Chapter 286

James was just your typical employee at the company until one day, he bumped into Lally, the chairman's daughter. Thanks to his good looks, he caught Lally's eye.

James pulled out all the stops to win Lally over, and before long, the sweet and innocent Lally was head over heels. They ended up getting married.

With Lally's family's influence backing him, James quickly climbed the corporate ladder.

But after tying the knot, James started packing on the pounds from all the social events and his lack of self-control. His once-handsome face turned greasy and less appealing.

Even though James had changed, Lally's love for him never wavered. She even had two kids with him, staying loyal despite his declining looks.

Lally had heard whispers about James, but he always swore he was faithful. Naive Lally, much like Isabella before her, believed that her efforts would make him change. But they both forgot that some people never change.

James' business trips were just a cover for his affairs with other women, and Lally knew nothing about it.

At first, James kept himself in check because his success depended on Lally's favor. If she ever stopped supporting him, he'd lose everything, and her family would cast him out.

But once someone gives in to temptation, they get bolder. Cheaters who get away with it once think they're untouchable and can keep doing it forever.

When Isabella showed Lally undeniable proof of James' cheating, Lally was completely floored.

Isabella had thought about using the evidence to blackmail James into giving up his shares. But after seeing everything Lally had done for James, she remembered her own past, how she had given everything for John.

Isabella couldn't stand to see Lally being deceived any longer, so she decided to take drastic action.

She found Lally and spilled the beans about James' infidelity.

Isabella was betting that Lally's family would destroy James, and then Lally could reclaim everything from him, including the shares he had bought.

After Lally got everything from James, she would return the shares to Isabella.

Whether Lally would keep the shares or sell them for a better price was a risk Isabella was willing to take.

But after today, Isabella knew she had made the right call.

Seeing James beaten and bruised, Lally's eyes were cold and unfeeling. She looked like a queen. She ordered her bodyguards to take James to their mansion and lock him up. She wanted to get every detail of his cheating out of him.

"No, Lally, I love you. It was a mistake, a stupid mistake. Give me another chance, it was the first time, I was only joking with Ms. Taylor!" James kept shouting Lally's name, his voice growing more desperate as he was dragged away.

Finding his pleas unbearable, Lally told the bodyguards to take off James' shoes and shut him up by stuffing them into his mouth.

Once James was dragged away, Lally sighed, "Finally, some peace and quiet."

"Mrs. Finley, you've been through so much. I get it, and I'm sure you've heard about my story too," Isabella said gently as they sat together.

Lally nodded. Everyone in town knew about Isabella's eight-year pursuit of John, even his engagement to her hadn't stopped him from hooking up with Bianca. It was no secret among the wealthy.

Wiping her tears, Lally turned to Isabella, "Thank you, Isabella. Without you, I might never have had the proof against James. He's just too sneaky."

Isabella smiled and shook her head. "You don't need to thank me too much. By helping you, I'm also helping the woman I used to be."

Lally spoke earnestly, "Thank you, Isabella. I heard about your struggle with Bianca over the shares recently. Give me a few days, and I'll take back everything from that jerk James! Then the shares will be mine, and I can return them to you."

Isabella held Lally's hand and shook her head. "Don't rush. First, think about how to explain all this to your kids. A woman has more to consider once she has a family. Be careful of that jerk James using the kids to manipulate you."

Lally nodded seriously. "You're right, Isabella. Thanks for the reminder. I'll be careful! We'll still be friends, right?"

"Of course, I'm thrilled to have a friend like you," Isabella said, giving Lally a warm hug.

Even though Lally's family wasn't as powerful as the four major families, they still had a lot of clout in the city. Being on good terms with her would really help the company's future.

After they parted ways, Isabella headed to her next meeting with another shareholder.

The process was almost the same each time. Whenever Isabella offered to buy shares at double or even the original price, the minor shareholders turned her down, some even mocking her as a fool.

For these greedy folks, Isabella played her strongest card.

"Mr. Dickson, you wouldn't want your wife to find out about your illegitimate child, would you?"

"Mr. Hubbard, you wouldn't want anyone to know about your bribery of the senator, would you?"

"Ms. Sherman, let's talk about you and your husband's driver. I know more than you think."

"Mr. Baldwin, you wouldn't want anyone to know about your embezzlement of public funds for gambling, would you?"

Isabella revealed all sorts of dirt. Under pressure and temptation, these small shareholders had no choice but to sell all their shares to her.

With the final contract signed, Isabella allowed herself a moment to relax.

"I finally did it, and I've almost spent all my money. The only thing left is to get my father's shares into my hands," Isabella said with a smile as she sat in the car, looking at the stack of contracts beside her.