His Dirty Secret

Isabella POV

If I had to listen to one more old man tell me how to live my life or to smile more, I was going to shoot someone. This was my fifth meeting of the day and I was ready to just go home and sleep for a week…..or die. My best friend / assistant Arianna was walking behind me, her heels clicking harshly on the expensive marble floor.

She clearly knew what I was thinking because the next thing I knew I was being dragged towards the lifts instead of the meeting room.

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked as we got inside and she pressed on the ground floor button.

“We are not going anywhere, I’m going back to the meeting room and telling them that the CEO had an emergency and I will be sitting in her place, while you are going home and relaxing.”

“You know I can’t, I still have so much to do!”

“I will take care of everything okay, just do me a favour and go home, you look like you’re going to fall over any moment now.”

I just shook my head fondly at Arianna, she was one of the most stubborn people I knew, but that’s what made her my best friend. When we reached the ground floor I signed out and left as quietly and discreetly as I could to make sure no one noticed.

Now I may have driven past the speed limit, but since I felt like I was going to fall asleep right on the steering wheel of my lamborghini urus, I think it’s justified. I could not explain the feeling of relief that washed through me as I finally unlocked my penthouse apartment door, only to feel all traces of sleep leaving me at the sight of my parents sitting on my sofa unannounced looking every inch the cold, ruthless business tycoons they were.

“Mom, Dad, what are you doing here? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“Isabella honey, why don’t you sit down, there’s something your father and I wish to tell you.”

My mother’s voice was so sweet that if you didn’t know her you would think she was being concerned and caring, but I had grown up with this woman and had used this very tone myself, so I knew exactly how fake it was.

Still, I hesitantly made my way to sit on the single sofa after putting my coat away, not bothering to offer refreshments as I could tell this was a business visit, not a social one. My parents both looked at each other once I sat down, eventually the silence and the staring started getting awkward and I felt suffocated in the room.

Finally, it was my father who spoke up, “Isabella, your mother and I have decided it’s finally time for you to get married, we have both let you live out your foolish fantasies of running a business, but we are tired of it now. It is time you did something for your family.”

Every word my father said hurt more and more, I always knew my parents were not happy with my choice to run my own business instead of helping my brother Liam with the ‘family business,’ which also happens to be the FUCKING AMERICAN MAFIA, so could you really blame me.

I’m pretty sure my mother could see the anger on my face because she got up and tried to give me a hug to calm me down, which just made me even angrier because since when did my mother care about anything other than gossip, fashion, money and herself.

“I have no interest in getting married, I’m perfectly happy with my life and I want to focus on my career. The company is so close to finally making a deal with the Yamada’s and I can’t let anything distract me, so can we please have this conversation later,” or maybe never I added in my mind.

Seeing my parents stunned faces at the end of my mini speech made me feel quite proud of myself. I really hoped they would leave me alone now that they heard about the business deal I’m making with the Yamada’s, who just happen to be one of the most important and respected families in Japan (and fellow Mafia leaders).

“We have already agreed to get you married to one of our good family friends, the Hawthorns. You will not disgrace us, and you will stop this nonsense and stop being selfish for once in your ungrateful life and quietly marry their oldest son, Ethan.”

I could feel myself wanting to throw up when I heard the name Ethan Hawthorn. Ethan was my childhood friend and one of the biggest assholes I knew, the only thing he loved was his own reflection. He liked to fuck anything with two legs that moved and I cannot even describe how much I hated him. I would rather shoot myself than touch him with a ten-foot pole.

“You have to be kidding me! You want me to marry that clown!! I would rather shoot myself.”

“That clown is to be your future husband, and if you refuse you can leave this family.”

“Fine I’m leaving.” My parents didn’t seem to think I would actually disobey them by the slight surprise in their eyes, but I was done with their bullshit. This was my goddamn life and I would not waste it just because my parents had giant sticks up their asses.

“You can leave now, you’ve said what you needed to, and I’ll be gone by the end of the week.”

“You think you can survive without us; well, we shall see. I will be waiting for you when you realize your stupid mistake and come crawling back to me for forgiveness.” This was the last thing my father said to me before both my parents made their way out the door.

 Everything was quiet for a minute before I realized what the fuck just happened, and honestly, I didn’t regret it, I was tired of my parents always manipulating me and demeaning me. If this was my ticket out of this hellhole and away from my parent’s control then I was going to take it and make it work.