."