Chapter Two: The Unspoken Secrets and a Dangerous Discovery

The Kingston estate was beautiful, but it felt nothing like home.

Isabella sat at the edge of the massive bed, staring at the luxurious room that now belonged to her. The events of the past twenty-four hours still felt surreal. Married. To a man she barely knew. A man who was supposed to marry her stepsister.

And yet, here she was. Isabella Kingston.

Her fingers ran over the smooth gold band on her finger. It felt foreign, like a shackle rather than a promise.

A soft knock on the door made her snap out of her thoughts. The door creaked open, and the head maid entered.

"Good morning, Mrs. Kingston," the woman greeted, her voice polite but devoid of warmth. "Mr. Kingston has requested you join him for breakfast."

Requested.

It wasn’t a question. It was an order.

Isabella swallowed her pride and nodded. "Lead the way."

The halls of the mansion were eerily quiet as she followed the maid through the house. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, illuminating the marble floors beneath her feet. The house was grand, but there was an emptiness to it—a silence that carried an unspoken weight.

The dining room doors were pushed open, revealing a long, elegant table set for two.

At the head of the table sat Alexander Kingston, dressed in a sharp navy suit, his piercing blue eyes scanning the papers in front of him. He barely looked up as Isabella entered.

“Sit,” he said, his tone firm.

She hesitated but obeyed, lowering herself into the chair across from him.

A tense silence filled the space between them. The only sounds were the quiet clinking of silverware as Alexander sipped his coffee and glanced over documents.

She expected him to ignore her, to eat in silence, but instead, his next words sent an unsettling chill through her.

“There’s something you should know.”

Isabella froze, her fingers tightening around her fork.

"What is it?"

Alexander set down his coffee cup and finally met her gaze, his expression unreadable.

“I need you to be careful in this house.”

Her breath hitched. “What do you mean?”

He leaned forward slightly, his voice calm yet laced with warning.

“You may have my name, but that doesn’t mean everyone here is on your side.”

A cold shiver ran through her.

“What are you saying?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Alexander’s gaze darkened. “I’m saying, Isabella, that you are not safe here.”

Her heart pounded against her ribs. “Safe from what?”

Alexander exhaled slowly, his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that made her stomach churn.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

And just like that, he returned to his breakfast, as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on her.

But Isabella knew one thing for sure.

She had just married a man with dangerous secrets.

And if she wasn’t careful…

She might not survive them.

---

The Secrets of Carter Holdings

Isabella barely touched her breakfast. The air was thick with questions she didn’t dare voice.

Instead, she studied Alexander as he read through his documents. His chiseled features were sharp under the warm glow of the morning sun, his jaw clenched in deep concentration.

But despite his calm exterior, there was something beneath the surface. A storm hidden behind those icy blue eyes.

And she wasn’t sure if she was ready to face it.

“Your father’s company,” Alexander said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Carter Holdings. Do you know the full extent of its debts?”

Isabella blinked. “I… I know it was in trouble. But—”

“You don’t know everything,” he cut in, his gaze piercing.

A lump formed in her throat.

She thought back to the night Vivian had delivered the news. The bankruptcy, the creditors, the marriage arrangement that had been her only escape from complete ruin.

Vivian had found a solution—sell Isabella to the highest bidder.

That bidder had been Alexander Kingston.

The man who should have married her stepsister, Charlotte.

But Charlotte had disappeared weeks before the wedding, running off with her secret lover. Rather than face humiliation, Vivian had offered Isabella in her place.

And now, here she was—Mrs. Kingston, the replacement bride.

Alexander’s gaze didn’t waver. “I took over Carter Holdings for a reason.”

She swallowed hard. “And what reason is that?”

He set down his fork, his expression unreadable.

“Because your father’s company wasn’t just in debt, Isabella. It was targeted.”

Her breath hitched. “What?”

“There were illegal transactions linked to Carter Holdings. Money laundering. Fraud. Deals with dangerous people.”

Isabella’s pulse spiked. “That’s impossible. My father would never—”

Alexander cut her off, his voice steel.

“He might not have. But someone else did.”

Her blood ran cold.

Vivian.

It had to be her stepmother.

“Who was involved?” she whispered.

Alexander’s jaw tightened. “I don’t have all the answers yet. But what I do know is that marrying me might have saved you from more than just bankruptcy.”

A heavy silence stretched between them.

And for the first time since she’d walked into the mansion, fear settled deep in her bones.

A Dangerous Discovery

The next morning, Isabella awoke to the soft murmurs of staff moving about the mansion. For a brief moment, she forgot where she was—until she turned and saw the grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the silk sheets draped over her, and the faint scent of Alexander’s cologne lingering in the air.

Reality came crashing back.

She was no longer Isabella Carter.

She was Isabella Kingston, the wife of Alexander Kingston—a man she barely knew, yet one whose presence commanded her fate.

A soft knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts.

“Mrs. Kingston?”

The title still felt foreign.

“Yes?” she called out.

The head maid, a middle-aged woman with a sharp yet professional demeanor, stepped inside and gave a slight bow.

“Mr. Kingston requests your presence for breakfast.”

Requests.

It wasn’t an invitation. It was an order.

Suppressing a sigh, Isabella threw off the covers and got ready.

---

An Ominous Warning

Minutes later, she walked through the long corridors of the mansion, her heels clicking against the marble floors.

When she stepped into the dining room, she found Alexander already seated at the head of the long glass table, dressed in a sharp navy suit. Sunlight streamed through the massive windows behind him, casting a golden glow on his features, making him look even more untouchable.

He barely spared her a glance.

“Sit.”

Isabella hesitated but obeyed, lowering herself onto the chair across from him.

Silence stretched between them.

She expected more cold indifference, maybe a few clipped words about their arrangement.

But then, Alexander’s voice cut through the air, sending a chill through her spine.

“There’s something you should know.”

Isabella stiffened, gripping her fork.

“What is it?”

Alexander set down his coffee cup, his blue eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her pulse race.

“You need to be careful in this house.”

Her breath hitched. Careful?

“What do you mean?” she asked, her fingers tightening around the silverware.

Alexander leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp and unreadable.

“You may have my name, but that doesn’t mean everyone here is on your side.”

A sharp chill ran through her.

She forced herself to hold his gaze.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, Isabella, that you are not safe here.”

Her stomach twisted.

“Safe from what?”

Alexander exhaled slowly. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Then, just like that, he returned to his breakfast, as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on her.

Isabella’s mind whirled.

She had just married a man with dangerous secrets.

And if she wasn’t careful…

She might not survive them.

---

The First Clue

For the rest of the morning, Isabella couldn’t shake Alexander’s warning.

Why would he say something like that?

What was he hiding?

By mid-afternoon, she had roamed through most of the mansion, avoiding the prying eyes of the staff. She told herself she was exploring—but in reality, she was searching.

For what? She wasn’t sure.

But then, she found it.

At the far end of the west wing, behind a massive mahogany door, was his study.

Something about it called to her.

Heart pounding, she pushed open the door.

The room was dimly lit, filled with the scent of aged leather and whiskey. Dark bookshelves lined the walls, but it was the desk in the center of the room that drew her attention.

Papers were scattered across it.

Isabella’s eyes scanned them.

And then she saw it.

A black envelope sealed with a red wax insignia.

Something told her this was important.

She hesitated.

Then, before she could stop herself, she reached for it.

The moment her fingers brushed against the envelope—

A deep voice cut through the silence.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Isabella spun around, heart hammering.

Alexander stood in the doorway, watching her.

---

A Dangerous Man

He was unreadable as he slowly stepped forward, the door clicking shut behind him.

The air grew thick with tension.

“What are you doing here, Isabella?” His voice was calm—but there was a quiet warning beneath it.

Her pulse pounded.

“I—I got lost,” she lied.

Alexander’s lips curled into a knowing smirk.

“Is that so?”

He took another step forward.

Isabella instinctively stepped back, her back brushing against the desk.

Alexander’s gaze flickered to the envelope she had nearly touched.

Then his entire demeanor changed.

Dark. Dangerous. Possessive.

“Some doors should never be opened, Isabella,” he murmured, voice low. “And some secrets are better left undiscovered.”

Her throat dried.

“What are you hiding, Alexander?”

His eyes darkened.

“Nothing you need to worry about.”

But that was a lie.

Because Isabella could feel it in her bones—

She had just stepped into something much bigger than she could handle.

---

Jason’s Betrayal

That night, Isabella tossed and turned.

Alexander’s words haunted her.

And the way he had reacted to that envelope?

She knew it meant something.

Hours later, she finally drifted into a restless sleep.

But she wasn’t asleep for long.

Because a loud gunshot shattered the silence.

Isabella jerked awake, her heart hammering.

More gunshots.

Voices shouting.

Panic surged through her veins.

Then, a loud crash—the sound of someone slamming into the door of her room.

Before she could react—

The door burst open.

And there he was.

Alexander.

Bleeding.

His white shirt was stained red.

His face was pale, eyes glazed with pain.

“Alexander!” she gasped, rushing toward him.

But before she could reach him—

Another figure stepped into the room.

Isabella froze.

Because the man standing there, gun in hand, was Jason.

Alexander’s best friend.

---

The Ultimate Betrayal

Jason’s expression was unreadable.

But his eyes burned with something dark.

Something dangerous.

Alexander gritted his teeth, clutching his wounded shoulder.

“Jason…” His voice was a growl. “You bastard.”

Jason didn’t flinch.

“Sorry, old friend,” he said, his voice almost casual. “But you were never meant to survive this.”

Alexander’s jaw clenched.

Isabella’s blood ran cold.

Jason had shot him?

Why?

What the hell was going on?

Jason’s gaze flickered to Isabella.

“And as for you, sweetheart…” He smirked. “You were never supposed to be here.”

Fear gripped her.

Jason lifted the gun.

He was going to kill them both.

But before he could pull the trigger—

Isabella moved.

Fast.

She grabbed the nearest thing—a heavy glass vase—and hurled it at Jason.

It smashed against his arm.

Jason cursed, stumbling back—

And that was all the distraction Alexander needed.

With one last burst of strength, Alexander lunged, slamming into Jason and knocking the gun away.

The two men crashed to the ground.

Fists flying.

Grunts of pain.

Blood splattering across the floor.

Isabella didn’t hesitate.

She grabbed the gun.

And pointed it at Jason.

“Step away from him,” she hissed.

Jason froze.

Alexander panted, struggling to stay upright.

Their eyes met.

And in that moment, Isabella knew one thing.

She had just become part of something deadly.

Something she couldn’t escape.

And this was only the beginning.