Chapter Five

On getting to work the following day, Alexander quickly summoned Roosevelt to his office, demanding answers to all of his unanswered questions.

“Here, sir, this is what I have found so far.” Roosevelt handed a file to him. He continued as Alexander tried to check the content of the file. “From what I know so far, she went straight to her mother’s town, where she spent five years before coming back to New York.”

“And what has she been up to?” he asked, eager to learn about Isabella’s recent moves.

“Well, I learnt she started her own company and has been successfully running it ever since. She actually came to New York for expansion.

While Alexander carefully studied the document presented to him as he listened to his personal assistant, he couldn't shake off the thought that Ethan could be his son.

“Did she ever remarry?" he asked, trying to satisfy his curiosity.

“No, she didn’t. I think she was already pregnant before leaving New York.”

That means Ethan could be mine. He let out a sigh of relief, hoping to be right about this.

Alexander’s phone rang, and the secretary informed him of the presence of Isabella.

“Send her in.” He raised his hands to signal for his assistant to go.

As Isabella entered his office, he tried to maintain calm.

“Good morning, Mr Alexander,” she spoke with confidence written all over her as she grabbed a seat. “I hope you have been able to go through our proposal.”

“Oh, yes. So I think we need to discuss a few changes that I think would affect both parties. If you don’t mind.”

“That’s why I am here. Let’s have it.”

“So, I have highlighted a few changes I think would work well for the new project, and I think this would be in everyone's favour. I will have my PA send it to your email.

Alexander stood up from his seat, gently approaching Isabella. “You look different, though; what changed?”

“Does it surprise you that I can also be successful?” she said, trying not to show too much emotion.

“Was that why you left suddenly with no explanation?”

“What kind of explanation can I possibly expect from a selfish man who deemed it necessary to cheat on me despite the fact that I gave my life for him?” 

At this point, it became clear to Alexander why his wife had left five years ago without saying goodbye.

“You know what happened with Tracy?” he said in a soft tone. 

Tracy was his ex-fiancée who drugged him and made his wife leave the house. The flash of the scene occurred to him as he pictured Isabella entering the house and leaving angrily after she saw both of them lying together on the bed.

Now that he thinks about it, he can actually remember the sound of the door opening, but he was too high to picture the face he saw.

“I gave you everything; I gave you my life. I was an obedient wife; I did everything you wanted, and what did I get in return? Betrayal. That's why you gave me.”

Now that he understood why he lost his wife, a sense of regret rushed through him, replacing the earlier hatred he had been nursing for the woman who left him suddenly without giving reasons.

For the first time, Isabella thought she saw him break down, showing his soft side. 

“I am sorry, Bella. Tracy drugged me and set me up.” 

Isabella felt her heart melt for the man whom she thought she would hate forever. But here she was, her heart skipping for Alexander.

She quickly got back to her senses again, acting tough and strong.

As Alexander pulls closer, she finds herself struggling to keep up with the tough act; a sense of weakness engulfs her. Alexander pressed his lips on hers.

She tried to stop him but didn't find the words. “Stop it, I am here for business,” she managed to say.

But Alexander continued dipping his tongue in between her lips. She felt weak and eventually gave in to him. He grabbed her waist, drawing her closer as both of them became drawn into each other. She felt her breast on his body as her body reacted to gentle touches, and she started kissing him passionately.

Highly disappointed in herself, Isabella couldn't shake off the fact that she had locked lips with Alexander, who is supposed to be her enemy.

I can’t let this happen to me, never. I can’t allow myself to be treated like trash for the second time. She thought to herself as she wandered around the room.

She beats herself for being weak in the presence of Alexander after five years of staying away from him. By now, she thought she had gotten over him, but it appears there was still something left for him somewhere in her heart. She hated the fact. 

She promised herself she would not be weak for any man again because it wouldn't end well. She only had to work hard so that she could give her son a proper life without having to depend on any man who would take advantage of her.

Besides, she wasn't ready to let the controlling man father her child. If Alexander could be mean to her, he would do the same for her son, and she wasn't ready to allow her son to go through the neglect and betrayal she went through. She would rather raise her son as a single mother.

Ethan is better off without a father. She thought.

Meanwhile, Alexander continued his investigation into Isabella’s five-year missing period. He had just discovered something significant. Isabella’s business structure is the same as that contained in a business blueprint he had designed five years ago.

It occurred to her that Isabella actually stole his blueprint to start her own business. He had searched for the blueprint but eventually had to let go when he couldn't find it, thinking that he had misplaced it somewhere.