Chapter 4
1390 Words
Isabella's Pov
The meeting was scheduled two days after the call.
Those two days felt like the longest days of my life. I couldn’t go out. My name was still trending. If anything, it got worse. There was no way to clear the assumptions, no way to defend myself without making it messier.
Then my mother finally called.
She didn’t ask how I was.
She didn’t ask if I was okay.
She just yelled.
“I’ve always told you not to ruin the image of this family,” she screamed.
She went on and on about how this scandal ruined her image. She compared me to other celebrity kids how they followed in their parents’ footsteps, how they never gave their parents a reason to worry. She almost said the words I regret having you. She complained about my father too, about how unbothered he was about everything.
She threatened me. Told me to fix it.
She said she hated being associated with scandals like this. She said the meanest things at the exact moment I needed comfort the most.
She kept yelling, demanding I say something.
But I couldn’t.
The moment I tried to speak, my throat closed up. Tears burned my eyes. I didn’t want her to hear me break down. She already thought I was weak.
She called again the morning the meeting was scheduled.
If anything, she motivated me even more to go.
Anna insisted she would follow me. We argued about it. I couldn’t let her. It was a work day Thursday. That would’ve been selfish. I didn’t want to be a burden. I already had a backup plan if the meeting went wrong.
I would move to another city. Start over. Disappear for a while.
But would it really stop the hate?
It felt like whoever published that video had a personal problem with me. Like they had sworn never to let the public like me. Even if this died down, which wouldn’t happen anytime soon, something else would come up. I’d be stuck in the same circle again.
I picked up my phone.
Today was the last day I had to decide.
I texted the number that sent the address.
I’ll be there soon.
Almost immediately, a reply came in.
“There’s a car waiting for you outside.”
What?
I rushed to the window.
There was a car.
For real.
What kind of sorcery was this? Whoever this person was, they clearly meant business. No backing down now.
I went to the bathroom, took my bath, then searched frantically for what to wear. Anna had already gone to my house to get some of my clothes. I specifically told her to bring a black dress. Not to impress anyone, just to look decent. Not intimidated.
I put the dress on, fixed my hair, did light makeup. I stared at myself in the mirror.
Damn.
I didn’t look like my problems at all. I looked… stunning.
This was the first time I stepped out after the scandal. My heart raced. The driver got out and guided me. He noticed how I struggled to walk.
I just had to pick these heels. They weren’t even mine. They were Anna’s, but they were cute.
I got into the car.
I greeted the driver. He was polite. That alone felt strange.
“You look beautiful, ma’am,” he said.
That gave me a small confidence boost.
Did he even know who I was? Maybe he didn’t.
The rest of the drive felt calm. Almost too calm. He asked what music I liked. Turns out, it was his favorite too. Talking to someone normally felt nice. Real.
Then we reached the gate.
I wanted to ask him questions. Why I was here? Why would the West call me?
But that’s where the fun ended.
He stepped down and opened the door. Another guard escorted me toward another wing of the estate. My phone buzzed Anna reminding me to share my location.
The guard stopped in front of a door.
I stood there.
I stood there for a while.
Should I turn back?
Should I knock?
After what felt like forever, I finally did.
“Come in.”
I knew that voice.
I stepped inside. At first, I saw only one person. I figured he was the one who called me. Then I looked across the room.
That’s when my eyes met his.
Keon West.
The stare lingered. The first time I ever saw him, it lasted about three seconds. This one lasted longer. It was intense. Too intense.
So many thoughts rushed through my mind.
Why was I here?
Why did I agree to this?
Had I gotten myself into trouble?
The other man cleared his throat.
“Hi, I’m Alex.”
Alex.
Alex West.
What next? Their father?
I tried to speak, but no words came out. He offered me a seat and sat too. Keon stood by the window, staring outside like he didn’t even want to be there.
“I know I called you out of the blue,” Alex said calmly. “But I have a proposition that could make things work out for you.”
He said it like he had studied my life.
Which I knew he had.
I thought of Anna and how she’d react if she were here.
“What proposition?” I asked.
He explained how Keon needed a wife.
That alone didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t want to get married.
But then he explained the benefits.
I needed protection. The West family, especially Keon, could give me that. No one would dare touch me. The public would be forced to accept me.
People loved fairytales. Famous marriages. Engagements.
The scandal would fade. The focus would shift from hate to love.
If we acted like a couple, an engaged couple, the video would look fake. Because how could I cheat on my fiancé? And even if people doubted, public statements would clean it up.
After that… my life could go back to how I wanted it.
It was a lot.
Marriage.
Alex finished explaining everything. The protection. The public shift. The fake engagement. How easily the narrative could change if the West name was attached to mine.
I sat there, my hands folded in my lap, trying to breathe normally.
It sounded logical. Too logical.
I kept waiting for Keon to say something.
But he didn’t.
He stood by the window the entire time, hands in his pockets, staring out like the city beyond the glass mattered more than what was happening in the room. Like I didn’t matter.
That hurt more than I expected.
Was this just business to him? Was I just another solution?
I glanced at him again, hoping almost foolishly that he’d look at me. That he’d react. But he didn’t turn.
Alex noticed my silence.
“This wouldn’t be permanent,” he added gently. “It’s an arrangement. Clean. Controlled.”
Controlled.
The word made my stomach twist.
I was tired of being controlled. By the media. By my parents. By a life I never asked for.
And now this.
Keon finally moved.
He walked toward the table, calm and unreadable, then placed a file in front of me. His fingers brushed the edge of the table but never touched mine.
“Read through this,” he said.
His voice was low. Flat. Detached.
No warmth. No reassurance.
Just final.
I stared at the file.
Terms and conditions.
The words blurred for a second as my chest tightened.
Marriage.
A fake one.
To a man who hadn’t looked at me once since I walked in.
I lifted my head slowly.
“And if I say no?” I asked.
For the first time, Keon turned.
His eyes met mine.
Cold. Sharp. Heavy.
Alex answered instead.
“Then nothing changes.”
The room felt smaller.
Keon leaned forward slightly, his gaze still locked on mine.
“And things will only get worse,” he added quietly.
That was when I understood.
This wasn’t an offer.
It was the last door.
I swallowed and looked back down at the file.
The first page stared back at me.
CONTRACT MARRIAGE AGREEMENT
Bride: I
sabella Hopkins
Groom: Keon West
My heart dropped.
And in that moment, I knew
Whatever I decided next would change everything.
- Writer
