Chapter One

Not everyone was aware that the handsome and noble young Ronan Patterson was married, and what was more? had a child.

At least, not until one winter morning, he cornered her, with reporters all around them.

His woman, he thought. The woman who had taken his child away from him,

“Alas, I've found you.” He whispered close to her ear.

She looked up at him with wide eyes,

“Let me go, Ronan,” she said, struggling against the hold he had on her.

“Your days of running and hiding have come to an end.” He said and she shook her and had her trembling against the wall where he had her pinned,

“Damn you.”

CHAPTER ONE

"Isabella! I am pregnant. And you would never guess who the father is…”

Isabella Sullivan, the secretary to the president of the Patterson company looked up at the woman with confused eyes,

“Er…”

“Ronan, Isabella. My Baby’s Father is Ronan.”

the woman rolled out before Isabella had the chance to even respond.

The woman shoved her pregnancy test right under Isabella's nose, so that she was forced to do nothing else but actually read it.

'Pregnancy test: positive.'

Isabella read it and felt her heart all but sink

Ronan, How could you? She thought sadly.

But in spite of her heart breaking uncontrollably, She looked up at the young woman with a placid face, void of emotions.

"So, what is it that you would like me to do for you? Fix for you an appointment with a gynecologist?"

Isabella asked carefully.

Later on, she would rage and cry about what was happening. But not here, not in front of this woman. Not in front of anyone for that matter.

The woman smiled and shook her head,

"No, not at all Isabella. I just came to let you know that I am with child. And that my child's father is Ronan." she said dreamily, her hand moving to cover her lower abdomen. She wasn't showing any sign of a bulging tummy yet.

But eventually, Isabella knew. She would.

Oh, Ronan, Isabella thought sadly.

She gazed up to face the young woman.

Miss Vanessa Campbell was her name. She was quite popular, being a model as she was. And there was a time, not long ago when the media had circulated much news about Ronan and Vanessa, rumors of an affair, pictures of them entering and leaving a hotel.

But then Ronan had silenced such news, seeing as he was a very powerful man, who had more than enough financial means.

"And so now that you've done just what you set out to do," Isabella started slowly, picking up the pregnancy test where it lay on her table. And taking another look at the test, what she suspected was confirmed.

Vanessa had conceived around that period the media had dogged them. "what next?"

As though keying into Isabella’s thoughts, Vanessa with a catlike smile on her lips, pounced, "it's just what you're thinking. It happened during those moments when we had a lot of eyes on us. But even with it being all so public, it was a very beautiful time." she all but purred

Anger laced with her sorrow as Isabella sat upright. She wasn't going to let this woman harass her in her own office.

" that's all fine and good. But what do you need me for? To call him for you?" When Vanessa said nothing, Isabella nodded with understanding, "oh, I see. You really can't contact him yourself, can you? so you were expecting me to do it for you, weren't you?"

She watched as Vanessa’s demeanor grew violent. Isabella was right though. She really had no access to Ronan. He had blocked her number from contacting him.

But having his child was the biggest opportunity of her life and she was by no means going to pass it up. not even this stubborn-chinned Secretary was going to stop her.

"I've done my investigations, I know you are always with him, so you can't say you don't have the means to contact him."

"That’s not any of your concern."

"Now, you listen," Vanessa said, the cute little act she displayed earlier long gone,

"This pregnancy right here is my warning to you. Don't take it lightly, for the moment Ronan and I get married… for I will marry him, let it be known. And when I do, do you know the first person I’m going to get rid of?"

Isabella didn't reply, just looked at her, her patience growing very thin.

"you."

"I see. Do you truly believe that you could become Ronan Patterson’s wife? And perhaps you know the thing Ronan despises the most."

Vanessa said nothing, just stared at her in confusion, and Isabella smiled,

"Ahh, so you don't know. Deception, Vanessa. Ronan hates deception. And I suppose I could add a not-so-pretty face."

Vanessa gritted her teeth in response,

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Let's start with that little pregnancy of yours and how you mean to use that pregnancy as a way to make Ronan marry you. And let me not get started on what you look like underneath all those layers and layers of color you put on your face." Isabella said with a bite.

Vanessa’s blood curled, "how dare you?” she snapped, “and to think, that I came here with the intentions of rewarding you for your help, you little piece of-"

"Be careful vanessa." Isabella said coldly, making chills run down Vanessa's spine.

"Damn you."

Isabella didn't reply. She had had enough. She simply reached for her phone and requested for security to come to carry Vanessa out of her office. And out of her life.

~~~~~

Less than an half hour later, after Vanessa had been sent out of her office. She had nearly found her peace when the door to her office slammed open.

"What the-" her words froze at her throat when she looked up to find him at her door. He was handsome, but his cold temperament made one cautious of him. He was dressed in a well-tailored couture suit, that perfectly exposed his slender, well-proportioned body.

And he was angry.

"Ronan?" Isabella heard herself say as she got up and went around her table to meet him. One looked into his eyes and had her stepping backward, but he took steps and was right in front of her in an instant.

Dear God, she prayed. Who could have put this man in such an awful state?

But before she could so much as ask him, her arm was clutched by him, and she stiffened in his hold.

For three years they had been married, but he never touched her. Not when they were in private, and especially not when they were in the public. He barely so much as spoke to her.

And so, for this reason, no one knew that she was his wife. No one knew that Isabella Sullivan was Ronan Patterson’s wife.

But now he held her. He was angry and held her, and only heaven knew what he meant to do to her.