Entangled Hearts

CHAPTER TWO: A CRAZY IDEA

Isabella slugglishly woke up from her bed, the sound of someone rummaging sent signals to her brain urging her to wake up. She stood up from her bed half asleep, Slowly reaching for her phone.

"7 a.m. already? My alarm failed again," she sighed softly. "I need to take a shower," she mumbled to herself, slowly making her way to the bathroom.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," a melodious and vibrant voice echoed in the living room. It was Stacy, who had the habit of being the first one up and making a lively entrance.

Isabella quickly descended the stairs to the living room after taking a shower and getting dressed, skillfully tying her hair into a ponytail. She was dressed in a vibrant red short dress that clung to her figure, revealing her thighs and curves.

Isabella Armstrong, a stunning woman in her thirties, possessed caramel-toned skin and long, dark hair that enhanced her beauty.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Stacy greeted, setting the plates carefully on the dining table.

"Morning, Stacy," Isabella responded, pulling out a chair for herself at the table. "What's on the breakfast menu?" she asked while stretching her arms and rolling her eyes.

"I've prepared spaghetti with whipped cream, your favorite," Stacy replied enthusiastically. Isabella smiled and gave a thumbs-up.

"Come on, let's dig in," Stacy motioned, taking her seat at the dining table.

"What's the deal with those blind dates?" Stacy inquired, rolling her eyes.

"One word for it: 'disaster.' I'm genuinely not interested in dating, relationships, or marriage. I'm exhausted by my dad's insistence on arranging these blind dates," Isabella replied, her expression turning somber. "Before my mom passed away, she left a lot of properties in my name, but my stepmom won't allow me to do anything with them unless I bring a man home. She's been pestering me about grandchildren," she smirked. " Like a man is all that defines me" she added"

"Come on, Isabella, try to look on the bright side. You're not getting any younger," Stacy continued, but Isabella chimed in.

"I'm perfectly fine without a man. Right now, my focus is on growing my business and reaching a wider audience. Love and I don't exactly see eye to eye," Isabella stated firmly.

"But you do know you need those properties to expand and become the successful woman you've always dreamed of," Stacy reminded her. "And it's not too early to start thinking about starting a family of your own."

"I'm getting married soon, Ella, and you know we can't live together anymore. The sooner you find a man, the sooner you can get your own place in your father's penthouse. Are you staying with me just to prove a point about being independent?" Stacy teased.

"Must you always remind me of how messed up I am?" Isabella asked, clearly disappointed.

"I'm sorry, girl, I'm just saying," Stacy tried to comfort her.

"I know, that's why I'm trying, Stacy, going on all these boring dates. I'm just so tired," Isabella exclaimed.

"You have one tonight, remember? Try to give him a chance. That temper of yours can't keep a man," Stacy teased. "Smile more often; don't always wear that stern face. You'll see everything falling into place," Stacy encouraged.

Isabella buried her head in her hands. "I wish I could convince someone to pretend to be my man so I can get what's rightfully mine," she muttered. Then, she had a sudden realization. "Wait a second!" Isabella exclaimed, drawing Stacy's attention away from clearing the table.

"What if... what if!" Isabella said, pacing back and forth at the dining table. Stacy stood there, trying to make sense of the whole situation. "What if what, Ella?" Stacy questioned.

"What if I convinced a man to pretend to be my fiancé, then convinced my parents that I'm normal, got my properties back, and boom! Problem solved," she exclaimed, twirling around. "I'll even pay him handsomely," she added excitedly.

"No way! That's crazy. What if things go wrong?" Stacy asked, not buying into the idea.

"What could possibly go wrong, killjoy? It's not like Dad's going to force us to get married," Isabella retorted.

"What are you blabbering about?" Stacy asked as she cleared the table and headed to the sink. "Snap out of it and get ready for your blind date," Stacy advised. "Whatever," Isabella responded while heading upstairs.

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Jake Williams sits in his office, plagued by regret over his recent dinner lie. He mentally scolds himself for claiming to have a girlfriend when he's actually single. "What should I do now?" he wonders, exclaiming in frustration.

Suddenly, his secretary, Wane Oscar, appears at the door, looking breathless. "You called for me, sir?" he asks, with his hands on his knees as he tries to catche his breath. Williams sees an opportunity for help in Oscar.

Glad to have Oscar's assistance, Williams motions for him to sit and confesses, "I need a girlfriend. Last night at dinner, I lied to my father to avoid an arranged marriage."

"That's tricky," replies Oscar. "So, what's the plan?"

Williams sighs and explains, "Let's set up a date for me. There's a dating website. We'll create a profile and hope to find someone interested."

"That sounds like a plan," Oscar agrees, pulling out his phone to set up the profile. Williams rests his head on his palm, eager to resolve the situation quickly.

Curious about Oscar's excessive sweating, Williams asks, "Why are you sweating so much?"

Oscar wipes his face, looking grossed out. "I had to take the stairs since the elevators aren't working. You wanted me here in 10 seconds, and it's quite a rush. You make it feel like I'm being chased by Bigfoot."

Williams nods, realizing his own part in the rush. "You're right; I should've been less demanding. You look like you've had quite the workout." Oscar grins in response

"All done, now we'll wait for your date" wane Oscar said

"That's great what's on my schedule today" willaims asked glad the situation will be resolved soon

"Meeting with our British client by 9, board of directors gathering by 1pm" press conference by 4pm thats all for today" wane Oscar slowing regaining his breath.

"Alright, let's get to work" willaims said heading to his desk.