Chapter 2: The stranger at the restaurant

“You.”

The word hung in the room, Isabella stared at Victor, certain she had misunderstood him.

“Me?”

Victor leaned back in his chair, his expression calm again.

“I don't want your properties anymore.”

Isabella looked at the torn document scattered across the floor.

“Then what do you want?”

Victor's eyes remained fixed on her.

“I want you to become my wife.”

For several seconds, nobody spoke, Daniel lowered his head, Hannah looked at Isabella in disbelief, Isabella slowly turned toward her brother

.“So this is what you got us into?”Daniel swallowed.

“I didn't know he would ask for this.”

Victor gave a quiet laugh.

“You didn't know much of anything.”

Isabella's hands tightened.

“You expect me to marry you because of Daniel's debt?”

“No,” Victor replied calmly.

“I expect you to marry me because you have something valuable enough to make the debt disappear.”

“And if I refuse?”

Victor stood.

“Then your family's properties, restaurant, and everything your parents left behind will become part of the consequences.

”Isabella stared at him, She had faced Daniel's mistakes before, She had forgiven him more times than she could count, but this was different, this time, her brother had placed her entire future in the hands of a man she barely knew.

Victor walked toward the door.

“You have until tomorrow.” He stopped beside Isabella.

“Think carefully before you answer.”

Then he left, the door closed behind him, Hannah immediately rushed toward Isabella.

“Are you okay?”

Isabella didn't answer, Her eyes remained on Daniel.

“Tell me everything.”

Daniel's face fell.

*********

Across Montclair, an unfamiliar black car stopped outside a quiet hotel, Adrian Valdez stepped out, he looked around the peaceful town without saying a word.

His driver opened the trunk, but Adrian simply took his coat and walked inside, he had come here for one reason: business, at least, that was what he told himself.

The land his company was considering had attracted his attention, and after the problems surrounding his family and marriage, he needed distance from Spain, He didn't want meetings, He didn't want questions, and he certainly didn't want to discuss Camilla.

He wanted silence, his phone vibrated, Adrian glanced at the screen, Lucia, he declined the call, a second call came immediately, he declined that one too.

“Mr. Valdez?”

Adrian looked at one of his agents.

“Yes?”

“We've prepared several places for you to visit tomorrow. But there's one restaurant I'd recommend for tonight.”

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“A restaurant?”

“Yes, Isabella's Restaurant. It's considered one of the best in Montclair.”

Adrian looked at him for a moment.“Fine.”

***

That evening, Isabella's Restaurant was unusually quiet, Isabella stood behind the counter, trying to focus on work, her conversation with Victor kept replaying in her mind.

I want you to become my wife, she couldn't understand how everything had changed so quickly, she had spent years protecting her family's legacy, now, because of Daniel, someone wanted to take control of her entire life.

Hannah walked toward her.“You should go home.”

“I can't.”

“Why?”

“Because if I stop working, I'll start thinking.”

Hannah sighed.“You're already thinking.”

Isabella almost smiled, then her phone vibrated, she looked at the screen, another message from Daniel, she didn't open it, instead, she quietly walked toward the back of the restaurant, she needed a moment alone.

The door opened, Adrian entered, the restaurant manager immediately approached him.

“Good evening, sir.”

Adrian nodded.“A table for one.”

“Of course.”

He followed the manager to a table near the window, he removed his coat and sat down, his eyes moved across the restaurant, everything was simple Elegant, but not extravagant.

There was something strangely comforting about it, A waiter handed him the menu, Adrian barely looked at it.

“What do you recommend?”

“The chef's special, sir.”

“Bring it.”The waiter nodded and walked away Adrian leaned back, for the first time that day, there was no one demanding anything from him.No Lucia.No Camilla.No family meetings, Just silence.

Then he heard a woman's voice, Soft, Emotional, Spanish. Adrian's eyes moved toward the sound, a woman stood near the back of the restaurant with her phone pressed against her ear, he couldn't see her face clearly.But he understood every word.

“I don't know what I'm going to do.”

Adrian's expression changed slightly, the woman continued speaking.

“Daniel made another mistake, and this time he has put everything at risk.”

She paused, her voice became quieter.

“They want me to marry him.”

Adrian frowned, Marry him?The woman wiped something from her cheek.

“I can't do it. I can't marry a man just to save what my parents left behind.”

Adrian remained still, he had no intention of listening, but something about her voice held his attention.

“I don't even know why my mother sent us here,” she whispered.

“She told me Montclair would keep us safe, but she never told me from what.”

Adrian's eyes narrowed, that sentence caught him off guard, the woman continued.

“I wish I understood what she knew before she died.”

Silence, then she ended the call, Adrian looked down at his table, he had heard enough, Or at least he told himself he had.

The woman turned, for the first time, Adrian saw her face...Isabella, she quickly lowered her eyes and walked toward the kitchen, Adrian watched her disappear, something about her was unusual. Not because she was beautiful, he had met beautiful women all his life, it was the way she carried herself.

She looked like someone trying desperately to remain strong while carrying something far heavier than she wanted anyone to know, the waiter placed his meal on the table.

“Your dinner, sir.”

Adrian nodded, but his attention wasn't on the food anymore, his eyes remained on the doorway where Isabella had disappeared.

“Who is she?” The waiter looked confused.

“Sir?”

Adrian glanced at him.“The woman who was standing there.”

“Oh. That's Isabella, she owns the restaurant.”

Adrian said nothing, he picked up his fork, but before taking a bite, he looked toward the kitchen one more time, he didn't know her, he had no reason to care about her problems, And yet, for some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about the woman who had spoken about marriage as though it were a prison.

Adrian finally looked away.

“Interesting.”

It was the first word he had spoken in several minutes.

***

The following morning, Hannah's call was what woke Isabella.

“Isabella, wake up!”

Isabella opened her eyes sleepily.

“What happened?”

“Victor Blackwell is waiting for you at the restaurant.”

Her eyes widened.

“What?”

“He's already here. You need to come quickly.”

Isabella immediately got out of bed, she dressed as quickly as she could and hurried to the restaurant, when she arrived, Victor was already waiting.

The moment he saw her, his expression hardened.

“You have already wasted enough of my time.”

Isabella stopped in front of him, Victor stared at her for a moment before continuing.

“But because I cherish you, I'll pardon you this once.”

He folded his arms.

“Now, I want to hear your answer.”

Isabella felt the little confidence she had left trembling inside her, she looked directly into his eyes.

“I won't marry you.”

Victor's expression didn't change.

“Why?”

“Because I'm already engaged.”

Hannah, who was standing nearby, nearly froze, she hadn't expected Isabella to say it so confidently.

Isabella continued.

“My wedding is only a few days away.”

Victor stared at her for several seconds.

Then his lips curved into a faint smile.

“If that is true, I will sponsor the wedding myself.”

Isabella's heart dropped.

“But if I discover that you're lying,” Victor continued, his voice becoming colder, “you should get ready to lose everything you have.”

He paused.

“Everything.”

His eyes remained fixed on hers.

“Even your freedom.”

Then he turned and walked away, the moment Victor left, Hannah rushed toward Isabella.

“Isabella, what did you just say?”

Daniel stared at her in disbelief.

“You told him you're engaged?”

Isabella remained silent, Hannah lowered her voice.

“Do you understand how dangerous that lie is? There isn't a man in Montclair who would dare cross Victor Blackwell.”

Daniel nodded.

“She is right. If he discovers that you're lying, he won't simply walk away.”

“I know,” Isabella replied.

“Then why would you say it?”

Isabella looked at them both.

“Because I had to say something.”

She took a deep breath.

“But I will never marry him.”