chapter 6

 I nodded, wondering where this was going. “ Yes.”

    “ I’ll advise that after this call, you check it, before leaving for classes. Because you need to be mentally prepared for whatever attention and questions that’s gonna come your way.”

   I frowned, feeling a little confused. “ I don’t know what you’re talking about, but anyway...”

   I opened my phone, and my eyes widened as I saw the news headlines. “ Ryan West Officially Engaged to First Daughter of Genovese’s...”

 I stared at my phone in shock, my eyes fixed on the news headline. “ Ryan West Officially Engaged to First Daughter of Genovese’s...”

    I felt a surge of anger and frustration. Why did he have to announce it? Didn’t he know how much attention it would bring?

    I quickly dialed Ryan’s number, my heart raced with anticipation. But to my surprise, he didn’t pick up. I knew he was seeing my calls, but he was deliberately ignoring me.

    I gritted my teeth in frustration and dialed the secretary’s number instead. “ Hand the phone over to your boss, right now,” I demanded, my voice rising in anger.

    The secretary hesitated, clearly taken aback by my tone. “ I-I’m sorry, Miss Isabella. Mr. Ryan is in a meeting right now...”

 But I cut him off, my anger boiling over. 

    “ Just give him the phone! Now!”

   There was a pause, and then I heard Ryan’s voice on the other end of the line. “ Isabella, what’s wrong?” He asked, his tone calm and collected.

   But I was having none of it. “ Did you have to announce it?” I yelled, my voice echoed through the phone. “. Did you have to make it public? What were you thinking?”

“ Why did you announce it first before informing me?” I demanded, my voice shook with anger.

Ryan’s calm tone was starting to get on my nerves. “ I didn’t even think that we were going to announce it publicly,” I continued. “

Ryan’s voice came through with a brief pause. “ Hold on a sec, Isabella. Do you think that you would be able to get back your mom’s company by keeping everything private?”

I felt a surge of frustration. “ Ryan, don’t forget the base of our relationship. You know that after all this is over, we’ll go our separate ways and get a divorce. It’s a contract marriage, after all.”

Ryan’s voice was smooth as silk. “ So, divorcing for stars isn’t something that’s uncommon...it’s normal and it’s nothing new...”

But I wasn’t interested in hearing his justification. “ I know I can’t refuse, but I don’t like the idea of just going with the flow of things,” I said, my voice firm.

Without waiting for his reply, I hung up and started getting ready for school. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with Ryan’s games right now.

 I quickly got dressed and headed downstairs, my mind still reeled from the conversation with Ryan. I couldn’t believe he had announced our engagement without even telling me first.

    I walked into the kitchen and found Maria, the maid, busy making breakfast. She smiled at me and asked if I wanted some pancakes or eggs. I shook my head, still feeling a bit upset. “Just coffee, please,” I said.

   Maria nodded and handed me a cup of steaming hot coffee. I took a sip, feeling the caffeine kick in and clear my head a bit.

    As I drank my coffee, I couldn’t help but think about Ryan’s words. He was right, of course. Divorcing for stars was nothing new. But that didn’t mean I had to like it. And it didn’t mean I had to go along with everything Ryan wanted without questioning it.

    I finished my coffee and headed out the door, feeling a bit more determined.

  I couldn’t help but wonder what other surprises Ryan had in store for me. 

    As I walked out of the mansion, I was immediately surrounded by an entourage of bodyguards. 

    I felt a little self-conscious about the fuss, but I knew it was all part of being engaged to Ryan West. He was a high-profile celebrity, and his fiancée was bound to attract attention.

    The bodyguards escorted me to the car, a sleek black SUV with tinted windows. I slid into the backseat.

    As we drove to college, I couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed. I was still getting used to the idea of being part of Ryan’s world, and it was a lot to take in.

    The bodyguards were discreet, but I knew they were always watching, always waiting for any sign of trouble. It was a little unnerving, but I knew it was all part of the package.