The Tycoon's Secret Wife's Escape novel Chapter 83

“Boss, Mr. Monroe was inside Mrs. Blake’s ward,” the bodyguard reported.

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Grayson had assigned him to watch Isabella during his absence, though he’d kept this arrangement from her. He knew her too well–she would have objected.

In the past few days, Isabella had barely spoken to him. Every attempt at conversation had been met with cold indifference. She was as stubborn as ever, and Grayson should have known better than to expect otherwise.

“Mr. Blake,” Joanne’s secretary interrupted his thoughts. “Please follow me.”

Grayson rose and fell into step behind the male secretary. The elevator carried them smoothly to the third floor.

Eliot had returned to America shortly after the auction, leaving Grayson to handle these meetings on his own, with only one assistant by his side.

At the office door, the secretary knocked twice. “Joanne?”

“Come in!” came the response from within.

The secretary pushed the door open and stepped aside. “You may enter.”

Grayson nodded in acknowledgment before walking inside.

Behind the large mahogany desk sat Joanne, her sharp gaze meeting his. She was poised, a slim cigarette balanced elegantly between her fingers, exuding an air of power and control.

“I know why you’re here, Mr. Blake,” Joanne began. “You bought every piece of the Cassiera collection at the auction. It wasn’t hard to guess you’re interested in Isabella–and perhaps the possibility of a partnership. But let me save you the trouble. I’ve already removed Isabella from my roster of designers.”

Grayson remained composed. “You’re probably aware by now that Isabella and I have a personal connection. I’m her husband. But my decision to purchase the Cassiera collection wasn’t just about that. I know her talent, work ethic, and what she can achieve.”

“If that’s true, then why did you take the management of Summit Glow Talent away from her?” she asked pointedly. “If you trust Isabella so much, why did you separate from her and hand the talent agency over to someone else?”

“That…” Grayson hesitated, exhaling slowly. “That’s a complicated matter. We had a misunderstanding. We were both processing grief over our families… You must have heard about Madam Blake and Cassie Monroe’s deaths”

Joanne nodded sadly; her expression heavy with sympathy.

“The real reason I came here, Joanne,” Grayson pressed, “concerns what you just mentioned. I know you had a reason for removing Isabella. What transpired between you two that led to this decision? What exactly did you tell her that night at the auction?”

Joanne took a slow drag from her cigarette, exhaling the smoke as though it carried the weight of her guilt.

She withdrew a document that made Grayson’s fists clench instinctively–the patent and legal rights to Isabella’s on “face, He could hardly believe this piece of jewelry still haunted their lives.

His gray eyes fixed on the designer’s name: ‘Bella Jones.

Joanne broke the silence. “I suspect you’re familiar with this piece. My atelier was responsible for crafting fabella’s exclusive

necklace…”

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08:30 Mon, 14 Apr

Chapter 83

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Then she revealed the final conversation she had with Isabella–the devastating truth that Fred Prescott had fathered a child with another woman because Mary Prescott was unable to conceive,

“What?” Grayson exclaimed as his eyes widened in shock.

Joanne’s tone softened, carrying an air of apology. “It seems Isabella discovered the truth about herself–that she’s not Mary Prescott’s biological daughter. That’s why she was so upset that night.. I’m sorry, Mr. Blake, I really am.”

Grayson’s breath hitched, his thoughts reeling.

No, Mary Prescott wasn’t the only one who wasn’t Isabella’s biological parent. Fred wasn’t her father either.

Everything suddenly made terrible sense!

The Prescotts had never treated Isabella as part of the family. Their overwhelming favoritism had always been reserved for Charlotte. Meanwhile, they had reduced Isabella to nothing more than a bargaining chip, casting aside her happiness without a second thought.

Even Charlotte’s unmistakable resemblance to Fred Prescott took on new meaning.

“You’ve figured something out, haven’t you?” Joanne asked, her voice cutting through his spiraling thoughts.

Grayson’s eyes snapped to hers, then back to the name on the papers.

“Where can I find this designer?” he demanded.

Joanne

swallowed hard, meeting his gaze as tears began to rim her eyes.

“S–she passed away… Bella was supposed to marry a Russian mogul but ran away instead. That’s when the Jones family disowned her… Her life took a turn for the worse when Mary stole all her designs. I lost contact with my friend after that, only learning later of her passing…”

Grayson felt a chill settle in as he absorbed the weight of the information.

He didn’t want to complicate Isabella’s life further, so he kept the rest to himself.

“Bella Jones is Mary’s sister?”

“Yes…”

‘I knew it!‘

Grayson’s gaze lingered on the designer’s name in the document momentarily before he stood up to leave. But before he did, he had one final thought for Joanne.

“Joanne, Isabella created most of her designs long before she went to college. Designing is her passion, and her decision to attend Art School came from that genuine love. If you believe she stole her designs, and that’s why you’re withdrawing your support, you’re making a mistake.”