Chapter one
The gallery was bustling with activity as Isabella made her way through the crowds. She was here to see the work of a new artist, one whose paintings had
caught her eye in a local magazine. His name was David, and from what she had read, he was a humble painter who lived a simple life.
As she approached his section of the gallery, Isabella saw him standing by his paintings, talking to a group of admirers. He caught her eyes immediately - he was tall and lean, with sandy brown hair and bright blue eyes. He wore a simple white shirt and jeans, and his hands were stained with paint.
She took a deep breath and approached him, trying to keep her nerves under control.
"Excuse me," she said, "I'm interested in buying one of your paintings."
He turned, his eyes lighting up with a smile. "Of course," he said. "Which one caught your eye?"
Isabella pointed to a painting of a sunset, its vibrant colors swirling together in a beautiful display of light and shadow. "This one," she said. "It's stunning."
David grinned. "That's one of my favorites," he said. "Let me get it down for you."
As he retrieved the painting and wrapped it carefully, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him. There was something about his easy smile and down-to-earth manner that made her feel comfortable.
Little did she know tha, this simple interaction with David was about to change her life in ways she never could have imagined.
Isabella had always been a driven woman. She had started her own business from scratch and had worked tirelessly to turn it into a billion-dollar empire coupled with her rich family connection.
But despite her success, there was one thing that had always eluded her - true love. With all her wealth and power, Isabella feels unfulfilled and lonely and longs for a deeper connection with someone.
She has had her share of deceit and gold diggers as she had just shed some tears in the corner of her office. “ I refuse to be down, “ she said, “ Jackson can go to hell for all I care “ she fumes.
Jackson is the recent ex-boyfriend whom Isabella has just found out that his intentions don’t match his actions. She takes one more glance at the local magazine she held and decides to walk down to the gallery to look at some art and clear her head.
“ I am Isabella, what about you ?” David smile. "David Jonas at your call, my lady” Isabella got lost in thoughts in his eyes, those bright blue sexy eyes aren’t something to look away from.
"I love your painting, “ she said, “ it all looks amazing” he smiled again Thank you”. She pointed to other paintings that were close by “I wish that I could take it all, it’s so beautiful."
He chuckles “ Remind me to give you a discount when next you come around” he pauses You know what? I will give you a 30% discount on any painting you choose."
She couldn’t accept such an offer from an upcoming, striving, young fine man who she obviously couldn’t keep her eyes away from ever since the moment she stepped into the galler.
“Please don’t do that” shy away “I wouldn’t want to impose something like that on you on our first meeting”
David asked, “Does this mean that there will be a second meeting?”
She answered, “What do you think?” They both smiled.
Isabella felt an immediate connection to him, but she knew that if he found out about her wealth, he would see her as just another rich woman looking for a fling.
So she decided to play it cool. She approached him like any other customer, admiring his paintings and asking him about his process. David was friendly and easy to talk to, and Isabella found herself enjoying the conversation.
David Jonas was busy arranging his new collection when he heard the door of his art gallery open. He turned around to see a stunning woman walking towards him, her eyes sparkling in the light. "Hi there," she said, smiling at him.
"I looked through the window and noticed you aren’t occupied and thought I'd come and take a look and say hi”
David smiled back, feeling a little nervous. He wasn't used to talking to such a beautiful woman and he didn’t think that she would be back.
"I'm David once again,” he said, extending his hand.
"Welcome to my gallery." They laughed.
As they walked around the gallery, Isabella asked David about his paintings, his inspiration, and his background. David opened up to her, telling her about his struggles as a young artist and his dreams of making it big one day.
Isabella listened with rapt attention, her eyes never leaving his face.
"I love your work," she said finally, as they stood in front of one of David's paintings. "You have real talent."
David blushed, feeling a surge of pleasure at her compliment. "Thank you," he said. "That means a lot to me."
They continued to talk for a while longer, discussing art, life, and everything in between. David found himself drawn to Isabella's intelligence, her wit, and her beauty. He couldn't help but feel a little smitten with her.
He asked her about work, life, and relationships and she lied about everything. She claims that she is between jobs but presently works as a secretary in her company, She told him that she comes from a poor family and she is in Chicago to make ends meet. David couldn’t stop looking into her eyes as he loved her sincerity.
As they were about to say goodbye, Isabella hesitated. "David," she said, biting her lip. "I know this might sound forward, but would you like to go out for a drink with me sometime? I'd love to talk to you some more."
Chapter twoDavid's heart leaped in his chest. "I would love to," he said, feeling a littlegiddy. "When were you thinking?""Tomorrow night?" Isabella suggested, her eyes shining. "I know this great little bar not too far from here."David nodded eagerly, feeling like he was on top of the world. "Sounds perfect," he said.As Isabella walked out of the gallery, David couldn't help but feel like he was in a dream. He had never met anyone like her before, and he couldn't wait to see her again.Isabella sat on her couch, staring out the window as she thought about her last relationship. She had been with Jackson for almost a year, but it had ended in heartbreak when she discovered he had been cheating on her.As she thought about it, she realized there had been warning signs all along. Jackson had been distant, always on his phone, and had started canceling plans at the last minute. Isabella had tried to ignore it, convincing herself that he was just busy or stressed at work. But deep do
Chapter ThreeKim grinned mischievously. "Well, don't take too long. You don't want him to slip away."Isabella laughed, feeling grateful for her friend's advice and support. "I won't. Thanks for being here for me.""Anytime," Kim replied, smiling warmly. "Now, tell me more about this first date."As she looked through her closet, she decided to wear a simple dress that didn't look too expensive. She paired it with a pair of sandals and minimal jewelry. She needs to dress up to look the part that she had portrayed to David.Isabella then turned her attention to her apartment. She lived in a luxurious penthouse downtown, but So, she decided to rent a small studio apartment for the night in case David insisted on walking her home.She quickly booked a furnished, more like an Airbnb that is affordable onlineand put a call through to Kim to help her drop some belongings there. She plans on shopping for some clothes that are cheap too, she wants to continue to live the life that she had t
Chapter FourShe knew her heart was falling even if it was just a game but some parts of her acknowledged that this was not just a game but a life changer if things worked out fine.She paused Maybe I should just go back home and let him know that it’s all a mistake” Deep sighed. “No” she breathes out “ it’s not a mistake for me, This is Charlotte’s mistake and she is going to pay for it."She looks around with her head up high, a bright smile on her face as she walks into the bar. There he was sitting humbly at this table, he had not ordered anything but the waitress was standing beside him.One would think she was getting his order but it was the opposite he was getting her order, and she was flirting with him."Hope I didn't keep you waiting," Isabella said with her smile when she got to the table, David got up as he replied to her."No, got here a few minutes ago.""My date is here, please excuse us," David said to the waitress who stared at Isabella with disgust.Isabella can ima
Chapter Five"I..." She anticipated what he was going to say."I will teach you all you need to know," he said the word her ears had been itching to hear she wished she could jump on him right now and plant kisses on his face."Are you sure about that? Won't it inconvenient you? I mean..." she stopped when she caught him smiling, has he successfully fooled her again?"You are a funny lady," he said walking closer to her, he stopped in front of her and she questioned. "How am I a funny lady?""You are just," he shrugged and they spent the next minute staring at each other."So, next week I will expect you at work," he pats her hair as if she was a kid before walking away.Isabella touched her hair and smiled, she loved the fact that he was free around her. It couldn't make her happier."Aren't you coming?" He asked when she made no move. "I am," she ran after him and they walked for a few minutes before halting a tax for her."I would have loved to walk you home but you need to rest an
Chapter Six"Here," David handed Isabella a cold bottle of water. "Thank you," she opened it and took a sip before dropping the bottle."Are you alright? Are you sure you are not hurt?" David asked checking her body for bruises."No, I am fine." She raised her head with a smile. "I am alright thanks to you."David sighed and took a seat beside her, "What were you thinking? You are an adult for Pete's sake you should have watched where you were going. What if the car had hit you? What would I have done?""Are you mad at me?" Isabella said but in a low tone, David scoffed at her question."I am mad at myself," he replied and Isabella smiled. "For not realizing I brought a baby out.""A baby?" Isabella gasped. "Yes, only a baby does not check her environment before walking around," his voice was cool but the anger in it could not be missed either.Isabella only stared at him with a smile, that was the first time someone would be mad that she was not safe."I am sorry," she muttered with
Isabella pouted sadly as she watched David paint, he was backing her but in a few seconds, he turned to face her with his usual charming smile that makes any girl trip."Good morning, you are early," he said. "Trying to be a good employee huh?" He teased and she almost smiled but no she was mad at him, she definitely could not fall for his tricks."You can drop your things over there," He pointed at a desk which infuriated Isabella, Is he pretending not to notice the displeased expression she has?Finally noticing her countenance David asked, "What's wrong?""You," her response sounded so funny that David could not help but burst into laughter.His laugh added fuel to the burning fire, "What's funny?" She could not help but ask but her voice was calm.Can she even get mad at this guy? He has taken over her heart."You are funny, you said I was wrong," he replied with a smile."You started painting without me, and it hurts," She sounded like a kid but he found it cool and beautiful so
Chapter EightIsabella walked back to David looking like a lot puppy, she definitely can not have dinner on a night like this."What's wrong? Who was that?" David inquired worriedly."It was a friend of mine, I am sorry but we will have to postpone our celebratory dinner. I need to be with my friend," she said with her head bowed."Do you want me to come along?" He asked but she declined immediately."No, she doesn't like strangers..." she paused realizing she had just used the wrong choice of word but what can she do?"I didn't mean to call you that, well you are not a stranger to me but you know her... She... She needs only me at the moment and having you around..."David held her by the shoulder and she paused. "Calm down, I get you."She breathed in relief that he was such an understanding person. "Thanks, I owe you one," She moved closer and went on her tiptoe, she gave him a peck and ran away."Are you going to run or get a taxi?!" He screamed and she stopped she looked at the b
Chapter Nine"Is there more?" Isabella asked as his hand rested on her cheeks and gazed into her eyes."Yeah," his thumb moved to her lip and he caressed it softly, her lips were unbelievably soft against his thumb.Isabella's heart skipped a bit as she assumed he was going to kiss her, Well Maybe she was not wrong. He loved her pinkish lips and wanted to feel them against his."Don't you think we should get back to painting?" Isabella asked, As much as she wanted his lips on hers she couldn't risk him not having true feelings for her.'For what reason will he want to use you?' her subconscious asked.'I don't know, I still feel insecure I guess,' she shrugged mentally."I am sorry, there was some there," he stepped away from her."I will get to my drawing," she smiled and walked out of the painting room, she didn't fail to shut the door behind her.Isabella breathed in relief as she sat on her chair pulling her drawing book toherself."Why did I do that? What if she had not stopped
A second chance, forgiveness and love prevailsTears began to come out of Yvonne's eyes and she began to shake her hand. "Doctor," Isabella called out.The doctor rushed into the room, quickly assessing the situation. He checked Yvonne's vital signs and nodded to Isabella with a reassuring smile. "She's coming around," he said. "You did the right thing by coming here."Isabella exhaled deeply, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. She looked at Yvonne, who was beginning to stir. The doctor signaled for a nurse to assist and then gently asked Isabella to step outside for a moment while they attended to Yvonne.Outside the ward, Isabella leaned against the wall, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. David and Kiera, who had been waiting anxiously, approached her."How is she?" David asked, concern etched on his face."She's waking up," Isabella replied, her voice soft. "I think... I think she'll be okay."David wrapped an arm around Isabella, pulling her close. "You did a brave thing, g
Captured"Yvonne, stop this madness!" Isabella shouted. "This isn’t what Chris would have wanted. Think of your daughter. Think of what you’re teaching her."Yvonne’s resistance wavered, and for a moment, it seemed as though she might relent. But then, with a surge of strength, she threw Isabella off and scrambled to her feet. Before Yvonne could do anything more, a voice rang out from the entrance of the garden."Freeze! Police!"A group of officers stormed into the garden, guns drawn. Yvonne's face fell as she realized her plan had been thwarted. The masked man tried to flee but was quickly apprehended by the officers.Isabella rushed to her daughter, enveloping her in a tight hug. Tears streamed down her face as she held her close, relief washing over her in waves. David, freed by one of the officers, joined them, wrapping his arms around both of them.Yvonne was restrained by the police, her face a mask of defeat and sorrow. She looked at Isabella, a mix of hatred and grief in her
Tension Isabella arrived at the garden. She saw Yvonne there. "Excuse me. You were speaking to me? It felt abrupt all of a sudden," Isabella said, looking at Yvonne, whose back was turned to her. Yvonne slowly turned to face her. "Surprise," she said and laughed. "Thought you got rid of me?" "Yvonne? What are you doing here?" Isabella asked, nervously. "I'm here to surprise you, my dear. You guys succeeded in killing my husband and making me a widow and my daughter, fatherless. Guess, you forgot, an eye for an eye. Look over there," she said, pointing. Isabella followed her finger. She saw David tied up, down the garden. "How did you get my husband? Release my husband now, before I call the police on you.""Don't be stupid, Isabella. Did you think I came without a plan? They are bringing your daughter, now. The deal is, you can only save one person. There will be a timer. If the time runs out, one of them will die. Oh, that's her over there.""How dare you involve my child in th
Yvonne returns. "Just stay safe, Yvonne. And take care of that little girl.""I will," Yvonne promised, hugging her friend before leaving.With the passports in hand, Yvonne booked the next flight out of the country. She used a series of cash transactions to avoid any digital trails. She knew it was only a matter of time before the police caught up with her, and she couldn’t afford any mistakes.On the day of their flight, Yvonne felt a mix of fear and determination. She dressed Emily in simple clothes, making sure they looked as inconspicuous as possible. As they boarded the plane, she couldn’t help but glance around nervously, expecting to see police officers at any moment.But the flight went smoothly. As the plane took off, Yvonne held Emily’s hand, feeling a glimmer of hope for the first time in days. They were leaving behind a life of fear and uncertainty, heading towards a future where they could finally be free. Yvonne bursted out in laughter, in a loud evil laugh. Hours lat
Away for a while.Yvonne stepped out of the hospital, while the cool night air hit her like a wave, momentarily shocking her out of her grief. But it was quickly replaced by a seething rage that coursed through her veins. She pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head, determined to stay hidden as she walked through the city streets. She needed to think, to plan. She needed to make them pay.Her first stop was to collect their daughter, Emily, from her sister’s house. Emily had been staying there for the past few weeks while Chris was on the run. Yvonne’s sister, Melissa, was supportive but wary of Chris’s lifestyle, and Yvonne knew she’d have to be careful about how much she told her.Melissa answered the door, her face etched with concern. "Yvonne, what’s going on? I heard about Chris on the news. Are you okay?""No, I’m not," Yvonne said, her voice steady but cold. "Chris is dead. The police shot him."Melissa gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God, I’m so sorry.""I
Lurking in the dark. "We have informations of Chris's whereabout. The Police officers are getting ready to invade, Chris's hideout. When we have a leak, we will let you know," Detective Martinez informed Isabella. "Thank you so much," Isabella said. "But, Chris is very cunny. What if he outsmarts the Police and escape, just like Yvonne did?""Well, all we plan is to arrest him and bring him into custody. When we catch him, we will hold him at gunpoint. If he tries to outsmart us, they will release fire at him," Detective Martinez explained. "Oh, alright. All I want is for him to be caught. He is a threat to our lives," Isabella said, eagerly. Detective Martinez nodded, his face serious but understanding. "We will do everything in our power to ensure he is apprehended and no longer a threat."Isabella watched as the detective left her home, the weight of the situation pressing heavily on her shoulders. Chris had been a constant menace, always one step ahead, and his cunning nature
Unexpected They eventually reached David's line and told him everything. He said he was calling the police station, immediately. David suggested they returned to the building before the police officers arrive and rescue, Elvis's mum, Felicia. Isabella and Elvis went back to the building and***“We have to go Felicia. Your son is a strong and good man. At least he did the right thing,” Isabella said. Elvis couldn't escape with us. He was captured by Yvonne's men. But, the police officers had arrived and they were sending messages through their speakers, that the other men should drop their weapons and come out, before the invade the building. Isabella was worried about Elvis, but he had told her to get his family to safety and didn't care if he himself, died. Immediately, a gunshot went off. Isabella and Felicia panicked. “I heard a gunshot. What if it was him they shot?” Felicia asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Elvis has been nothing but a good and caring son. He cared
UnitedIsabella and Elvis hurried to the building where Isabella’s child was being held hostage. They arrived at the building. “Give me my child, Isabella said as she opened the door and rushed in.“Who are you? I can’t give you this child. This child has been put under my care by Yvonne.”Elvis got into the room at once. “Mom, please hand over the child to her. It’s her child.”“But this was never the plan,” mom said in awe.“I know mom, but you have to trust me. I want to do the right thing, mum.”“Yvonne will hurt us, if she finds out.”“Think mum. What if it was your child, mum? You are a mother. You should understand her pain,” Elvis said. “Let’s do the right thing. Trust me, I’ll protect you and our family. I won’t allow Yvonne to hurt us. Once we get them to safety. We will leave this state. I already made arrangements. And if anything happens to me, you and our family will still leave the states. Don’t worry mum. We have everything in control.”Isabella held her breath as she
OutsmartedIsabella was able to free herself from the rope they had tied her up with. She waited for the right time to strike at Yvonne. “Don’t try to hurt my child. Don’t forget you have a child.”“Where is that toughness coming from?” Yvonne asked, as she walked close to me. What do you think you can do? Who is going to come for your rescue? No one. You are all alone in this. So stop acting like you got some back up. David won’t even save you. He has a lot on his mind. He doesn’t suspect I kidnapped you and your child. How then, do you think he would find you guys and rescue you? How do you think you’ll find my own child and get revenge? In your weird dreams.” She let out a mocking laugh.“Well, if anything happens to my daughter, I won’t rest till I get my revenge. An eye for an eye.”Yvonne laughed again. “You really have some guts, don’t you?”Isabella gave Elvis a sign, at once.Elvis understood the signal and subtly moved closer to Yvonne, ready to intervene if needed. Isabella