CHAPTER TWO

ISABELLA

 

“I'm sorry, what?” I asked with a widened eye, shocked by what Alexander had just proposed.

“I believe you heard me right, Miss Bennet,” he said with an arched brow and a smirk formed at the corner of his lips.

“I did but can you explain all this to me?”

“My 30th birthday is on the way and in my father’s will it says that if I haven't gotten married on or before my 30th birthday, I will be removed as CEO,” he explained.

“Okay, so why am I your best bet?” I asked still surprised about the whole situation.

“You aren't the best bet. I don't even know why you're acting like this. We both know how badly your company needs the partnership. I'm even running at a loss by sparing you some of my clients and getting married to you also,” he said in a rude tone that infuriated me.

“I'm sorry, but did you just say marrying me is running at a loss?” I said as I pushed the chair backward and stood up.

“I didn't mean it that way. You know what I mean. So please have your seat and tell me if you are accepting the deal or not?”

I thought to myself that this wasn't the time to let my pride get the best of me, I needed this partnership and I would do anything for it. I calmed myself down and sat back down on the seat opposite him.

“It's a deal!” I said in a low voice without any form of enthusiasm.

“Alright then. Let me walk you through the rules of this marriage. I do not want kids, so if you get pregnant the partnership will be canceled,” he said as he tossed the documents to me.

“Why don’t you want kids though?”

“I'm not ready, and I also don't want to have a kid with a woman I'm not in love with,” he said with this annoying smirk on his lips

His words felt like daggers were being thrown at my chest. Is this what I would have to bear because of this partnership that I needed?

“Yes, I understand. Is that all?” I asked him.

“Yes, that would be all,”

He pointed out where I should sign and in less than a minute, I signed the documents and became Mrs Isabella Steele. The name had a little sweetness to it, I couldn't lie.

“Alright, you can go to your home to pack your things 'cause you're moving into my home latest tonight,” he said as he took the documents and kept them on his desk.

“Pardon? What do you mean by I'm moving in today?” I asked with my brows furrowed.

“Married couples live together don't they?” he asked me, arching his brow.

I kept quiet since I had nothing to say to defend myself from what he said.

“Yeah, I thought so too. You may go now,” he said then he turned his chair back to face the windows.

I felt enraged by his attitude, he was truly an arrogant man. “I have just sold my soul to the devil” I whispered to myself as I walked out of his office.

I walked out of the office building and boarded a taxi back to my home to start packing my things. The drive back was a quiet one. I used that time to reflect if I made the right decision.

I then remembered that it was when I told my dad to send help that Alexander’s mail came in. Maybe I didn’t make a mistake. Maybe things won’t be that bad.

As I stepped into my family’s bungalow that I and my younger sister Olivia shared, I was greeted by the aroma of Olivia’s delicious porridge.

“Made some for me?” I asked out loud so she could hear me from where she was.

“Isa!!!” she said as she wiped her hands on her apron and hugged me.

“You didn’t go out today?” I asked her after breaking out of the hug.

“Nah, I decided to stay at home today. Why are you home this early?”

“You won’t believe what happened to me today,” I said as I fell into our couch, sinking into its comfort.

“What happened?” Olivia asked as she sat down beside me.

“Hmm, where do I even start from?”

“C’mon Isa, start from where it all happened,” she said, pulling my arm and forcing me to speak up.

“Alright. I’m married now,” I said with a straight face.

Olivia’s eyebrows arched, “What do you mean you’re married?”

“Well you heard me right,” I said as I poured the jug of lemonade on our table into a cup to drink.

As I began to gulp the lemonade, Olivia removed the cup from my hand and put it on the table, “To who and how?”

“To Alexander Steele,”

Olivia’s eyes widened, “Alexander Steele? As in The Alexander Steele??? CEO of Steele Enterprise,”

“Yup!”

“How?? I could’ve sworn you both didn’t know each other yesterday,” she said with a confused look.

“I'm as surprised as you are, to be honest. He offered me this business proposal that could help our company that I couldn’t refuse in exchange for getting married to him,”

“This is unbelievable,” she said as she stood up and began to pace around the room.

“I know right, come help me to pack my things,” I said as I stood up to go to my room.

“Are you moving there?” she asked.

“Yes, tonight in fact,” I replied.

“Everything feels so surreal. You are so brave to embark on this journey,” she said, hugging me.

Olivia and I began to pack my things and in no time, we were done. I gave my room one last glance as I rolled my suitcase away. It felt like a dream, I couldn’t believe I was leaving the room, I grew up in all these years.

I smiled at every stain and chipped part of the wooden wardrobe because they all had a story behind them.

Alexander had already sent a chauffeur to my home to pick me up. It was a black SUV that screamed luxury. The chauffeur put my suitcases into the boot and opened the door for me to hop in.

I gave Olivia one last hug with tears in my eyes.

“Take care of yourself. I’ll always visit,” I said using my sleeve to wipe my tears. We hugged one last time and separated.

I entered the SUV and waved one last time at Olivia before the car zoomed off.

The chauffeur tried to keep me entertained by playing some Migos songs. The music couldn’t fill in the emptiness I felt in my heart as I embarked on this new journey in my life.

We finally arrived at Alexander’s mansion and we were welcomed by the automatic golden gate that opened itself without any security guard needed.

The mansion had this glorious staircase just like in fairytales. The SUV parked in the middle of the yard with five other different cars.

“We have arrived ma’am,” the chauffeur said as he stepped out of the car to open the door for me. As he opened the door for me, I stepped one foot out and gradually came out.

I looked around the environment wandering what life with Alexander in this house had for me.