CHAPTER 6

"Yes," she whispered.

James's face lit up, as he slid the ring onto her finger, and they shared a tender kiss.

Mr. Reed beamed with joy as he walked up to James, Isabella by his side, the diamond ring gleaming on her finger.

"Congratulations, James!" Mr. Reed exclaimed.

James smiled. "Thanks, Father. I'm happy."

Mr. Reed's eyes misted. "I'm so proud of you, son. You've made an excellent choice."

Isabella smiled politely, but her eyes seemed uncertain.

Mr. Reed turned to her. "Welcome to the family, Isabella. You've made James incredibly happy."

Isabella's smile faltered for a moment before she recovered. "Thank you, Mr. Reed."

Mr. Reed's expression turned serious. "Isabella, can you excuse us, please? I've got something important to discuss with him."

"Okay sir." as she walked away.

"Son, I'm glad to see you're happy," Mr. Reed said, his eyes warm.

James smiled. "Thanks, Father. I am."

Mr. Reed's expression turned serious. "Is everything okay between you and Isabella? You two seem...distracted."

James's smile faltered for a moment before he recovered. "Everything's fine, Father. Just tired, that's all."

Mr. Reed nodded. "Good. Don't worry, the party is almost over, then you both can have the night to yourselves. I hope your love is real, James. Not some facade."

James's eyes dropped. "Of course, Father. It's real."

Mr. Reed patted James's back. "Good. I hope you know you both are spending the night here with me?"

"Here? Come on, Dad, we've got our place and we can still drive home," he replied, confused.

"I insist, James," he said walking away.

As James and Isabella prepared for bed, tension filled the air. They hadn't shared a bed before, but tonight, they won't only share a bed but also fake a romance.

James and Isabella retired to their room, exhausted from the party.

"Well, that was a long night," James said, loosening his tie.

"Really a long night, I am so exhausted right now," she said while trying to catch her breath.

James turned to her. "Thanks for tonight. You played your role perfectly."

Isabella raised an eyebrow. "You mean pretending to be in love?"

James nodded. "Yeah. My Dad ate it up, though he was a little bit skeptical about the whole thing."

Isabella sighed. "I feel guilty lying to him. Wait, was that the conversation you both had when he asked me to excuse you both?"

James's expression softened. "Yeah, I feel guilty also. But it's necessary."

Isabella looked away. "I guess we make a good fake couple."

"We do." smiled coldly 

Their eyes met, and for a moment, they just looked at each other.

"Hey," James said, his voice low. "We should practice our fake romance."

Isabella's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

James stepped closer. "We need to convince my Dad our love is real. We can't just pretend."

Isabella's heart skipped a beat. "And how do you suggest we do that?"

James's eyes locked onto hers. "We need to kiss and then you fake a moan."

Isabella's cheeks flushed. "James..."

But James's lips were already on hers. Isabella's arms wrapped around James's neck, He deepened the kiss. For a moment, they forgot about the charade.

Isabella's eyes flew open as James's lips brushed against her ear.

"Moan," he whispered.

Isabella's cheeks flushed, but she complied. A soft moan escaped her lips; they couldn't resist each other, as they both took off their dresses. James kissed her neck down to her thighs, making a real moan as he made passionate love to her.

James woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. He groggily reached for it, answering.

"Hey, Steve," James said, his voice husky from sleep.

"James, wake up!" Steve's voice was urgent.

James sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on?"

"The investors are coming in soon," Steve said. "We need to rush the marriage."

James's heart sank. "How soon?"

"Next month," Steve replied. "We need to make it happen before they arrive."

James cursed under his breath. "Okay, I'll take care of it."

"You better," Steve said. "This is our only chance to save the company."

James ended the call, his mind racing.

Isabella stirred beside him, her eyes fluttering open.

"Who was that?" she asked, her voice sleepy.

"Steve, saying the investors are coming next month," he replied.

Isabella's eyes widened. "That's soon."

James nodded. "We need to get married before they arrive. Come on, we need to leave now, I have a lot on my plate."

As James and Isabella came downstairs, Mr. Reed looked up from his newspaper, surprised.

"Up early, I see," Mr. Reed said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

James smiled. "We wanted to get a head start on the day."

Mr. Reed chuckled. "I think I know why you're rushing off."

Isabella's cheeks flushed.

Mr. Reed winked. "I heard the sounds of a budding romance last night."

James's face turned beet red.

Isabella quickly intervened. "Mr. Reed, it was just...uh...the TV."

Mr. Reed laughed. "Save it, kids. I'm happy to see you two getting along."

James cleared his throat. "We should get going, Father."

Mr. Reed nodded. "Of course, of course. I'll walk you out."

As they walked to the door, Mr. Reed bade them farewell

As they drove away from Mr. Reed's estate, the tension in the car was palpable. James and Isabella sat in silence for a few minutes, lost in their thoughts.

 "So, what's on your mind?" James asked, breaking the silence.

Isabella turned to him, her expression thoughtful. "I was just thinking about our conversation with your father. He seems happy about our engagement."

James nodded. "Yeah, he's thrilled. He's always wanted me to settle down."

Isabella's eyes narrowed. "And what about you? Are you thrilled?"

James's gaze met hers. "I'm doing what needs to be done, Isabella. For the company and most especially for my Dad."

Isabella's voice dropped to a whisper. "And what about us? What happens after we get married?"

James's jaw clenched. "We'll figure it out, okay? One step at a time."

Isabella sighed. "I hope so, James. Because right now, I feel like we're drowning in lies."

James's eyes flashed with frustration. "You wanted this, Isabella. You agreed to it, so what's with the interrogation?"

Isabella's eyes sparkled with tears. "I know, James. But that was before...before everything. Before I started feeling things for you."

James's heart skipped a beat. "Feelings?"

Isabella's voice was barely audible. "Yes, James. I think I might be falling for you."

The car fell silent again, the only sound the hum of the engine.

"Isabella..." he started.

But she cut him off.

"Don't say anything, James. Just drive."

James's eyes locked onto the road ahead, his heart racing as he drove off.