Chapter 1250 A Turtle in a Jar
"Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, she's your mom," Mabel said, looking puzzled. "Oliver and Sophia are her grandkids too. Even when Joseph and I were at each other's throats, it never got this nasty."
At worst, Isabella was just snarky and tried to push Liam to be the CEO.
But when Joseph had kids, she was pretty stoked.
Cassie just sat there, looking all down in the dumps.
Joseph let out a sigh. "Isabella hit her."
Cameron lit up a cigarette, took a drag, and said in a low voice, "If that's the case, I won't go looking for Cameron right now. And are you still planning to leave next week?"
Everyone turned to look at Cassie.
After a beat, Cassie shook her head. "I wanna stay and figure this out."
Joseph patted her long hair, a cold glint in his eyes as he made up his mind. "Dad, what's the real deal with the Wittelsbach family?"
Cameron thought for a bit, then said, "I told you, Declan's wife owns Emerald Haven Island. Isabella ended up there and developed the island's oil. Financially, Isabella and Declan are neck and neck. One controls oil, the other controls shipping routes and banks. Wherever they go, presidents roll out the red carpet."
Cassie was floored. "So my mom didn't just get her status by marrying Declan?"
"Nope. Those two are a power couple," Cameron said, looking at her with some pity. "Logically, you're her daughter. If Isabella acknowledged you, even a slice of her wealth would make you the richest heiress around."
"Dad, stop rubbing salt in Cassie's wounds. She doesn't care about money," Joseph cut in. "Dad, I have an idea. Today, we took out a bunch of Declan's guys. He'll definitely send more from Neya City. But if those guys can't get through customs and come to Madison, no matter how rich Declan and Isabella are, they'll be stuck. Once the doors are shut, we can handle them however we want."
Cameron was a bit taken aback. "That's pretty gutsy. If something happens to Declan and Isabella in Madison, Carl will be in hot water. Carl won't go for this because the Jude family can't handle the Wittelsbach family's crazy revenge."
"Dad, you said the Wittelsbach family and Emerald Haven Island are both powerhouses. Where there's money and power, there's always drama, especially in the Wittelsbach family, which is full of ambitious people. Aren't there folks who are jealous of Declan? If we find the right allies within the Wittelsbach family, Declan's downfall might be a win for some of them," Joseph said, and everyone got the hint.
Cameron looked at Joseph, even more impressed.
Cassie was a bit out of it. "Do we really have to go this far?"
"This is just a last-ditch effort to protect ourselves. Don't worry. Even if it comes to that, I won't hurt your mom. At most, I'll just keep her under house arrest," Joseph gently reassured her. "In the meantime, we still need to meet with Declan and Isabella to talk things out. If we can clear things up, great. If not, then we'll do what we have to."
Cassie nodded. She was determined to get to the bottom of this.
Joseph turned to Cameron. "Dad, head to Neya City and figure out who's the most ambitious and jealous of Declan in the Wittelsbach family. And on Emerald Haven Island, there must be folks who aren't thrilled with Isabella since she came later."
"Got it. I'll catch a flight today," Cameron said, a mix of emotions on his face.
Meanwhile, over at the Wittelsbach family villa, Declan glared at the two bodyguards kneeling in front of him. "So, out of the thirty guys I brought from Neya City, only you two are still in one piece?"
The bodyguards were shaking.
Olivia was freaked out too, but seeing Isabella beside her, she stood up with red, teary eyes. "It was Cassie. She brought Dragon's crew and tipped off Lucas. Dragon and the Nelson family's guys ambushed our men in the lab and messed them up on purpose."
"Unbelievable." Isabella slammed the table and stood up. "I should've taken her out at the restaurant earlier."
"Mom, Declan, I'm sorry. It's all my fault," Olivia cried. "I just wanted to take the lab quickly, but Joseph's people had it locked down. I thought bringing more guys would help, but I didn't expect them to be so brutal."
"Enough, stop crying. I underestimated Cassie's guts. I'll call Neya City for more reinforcements. Whatever losses we took, we'll pay them back double," Isabella said through gritted teeth.
Declan rubbed his temples, regretting coming to Madison. "Joseph will make sure the reinforcements never set foot in Madison."
Olivia was stunned.
Isabella frowned. "What do you mean? Does Joseph dare to block our people from entering Madison?"
"Isabella, the Hernandez family is a big deal in Madison and is tied to the Jude family. Even though the Hernandez group is 70% acquired, their connections are still strong," Declan said. "You'd better lay low for now. We've lost all our men and are sitting ducks."
Isabella sneered, "Declan, are you trying to scare me into helping Cassie?"
Declan looked at the fierce Isabella, feeling a deep sense of unfamiliarity. "Isabella, when did you become so irrational? This isn't like you."
"I haven't changed. It's you," Isabella shot back.
"Please, stop fighting." Olivia tried to mediate. "It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, we wouldn't have come to Madison."
"How can it be your fault? If anyone's to blame, it's Cassie," Isabella said with hatred.
"Mr. Wittelsbach, bad news." Declan's assistant rushed in. "The hospitals in Whisperlyn City won't admit our injured bodyguards."
Olivia was stunned, and Isabella was even more incredulous. "They won't admit them? Do they want to get shut down?"
The assistant smiled bitterly. "All the hospitals in Whisperlyn City are backed by a force, and that's the Nelson family. Lucas and Joseph are tight."
Declan asked gravely, "What if we send them to hospitals out of town?"
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