Chapter 3 - Revenge Plans

Isabella was walking to the helicopter with a tight heart, second thoughts were filling her mind to the point that she was about to be sick to her stomach. 

Her entire life flashed before her eyes, for no reason in particular.

She lived a pretty dull one, dating a guy that tried to took advantage of her family tragedy, her vulnerability, to lure her into prostitution. After that, she promised to do everything in her power to avoid catching feelings.

Not that there was any chance to flourish some sort of infatuation for Edmund. Never.

Her sister. She was the sole reason she was doing that last minute trip, not the man that walked beside her at that moment, although he could upstage male celebrities and even Gods, for what it counted. 

Surely every man she met before and considered handsome until then was just put in the shade in comparison, but he was not getting a place in her mind or heart, the health of her sister was her sole concern.

Without a doubt, that was probably the craziest thing she has done in her nineteen years of life, following that ridiculously dashing stranger into a private flight.

Yes, stranger. The fact that he was part of family by alliance meant nothing to her. If not for that recent event, she would have preferred never to make contact with him. His family destroyed hers, stuff like that could not be easily forgotten.

“Everything okay?” He raised a brow inquiringly, his soul sucking eyes enticing her in a burning gaze.

She nodded as ‘yes’, but her entire stance screamed ‘no’. He read right through her, his eyes narrowed in lack of conviction.

He offered his hand to help her climb up, and she grabbed it at the speed of light. It was her first time riding a helicopter, her body shivered from head to toe as she was afraid of heights.

Planes did not scare her. Takeoffs and landings maybe a bit, the rest of the flight made her mind at ease, as a point of irony, if that made any sense. So the plane flight was not the problem, the helicopter was another matter entirely.

Sitting in this tight space as they flew above the city, with his body pressed against hers, it was impossible not to be conscious of his heavily built, aggressively masculine frame.

Unwanted, yet ravishing sensations were coursing through her blood, all the way to her core. 

‘My skin is burning from the closure, I pray he would not notice, and I blame it on my non-existent sexual life!’

She convinced herself that the lack of sex was the reason, not that ungodly handsome man. 

‘How can a stranger awaken such wicked desires in me?’

As if that was not enough, something even more peculiar happened to her. His closure instated an odd feeling of security into her being, the helicopter flight was over before she could even begin to delve into her fear of heights.

‘Is this the level of comfort a woman should receive from her man? And how would a man like him treat his dear one, the one he loves? Moreover, is there someone like that in his life?’

She was quick to push those pathetic questions in the back of her mind. The situation with her sister messed with her brain, she was undeniably losing her sanity, that was how she explained it. 

“The take-off is scheduled in half an hour, Madrid to New York will be 7 to 8 hours long–” 

“New York? I thought you said their accident occurred in Italy.” She cut him off.

“It did, but my trusted doctors are in New York, so I had them transferred.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Anyway, if you care to do some stretching, do it now.” He interrupted her line of thinking. “Not that the plane is small-sized, but in the helicopter, you reminded me of an image with a fish out of water so I’m guessing that you have a problem with flying. You own a passport, you must have been traveling at least once, and you know better how you deal with it. For me, it is not an issue, I’ve spent more than 12 hours from the last 24 in the air, it’s like a second home to me anyway as I’m constrained to go abroad more often than one might think it’s possible, the business requires it.”

Edmund watched how her face lost color in a blink of an eye and instantly regretted his words. He meant no harm, but somehow, he managed to offend her. 

‘It’s our ill fate probably and it might be for the better!’ He convinces himself.

Her body pinned to his in that compact spot was rather troubling for him, her presence being more tempting than he had expected. It took all the willpower in the world to keep his member from getting hard, and it was safe to say that it had never occurred like that.

Surely it happened because of the dreadful event concerning his brother, not due to this woman, she meant nothing to him, nothing more than a means to an end.

“I’ll be fine. No need to worry about me.” She assured him. “We can go inside, if you wish.”

“Sure, I just need to make a call first.” He signaled her the way, the flight assistant welcomed her to board.

“Have you completed that little operation of yours?” The voice on the other side of the call belonged to his cousin Moira. 

“I’m in the process.” He responded. “This is of no importance, do you have any news about my brother?” He sought an answer, not sure if he could handle the truth.

“No improvement whatsoever in his condition.” She sighted while pronouncing the words.

“Well, I suppose that no news is good news in this case.” He felt relieved that he was not forced to hate Isabella even more, if hating her is even conceivable. “And what about Luisa, how is she?”

Luisa Duarte is a woman he despised with all his being. She was the worst thing that happened to his family, he knew that from the start and if he needed more proof, it was provided by the car accident, if that was an accident indeed.

“I’ve thought you’ll question me about her too. She stays the same, but at least she’s conscious and her wounds are not life threatening.”

A reminder that she is practically fine, while his brother was on the brink of death.

“Fine, see you soon.”

“Can’t wait to meet your bride!” She chuckled.

“I’m in no mood for jokes, Moira!”

“Should I call her your fiancée then? You’re still planning to force her into marriage to keep the wealth in the family, no?” She asked playfully. “Is she as flavorless as her sister?”

No, Isabella was the opposite.

“Moira, you’re getting on my nerves!” His tone of angry note, he snapped.

“Okay, okay, I’ll see her with my eyes soon enough.” She hung up.

Luisa was a woman of no wealth that married into an extremely powerful, very rich family. His family. Which meant that she would inherit his brother’s part of the wealth, if a tragic event were to occur. 

‘It’s gonna be an eye for an eye. She took my brother, I’ll take her sister!’

His plan was to make Isabella pay for everything that Luisa did. 

Plus, the wealth would stay in the family.

‘Not that this kind of marriage brings me any pleasure, of course no, it’s fucking business.’