Isla Was Never Her Name

The Offer

Chapter One: The Offer

The letter had been sitting on the kitchen table for three days.

I had read it so many times that I already knew every word.

Ninety days.

That was how long the bank had given us before they took our house.

I stared at the letter again, hoping the number would somehow change.

It didn't.

The house had belonged to my father. He had built it many years ago when my parents were still together and believed they would grow old in the same place.

My mother died upstairs two years ago.

My father died three years later, after his construction business failed and left him with debts he could never pay.

Now, it was just my younger brother, Tobias, and me.

And soon, we could lose the only home we had left.

"There has to be another way," Tobias said.

I looked at him.

He was standing beside the kitchen counter with his arms crossed.

He had been saying the same thing for days.

"There isn't," I said.

"There has to be."

"I've called everyone I know."

"Then call someone else."

I almost smiled.

"I already did."

Tobias looked down.

He was twenty-two, six years younger than me. Sometimes I wished I could protect him from everything that was happening.

He still believed every problem had a solution.

I used to believe that too.

"You're really going to meet him?" he asked.

I folded the bank letter and placed it back on the table.

"Yes."

"You don't even know him."

"I know his name."

"That's not enough."

"I know."

The offer had arrived a week earlier.

A man in a dark suit had knocked on our door. He had handed me an envelope and told me that Alexander Blackwood wanted to speak with me.

At first, I had almost thrown the envelope away.

Then I saw the amount of money mentioned inside.

Everything changed.

That night, after Tobias went to bed, I sat outside on the back steps.

The night was cold, and I pulled my coat tighter around myself.

For a few minutes, I allowed myself to remember the past.

I thought about my mother.

During the last months of her illness, she always apologized whenever another medical bill arrived.

She would look at me and say she was sorry for causing us so much trouble.

I hated hearing those words.

None of it had been her fault.

Then I thought about my father.

He had worked for years to build his construction company. When the business failed, he lost almost everything.

He tried to stay strong for Tobias and me, but I knew he was struggling.

After he died, I had to grow up quickly.

Before everything went wrong, I had dreams of my own.

I wanted to study art history.

I dreamed of working in a museum, surrounded by paintings, old books, and beautiful pieces of history.

But those dreams were gone now.

My life was about work, bills, Tobias, and keeping our house.

There was also something else about my past that I tried not to think about.

My old name.

It was still written on some of my old records.

I hadn't used it in years.

There had been a fire.

After that fire, everything changed.

There were things that happened that I didn't want to remember.

So I became Isla Bennett.

I didn't tell people much about my past.

It was easier that way.

At six the next morning, my alarm rang.

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling.

Today, I was going to meet Alexander Blackwood.

I had no idea what he wanted from me.

But I was about to find out.

---

Blackwood Tower was much bigger than I expected.

I stood outside the building for a moment before walking inside.

The entire front of the building seemed to be made of glass.

People in expensive clothes moved through the large lobby, talking on phones and carrying briefcases.

I suddenly felt very out of place.

I looked down at my simple clothes.

Then I looked around the expensive lobby again.

I wondered what someone like Alexander Blackwood could possibly want from someone like me.

I took a deep breath and walked toward the elevators.

The elevator carried me all the way to the top floor.

As the numbers changed, I started thinking about leaving.

I could still go home.

I could forget about Alexander Blackwood.

I could let the bank take the house and deal with the problem later.

But I knew I couldn't do that.

Not when Tobias was depending on me.

So when the elevator doors opened, I stepped out.

A woman was waiting for me.

"Miss Bennett?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Blackwood is waiting for you."

She turned and walked down the hallway.

I followed her.

My hands were shaking, so I put them inside my coat pockets.

I didn't want her to see how nervous I was.

A few seconds later, we stopped in front of a large office.

The woman opened the door.

Alexander Blackwood was sitting behind his desk.

He looked younger than I expected.

I had imagined an older businessman, but he looked to be in his mid-thirties.

He wore a dark suit.

His face was serious, and his eyes were cold.

He looked at me for a moment before pointing toward the chair in front of his desk.

"Miss Bennett."

"Mr. Blackwood."

I sat down.

He didn't waste time with small talk.

"I understand you're having financial problems."

"I understand you have a proposal for me."

A small smile appeared on his face.

"I like people who get straight to the point."

He opened a folder and pushed it toward me.

I looked at the folder but didn't touch it.

"What are you offering?"

He leaned back in his chair.

"One year."

I waited.

He looked directly at me.

"You become my wife."

I stared at him.

For a few seconds, I couldn't speak.

Maybe I had heard him wrong.

But he continued as if he had just asked me to sign a normal business deal.

"Publicly, we'll be married. We'll attend events together and appear together when necessary. People will believe the marriage is real."

"And privately?"

"You live your life. I live mine."

I frowned.

"That's all?"

"There are rules."

"Of course there are."

He ignored my comment.

"At the end of the year, the marriage will end. You'll receive enough money to pay your debts and take care of your family."

I finally picked up the folder.

"Why me?"

"Because you need the money."

"That's your reason?"

"It's an important reason."

"It's not a real answer."

He studied me for a moment.

"You're desperate. That makes you more likely to keep your side of the agreement."

I didn't like his answer.

"You investigated me."

"Of course."

"How much do you know?"

"Enough."

His answer made me uncomfortable.

He continued.

"You don't come from a powerful family. You don't have a public image to protect. And you don't have anyone who can interfere with the arrangement."

He paused.

"Your life is simple."

My body became tense.

For a moment, my past came back to me.

The fire.

The fear.

The things that happened afterward.

The life I had tried so hard to leave behind.

Alexander seemed to notice my reaction, but he didn't ask questions.

I was grateful for that.

"What happens if I refuse?"

"I wish you luck with the bank."

There was no anger in his voice.

That made his answer even more serious.

He didn't need to threaten me.

We both knew what would happen.

I had already calculated everything.

Many times.

Late at night, while Tobias slept, I had sat at the kitchen table and written down our expenses.

Food.

Rent.

School fees.

Bank payments.

Debts.

Every time, I reached the same answer.

We couldn't afford to lose the house.

Alexander closed the folder.

"There is another condition."

I looked at him.

"My uncle."

"Your uncle?"

"Adrian Blackwood."

Something changed in his face when he said the name.

It was only for a second, but I noticed.

"You may meet him eventually," Alexander said. "He's difficult to avoid."

"What am I supposed to do if I meet him?"

"Stay away from him."

I stared at him.

"Why?"

"He doesn't trust people easily."

"That doesn't explain much."

"It's enough for you to know."

I studied his face.

"You make him sound dangerous."

"He isn't dangerous."

He paused.

"He's just careful."

"What's the difference?"

Alexander's eyes became serious.

"With my family, sometimes there isn't one."

I didn't know what to say.

He continued.

"Whatever he says to you, don't tell him about our arrangement. Don't give him information he doesn't need."

"Why?"

"Because he'll try to find a reason to stop this."

"And you don't want him to?"

"No."

His answer came quickly.

I wanted to ask more.

I wanted to know who Adrian was.

I wanted to know why Alexander seemed so uncomfortable talking about him.

But then I looked down at the contract.

The amount of money written on the final page caught my attention.

It was enough.

More than enough.

It could save our house.

It could help Tobias finish university without having to drop out and find a full-time job.

It could give us a chance to start again.

I swallowed.

"I'll need a lawyer."

Alexander nodded.

"Of course."

"You don't mind?"

"I'd be worried if you signed without one."

His answer surprised me.

He stood.

"Take the contract home. Read it carefully. Let your lawyer check everything."

I picked up the folder.

"Have you done this before?"

A small smile touched his lips.

"No."

I wasn't sure if I believed him.

Before I reached the door, he spoke again.

"I want you to understand what you're agreeing to."

I stopped.

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because people regret things when they don't think them through."

I looked at him.

Then I left with the contract.

---

Tobias was waiting when I got home.

He looked at me the moment I walked through the door.

"What happened?"

I placed the folder on the kitchen table.

"I'm not signing anything today."

He looked relieved.

"Good."

"I'm taking it to a lawyer."

"Even better."

I sat down and opened the folder.

Tobias stayed near the doorway.

After a few minutes, he spoke.

"I don't like this."

"I know."

"I don't like that you're doing this because of me."

I looked at him.

"I'm not doing it because of you."

"You are."

"I'm doing it because of us."

He became quiet.

I reached across the table and took his hand.

"Listen to me. I'd rather do this for one year than lose our house."

He looked down at our hands.

"You shouldn't have to do this."

"Neither should you."

We sat quietly for a while.

Then Tobias asked, "Who's Adrian Blackwood?"

I looked up.

I had forgotten to tell him about Adrian.

"Alexander's uncle."

"And?"

"Alexander told me to stay away from him."

Tobias raised an eyebrow.

"That makes me want to meet him even more."

I laughed.

"Don't."

"Why not?"

"Because apparently he's dangerous."

"You just said he wasn't."

"I don't know what he is."

Tobias smiled.

"Then maybe you should find out."

I shook my head.

"One year."

I said the words quietly.

I didn't know why I kept repeating them.

Maybe saying them made everything feel easier.

One year.

Then I would leave.

No feelings.

No problems.

No regrets.

That was the plan.

---

Two days later, I signed the contract.

My hand shook slightly as I signed the last page.

Alexander watched silently.

He didn't smile.

He checked the papers, closed the folder, and pushed another document toward me.

"What's this?"

"Your new identification."

I looked at him.

"For the wedding," he explained. "And for the press."

I looked down.

My photograph was there.

And beneath it was a name.

Isla Bennett.

I stared at it.

That was my name.

At least, it was the name everyone knew.

But sometimes it still felt strange.

I had spent years hiding behind it.

Now I was going to use it to begin a completely different life.

I touched the paper.

Alexander stood.

"I'll walk you to the elevator."

"You don't have to."

"I know."

We walked through the hallway together.

When we reached the elevator, he stopped beside me.

"You made the right decision."

I gave him a small smile.

"I hope so."

"In one year, you'll understand."

The elevator doors opened.

I stepped inside.

Then I noticed someone standing across the lobby.

A man.

He was tall and dressed completely in black.

His dark hair was neatly styled, and his face was hard to read.

At first, I thought he was just another businessman.

Then I realized he was looking directly at me.

Not Alexander.

Me.

There was something strange about his expression.

He wasn't smiling.

He didn't look surprised to see me either.

He looked like he already knew who I was.

My heart began to beat faster.

I turned toward Alexander.

"Who is that?"

Alexander looked across the lobby.

His expression changed.

Only for a second.

But I noticed.

"Alexander?"

The elevator doors started closing.

"Who is he?"

Alexander looked at me.

"That's Adrian."

My stomach tightened.

"The man I told you to stay away from."

The doors closed.

I was alone.

I looked at my reflection in the elevator doors.

Thirty-one floors stood between me and the man downstairs.

But somehow, he already felt close.

I didn't know who Adrian Blackwood was.

I didn't know why he had been staring at me.

And I didn't know what he wanted.

But one thing was already clear.

Maybe signing Alexander's contract hadn't saved me.

Maybe I had just stepped into something much bigger than I understood.

And somehow, I had a feeling Adrian Blackwood knew exactly what it was.