Chapter 258

Michael had figured out Paxton's plan, but he had no intention of stopping it.

Why bother? Paxton's actions were aimed at his nephew John, who was now Michael's competitor. What harm in letting John face some trouble?

When Michael walked out of the bathroom, he found Isabella sitting on the couch.

The TV in the living room flickered, its sound just a background hum. Isabella's mind was elsewhere, seeking distraction in the ambient noise.

Michael walked to the coffee maker, brewed two cups, and brought them over.

"Honey, have some coffee," Michael said, placing a cup in front of Isabella.

"Thanks," Isabella replied with a faint smile, lifting the cup to her lips and sipping slowly.

"You know, you used to be so confident. But now, I don't see that confidence on your face," Michael teased, wrapping an arm around her.

Isabella gave a bitter smile. "I was confident before, but my father's sudden appearance threw me off. Now I get it-plans never keep up with changes."

Michael gently stroked Isabella's hair. "Let's look at it from a different angle. As your father's daughter, have you thought about where he might be hiding? People tend to stay in familiar places to calm themselves down."

Isabella furrowed her brows slightly. "I'm sorry, hon. From what I remember, my dad's always been at the company or the villa. I've been abroad for so long, so I don't really know if he has any other places around here."

As Isabella spoke, she suddenly paused, thinking of her mother, Mia. Mia had been with Jasper and probably knew more about him than she did.

"Hey, let's head to the detention center. I need to talk to Mia! She might know where Jasper is." Isabella's mood did a 180, all hyped up now.

Michael nodded, grabbing the car keys, and they headed to the garage together.

Minutes later, at the detention center, Mia sat across from her daughter and son-in-law in the interrogation room.

"Mom, I need you to tell me where Dad might be hiding. It's really important to us." Isabella stared at Mia intently.

Mia was surprisingly calm. After her husband's betrayal and her own betrayal of him, a strange peace had settled over her. She didn't crave much anymore-just enough money to get by after she got out.

"My dear daughter, I can help you with this, but what's it worth to you?" Mia asked, a sly smile playing on her lips.

Isabella furrowed her brows. "I hired a lawyer for you, paid your fine, what else do you want from me?"

Mia threw her hands up. "I want money, not a ton, just ten million bucks! If the info I give you really helps you nab your dad, then you gotta pay me that reward!"

"Are you out of your mind? How on earth am I supposed to rustle up ten million bucks for you?" Isabella sprang from her chair, her anger reaching a boiling point. She had barely scraped together three million over the years.

Michael, on the other hand, stayed calm and nodded. "Alright, if your info really leads us to Jasper, I can give you ten million."

Isabella turned to Michael, her eyes wide with shock.

Mia gave Michael a frosty look, her voice laced with skepticism. "Why should I trust you? I don't recall you swimming in cash."

"I'm richer than you think. I can wire the ten million straight to you." Michael pulled out his phone and started tapping away.

A few moments later, he showed the screen to Mia.

Mia's eyes widened a bit when she saw the transfer interface. The bank card on the screen was hers, and it showed a deposit of five million dollars.

"That's five million as a down payment. You'll get the other five million once we catch Jasper," Michael said casually, shrugging like it was no big deal.

A smile spread across Mia's face. "It seems I underestimated you. Alright, give me a sec to think about where Jasper might be."

She closed her eyes, her brow knitting in concentration.

Minutes ticked by, the silence growing heavy, even testing Isabella's patience. Then, suddenly, Mia's eyes flew open.

"I got it! Moonlit Lounge. That's probably where your dad is!" Mia rattled off the address to Isabella.

Isabella frowned. "How come I never knew my dad was still into the bar scene?"

Mia chuckled and shrugged. "There's a lot you don't know. Back when your dad was in college, he was a total hippie, always messing around. He and some buddies started a band, and their first gig was at Moonlit Lounge. He loved that place so much he ended up buying it. But it's way out in the sticks, so not many people go there, and it kinda fell apart over time. I haven't heard him talk about it in years, but whenever he's feeling down, he heads there to chill. Middle-aged guys, you know, they've got their own ways of dealing with stuff."

While Mia was talking, Michael had already pulled up the location of Moonlit Lounge on his phone.

"Babe, I found it. Let's roll." Michael grabbed Isabella's hand, and they left the room."

Mia watched the two leave and called out from behind, "Hey, don't forget our deal! If you really find Jasper, make sure I get the rest of that five million dollars."

Once Isabella and Michael were in the car, Isabella turned to Michael with a puzzled look. "Where'd you get five million dollars from?"

Michael grinned. "I got it from my dad! He can easily come up with not just five million, but even fifty million if he wanted to."

Isabella looked like she wanted to say something, but she just sighed. "I really don't want your dad getting mixed up in this."

Michael gently patted her head. "If you wanna pay him back, just give him a grandson soon."