The decision
1178 Words
CHAPTER 7: THE DECISION
The city was louder than usual.
At least, that was how it felt to Clara.
Cars moved through the streets, people hurried past each other, and the sounds of the city filled the air.
But somehow, she felt completely disconnected from everything around her.
She sat quietly inside the back seat of the car Ethan Blackwood had provided.
She had wanted to refuse.
The moment she stepped out of the mansion, she wanted to call a taxi and leave on her own.
But the driver had simply told her that Ethan had arranged transportation.
For some reason, that bothered her.
Even when he wasn’t around, Ethan still managed to make decisions that affected her.
She looked out of the window, watching the buildings pass by.
Her mind kept returning to the same conversation.
Your father asked me to protect you.
The words repeated over and over.
Clara had spent months trying to accept that her father was gone.
She had convinced herself that there was nothing left except memories.
But now Ethan Blackwood had appeared and opened a door she thought was permanently closed.
A door filled with questions.
She looked down at the contract inside her handbag.
She hadn’t signed it.
She hadn’t agreed.
But she also hadn’t thrown it away.
And that confused her more than anything.
“Why did you trust him, Dad?” she whispered.
The driver glanced at the mirror but said nothing.
Clara turned her attention back to the window.
She hated admitting it, but Ethan’s words had affected her.
Not because she trusted him.
She didn’t.
But because he had known her father.
And that meant there was a part of her father’s life she never knew about.
A part she desperately wanted answers about.
When the car finally stopped outside her apartment building, Clara thanked the driver and stepped out.
She watched the car disappear down the street before entering the building.
Her apartment was quiet when she arrived.
Too quiet.
She placed her handbag on the table and stood in the middle of the room.
Everything looked normal.
But her life no longer felt normal.
A few weeks ago, her biggest worry had been finding extra hours at work and figuring out how to handle expenses.
Now she had a billionaire asking her to marry him.
She walked toward the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water.
Her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
It was her best friend, Mia.
Clara hesitated before answering.
“Hello?”
“Clara! Finally. I’ve been calling you.”
Clara smiled slightly.
“I was busy.”
Mia immediately noticed something.
“You sound strange.”
“I’m just tired.”
“Clara.”
The way Mia said her name made her sigh.
“What happened?”
Clara looked around her apartment.
She wanted to tell her.
She wanted to explain everything.
But how could she?
How could she say:
A billionaire I barely know wants to marry me because my father knew him?
It sounded impossible.
“Nothing happened,” she said.
Mia was quiet.
“You’re lying.”
Clara smiled faintly.
“You always say that.”
“Because I’m usually right.”
That made Clara laugh softly.
For a moment, things felt normal.
Then Mia asked,
“Are you okay?”
The simple question almost broke her.
Because lately, everyone had asked if she was managing.
If she was paying bills.
If she was working.
But very few people asked if she was okay.
“I don’t know,” Clara admitted.
Mia’s voice softened.
“You don’t have to handle everything alone, you know.”
Clara looked down.
She wanted to believe that.
But depending on someone had always felt dangerous.
Especially after losing her father.
The next morning, Clara went to work like nothing had happened.
She needed normal.
She needed routine.
The small café was busy, filled with customers and conversations.
For a few hours, she managed to focus.
Taking orders.
Serving customers.
Cleaning tables.
Simple things.
Things she understood.
But her peace didn’t last long.
Around noon, a black luxury car stopped outside the café.
Clara noticed it through the window.
Her stomach tightened.
She already knew that car.
She watched as a man in a formal suit stepped out.
Not Ethan.
His assistant.
Marcus.
Her expression changed.
“What is he doing here?”
Marcus entered the café calmly.
“Ms. Bennett.”
Clara looked at him.
“Is this another surprise?”
Marcus ignored the comment.
“I have something for you.”
He handed her a small envelope.
She didn’t take it immediately.
“What is it?”
“Something your father left behind.”
Her entire body went still.
Again.
Her father.
Slowly, she accepted the envelope.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Because Mr. Blackwood believes you deserve the truth.”
Clara looked at him carefully.
“Does he?”
Marcus paused.
“Yes.”
That answer surprised her.
She expected him to defend Ethan.
Instead, he simply answered.
Clara opened the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
Her breath caught.
It was her father.
But she had never seen this picture before.
He was standing beside Ethan Blackwood.
And they weren’t strangers.
They looked like people who had known each other for years.
Clara turned the picture over.
There was writing behind it.
A message.
Her father’s handwriting.
Her fingers trembled as she read.
“Clara, if you are reading this, then I am no longer here to explain everything myself. I’m sorry for the secrets I kept from you.”
Her heart tightened.
She looked at Marcus.
“Where did you get this?”
“Mr. Blackwood had it.”
“Why didn’t he show me himself?”
Marcus didn’t answer immediately.
Then he said,
“Because he knew you would be angry.”
Clara looked back at the picture.
She was angry.
But more than that…
She was hurt.
Because her father had left behind a mystery.
And Ethan Blackwood was standing right in the middle of it.
Across the city, Ethan stood in his office.
Marcus had just sent him a message.
She received it.
Ethan looked at the screen for several seconds.
He knew Clara would have questions.
He knew she would be upset.
But hiding the truth from her forever was not an option.
His phone rang.
He answered.
“Did she read it?”
Marcus’s voice came through.
“Yes.”
A pause.
“How did she react?”
Marcus hesitated.
“She looked hurt.”
Ethan closed his eyes briefly.
That was the reaction he expected.
But knowing it didn’t make it easier.
“Thank you, Marcus.”
After ending the call, Ethan looked toward the city.
For years, he had controlled every situation.
Every decision.
Every outcome.
But Clara Bennett was different.
She was the one person connected to his past who had no idea how important she was.
And soon…
She would know everything.
Even the truth about why her father trusted him.
- Writer
