Chapter 399
Joseph was slumped over the bar, drowning his sorrows and knocking back drinks like there was no tomorrow.
"Should I clear things up or not? If I do, Isabella won't have to deal with all the gossip, but my reputation can't take that kind of hit. What the hell should I do?" Joseph mumbled, staring into his glass.
The glass wasn't giving him any answers, but the bartender had a few thoughts.
"Mr. Davis, I don't know what's eating at you, but drinking like this isn't doing you any favors," the bartender said, trying to be helpful.
"Yeah, you're right. I'll stop," Joseph replied, tossing some cash on the bar before stumbling out.
He got into his car, feeling like crap and hoping a drive might clear his head.
Joseph was a familiar face at the bar, and the staff knew him well.
"Joseph, you've had too much. It's not safe to drive. Hand over your keys, and I'll get you home," one of the staff members suggested, walking up to him.
Irritated, Joseph shoved the guy away. "Who do you think you are, telling me what to do? I'm not drunk, I'm fine," he snapped, then got into his car.
The staff member just stood there, speechless.
'Drinking and driving, seriously? You'll only learn the hard way. Just don't crash near our bar!' the staff member thought, heading back inside.
Joseph drove with the window down, hoping the cold air would snap him out of it.
Out of nowhere, blinding lights made him squint, followed by a deafening crash.
A car slammed into Joseph's, sending it skidding off the road and flipping it over.
The car that hit him was a black SUV, barely scratched.
The crash jolted Joseph awake. His head was clear, but he was trapped in his seat.
Fighting through the pain and panic, Joseph managed to unbuckle himself and crawl out through the window.
A figure stepped out of the black SUV.
Michael walked over to Joseph.
As Joseph's upper body emerged from the window, Michael grabbed his collar and yanked him out.
When Joseph finally stood up and saw who it was, he was shocked.
"Are you Isabella's husband?" Joseph asked, but before he could finish, Michael's fist connected with his face.
Michael's punch sent Joseph sprawling. "You think you're smart, trying to mess with my marriage? We trust each other completely. Your little games won't work."
Michael then kicked Joseph hard.
The kick landed square on Joseph's chest, and he felt a sharp pain in his ribs, probably broken.
"If you and your wife are so solid, why are you hitting me?" Joseph sneered.
With a cold, emotionless look, Michael grabbed Joseph by the hair and slammed his face into the car door. "I'm hitting you because you've caused my wife so much trouble! She's getting trashed online, and even the company's products are taking a hit. Do you have any idea how much this company means to her?"
Joseph's face was a mess of blood and bruises, but Michael wasn't finished.
"You think your Davis Family is untouchable? Reputation is just garbage! Even without you, I can find other witnesses to clear my wife's name! This beating is a warning. Show your face near my wife again, and you won't be able to handle the consequences. Your family won't mean a damn thing to me." With that, Michael got back into his car and sped off.
Leaning against his overturned car, Joseph wiped the blood from his face and watched the SUV disappear.
He sighed and called someone to come get him.
After dealing with Joseph, Michael headed to a flower shop and picked up a bouquet.
He cleaned the blood off his hands with a wet wipe, took a deep breath, and put on a calm, gentle face as he went to see Isabella with the flowers.
"Did you get me flowers? Oh, darling, you're so sweet," Isabella said, taking the bouquet and giving Michael a kiss on the cheek.
"I noticed you were feeling down, so I thought these might cheer you up," Michael said, smiling as he saw the kitchen had been tidied up, probably by Isabella.
"I was just about to take a bath. These roses will be perfect in the tub!" Isabella winked at Michael and carried the flowers into the bathroom.
As soon as Isabella was in the bathroom, Michael's phone buzzed. It was a call from Jerry.
"What's up, Jerry? Got any news?" Michael asked.
Besides having Jerry track Joseph, Michael had him find other witnesses from the coffee shop.
Jerry sounded excited. "Yes, Mr. Williams. We found a regular customer who recognized Isabella and took some photos. We even got some video footage. Should we post it online?"
"Do it right away, and make sure that witness is ready," Michael said calmly.
Jerry agreed and hung up.
Neither Michael nor Jerry cared about what happened to Joseph. It wasn't their problem.
Everyone had to face the consequences of their actions.
Meanwhile, Joseph was in the hospital, his wounds bandaged, but his team couldn't dig up any info on Michael.
"Mr. Davis, we really can't find anything. The SUV's license plate was fake; there's no trace of the vehicle," Joseph's subordinate said, frustrated.