Chapter 3: The One For Me
1285 Words
ISABELLA
“What? No!” My eyebrows furrowed, “I can't just marry you like that. I'm not some kind of asset to be traded off.”
I possibly couldn't marry a man who treated my father awfully in front of me. What would I expect if I stayed a day with him?
To top it all off, he was Jeremy Holden, the one person I loathed so much.
Even with Henry's betrayal, I doubt if I hate him as much as I do with the man sitting here in front of me.
He stood up from his seat, the sunlight casting a warm glow on his well-chiselled face through the light curtains.
With each graceful step, he closed the distance between us, his piercing gaze tearing right through me.
I took some steps back feeling overwhelmed by his sheer magnitude and the aura he emanated. Standing well above 6 feet, I felt like an insect about to be squashed.
“Well then,” He growled, “You're free to leave. But as for your father, he remains here with me.”
He turned around walking towards the door and my heart raced wildly as I watched him. I couldn't just leave my dad to stay here with him. What should I possibly do? I thought hard.
“Wait!” I cried out, “What happens to him if I don't marry you?”
He turned his head around with an evil smirk, “I am going to make sure he pays dearly for what he has done. And no one, not even you can stop me!”
My heart sank and my body trembled at the sound of it. How was he going to make him pay? I can't even imagine the extent to which he would go just to prove his point.
“Is there anything else I can do, anything but marriage?” I asked with a shaky voice.
He let out a soft sigh, tilting his head to the side, “Hmph!”
“Let me broaden your horizon,” He turned to a wine cabinet, picking up a bottle and a Bordeaux glass. The cork popped softly, releasing the wine's savoury aroma.
“You know, my father insulted me, saying I wasn't mentally ready to run his company right in front of his clients. Since then, he's been searching for the best therapist so they could help.”
“To add to it, I needed a good woman to call my wife. I want to claim my inheritance and secure my position as the heir of the Holden family.”
“Now imagine all those qualities in one person… who? Isabella Sawyer” he scoffed.
Moving in closer, he gently swirled his wine glass before taking a sip, “And here you are, thinking you could run away from me.”
“Bella, you're the one for me.”
I pushed the lump down my throat, feeling overwhelmed. How could I run away from a man like him? He's been chasing me since college and now he's back again.
Dating back a few years after I joined college, I could swear he stalked me after lectures and any free sessions I had.
However, we never had any good conversation nor did he approach me. But when I dated Henry, his best friend, everything changed between us.
I was being bullied by him and his friends, up to the extent that Henry had to end his relationship with him just to make me feel safe.
And now, he has found his way back into my life, just to torment me and make things worse.
He cut me out of my reverie when his fingers brushed across my cheek as he tossed my hair behind my ears.
Feeling uncomfortable, I quickly pushed his hands away and I saw a mix of surprise and rage flash through his eyes.
“So it's either your freedom or his, Bella. So choose wisely.”
Weighing my options, I knew he had it all planned and he was willing to do anything to get what he wanted— I was merely a pawn in his little game.
But it's the life of my father that's at stake here. I can't lose him too, just after I lost my mother.
I know my dad had chosen his finances over me in the past, but he's changed now.
He has proved in so many ways that he loved me more than it, and that's why I'm willing to do it for him.
Definitely, it's worth sacrificing my freedom for him. It would be selfish if I abandoned him under the hands of Jeremy. I mean, how bad could the marriage get?
“Fine, I'll do it. But only on my terms.” I beckoned my chin high in the air.
“Terms? Go on then.” He asked, raising an eyebrow.
I had to ensure my dad was in safe hands first, then mine came next. But first, I needed a good plan.
“I– I want my dad released. All his debts and shortcomings should be cleared and forgotten immediately after I marry you.”
“Done.” He said calmly.
“Hmm!” I bit my bottom lip, “I also want a multimillion-dollar hospital with all the required facilities registered under my name as well.”
He yawned, “Done, anything else?”
I arched my eyebrows, “I don't want you to lay a finger on me or my father— and you won't force me to go to bed with you nor touch me without my consent.”
His face darkened and he leaned closer, “If that's all then we should go ahead with the marriage, I don't have time for this.”
“But you haven't agreed yet,” I crossed my arms.
“Fine! If I break any of your terms, the contract ends, get it?”
I nodded feeling relieved for a moment. However, I didn't know if I made the right choice knowing deep down that we couldn't breathe the same air together.
A few minutes passed and I sat at his desk going through the contract marriage details.
‘Hmm, he wants it for a year.’ I pondered, biting the tip of the pen.
My stomach sank at the thought of it, and I took a peek at him, then back at the paper. I wanted to back out, but my dad's safety was more important.
At the bottom, I noticed a disclaimer. It read that once signed, I couldn't leave on my own accord unless my terms were broken.
‘So what then does he want with me if my terms are all that matters here?’ I began to wonder, ‘Was I really just a pawn?’
Regardless, I signed it pushing the papers to him but his gaze remained rooted to his laptop, completely ignoring me.
Momentarily, his phone beeped and he closed his laptop firmly. It was then his eyes shifted to the contract I signed, and then back at me.
He gave me an impassive look before walking out of his study. I couldn't understand him, but I could feel that something wasn't right.
However, as soon as he left me alone, my eyes relished how appealing his study looked.
I ran my fingers through the brown threads of the luxurious leather seat I sat on, enjoying the comfort.
But before I could savour it any longer, the door opened and he came back in, but what happened next cut me off guard.
I felt a sudden grip on my hair, jolting me backwards, and when I turned around, my eyes widened.
- Writer
