Chasing The Wrong Bride

CHAPTER 4 - STOLEN

Isabella's POV

"GET AWAY FROM ME! PERVERT!" I screamed until my throat burned.

The man on the bed jumped up so fast he almost fell. He had messy dark hair, a very expensive shirt that was now all wrinkled, and eyes that were just as shocked as mine.

He looked rich. Very rich. Like a model from a magazine.

“Stay back. Don’t touch me!” I warned him, tightening my hold on the blanket.

"I'm not touching you! I didn't touch you!" he shouted back, holding his hands up like I had a gun. "You were in my room! I found you sleeping here! I didn't do anything!"

"Liar! This is my sister's room! She booked it for us! Room 808!"

"This IS my room! 808! My friend booked it for me! I have the keycard as evidence!"

We were both shouting. I was holding the blanket so tight around my body I couldn't breathe. My black dress was still on. My shoes were on the floor. My head was pounding like someone was hitting it with a hammer.

What happened last night? Chloe gave me drinks at the bar... then I felt dizzy and she brought me here to rest. Everything went black after that.

He was still holding his hands up, trying to calm me down. "Look, check yourself. I swear I slept on the far side. I didn't do anything to you. Check your clothes."

My eyes quickly went down my body to confirm. My dress was still zipped. Maybe he was telling the truth.

I almost released a sigh of relief. Then his eyes dropped from my face to my neck.

He was staring at my chest.

"Hey! What are you looking at, you pervert!" I pulled the blanket even higher.

But he wasn't looking at me like a pervert. His face changed. It became serious, intense, very focused like he recognized something.

"That necklace," he whispered, his voice suddenly low and deep. "Where did you get that necklace?"

My hand flew to the rose pendant. The beautiful rose Chloe gave me, it was still on my neck.

"It's mine," I said, getting defensive. My hands tightened around the pendant protectively.

"Where did you get it? Who gave it to you? Tell me now."

"I don't have to tell you anything! Who are you to ask me? Why do you care so much about MY necklace?"

"Because I need to know!" He stepped closer. "I need to know how it ended up around your neck. That necklace is custom-made. There is only one like it in the world. Where did you get it?"

His eyes were burning into me. Like this necklace meant everything to him.

I opened my mouth to tell him that Chloe gave it to me, that her admirer sent it and she didn't want it. But before I could speak, the door burst open with a loud BANG!

"ISABELLA! OH MY GOD! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"

Chloe.

She was standing at the door in a perfect tight dress, full makeup, with her phone out and recording. Behind her were two men with big professional cameras. Paparazzi. Flashes started going off.

CLICK CLICK CLICK.

"Everyone look! My poor stepsister! Sleeping with a man in a hotel! I tried to save her!" Chloe screamed, fake crying perfectly. "I told her not to drink so much!" She put her hand over her chest like she was heartbroken. “Isabella, how could you do this to our family?”

My brain stopped working. My mouth was open but no sound came out.

What was she doing? What was she saying? Why did she have paparazzi with her at 8am.

The man next to me stared at the door, confused and annoyed by the flashes. Then his face changed when he saw Chloe clearly. He looked surprised at first, then his face softened and he looked happy.

"Chloe?" he called softly. "Chloe Reynolds?"

Chloe froze mid-act. Her fake tears stopped instantly.

She looked at the man. Really looked at his face and her eyes went wide.

Then her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh... Oh my God... is it really you?"

The paparazzi whispered loudly to each other, excited. "Holy s**t, that's Theodore Di Laurentis... The billionaire... Theo Di Laurentis in a love nest…"

Chloe's face transformed into the sweetest, most innocent smile. "Theo? It's you! Oh my God, what are you doing here with her?"

Theo? The name sounded familiar. I had seen it on business magazines at work. Theo Di Laurentis, the richest billionaire bachelor in the city. He owns half the city with his chains of companies.

And he knew Chloe.

"I've been looking for you," Theo said to Chloe, his voice soft now, gentle. "I wanted to thank you. For saving me that night."

Chloe blinked, confused for one second, then quickly recovered and nodded with tears in her eyes. "Yes! Yes, that night! I saved you! I thought you would never find me!"

I was confused. What night?

“I did, three days ago. I sent you an invitation.”

Then Theo turned back to me and pointed at my neck, "But why is she wearing the necklace I custom-made for you? It has your initials on it."

All eyes turned to me.

Chloe stared at the rose on my neck. Her eyes narrowed with pure hate. Then she got the most evil, clever smile I had ever seen.

She pointed straight at me, her finger shaking with fake anger and tears.

"Thief!” She cried loudly, “She stole it! Oh my God. That necklace was delivered for me yesterday to our house! And this morning, I couldn’t find it as I woke up. It's custom-made for me but she stole it from my room alongside my invitation!”

She turned to the paparazzi, crying hysterically, “Now she snuck her way into the Theo’s room to sleep with him wearing my necklace! The one she stole from me! Oh, Isabella, how could you be so jealous of me?"

The cameras turned to me, including Theo’s furious eyes.

CLICK CLICK CLICK.