chapter 7: The Inquiries

"Sir, there's been a development."Adrian waited.

"We discovered that Victor Blackwell has been making inquiries about you."

Adrian's eyes narrowed."About me?"

"Yes, sir. We don't know what information he has obtained, but someone connected to his office has been asking questions about the man seen with Isabella Montoya."

A brief silence followed.

Then Adrian spoke "Find out who authorized those inquiries."

"Immediately, sir."

The call ended, Adrian placed the phone on his desk.

So Victor Blackwell had already noticed him.

Interesting.

He had intended to remain an uninvolved stranger, it seemed that option was disappearing.

*****

The following morning, Isabella arrived at the restaurant determined to carry on as usual, She greeted Nadia, checked the day's supplies, and reviewed the accounts before opening the doors to customers.

She had barely finished when Daniel walked into the office.

"We need to talk."

Isabella didn't look up from the documents in front of her

."About what?"

"Victor." Her pen stopped moving.

"What about him?"

Daniel closed the door behind him, "He's been asking questions."

Isabella slowly raised her head."What kind of questions?"

"About the man you're planning to marry."

For a moment, she couldn't speak, then she stood.

"How do you know that?"

"Someone told me."

"Who?"

"That doesn't matter."

"It matters to me, Daniel. Victor is already threatening me, and now you're telling me he's asking questions about Adrian. I need to know what's happening."

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck."I heard that Victor wants to meet him."

Isabella stared at her brother."Meet him?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"I don't know."

She turned away, trying to control her frustration, this was exactly what she had feared.

Victor wasn't going to accept the existence of another man without investigating him.

And if he discovered that Adrian was a stranger who had agreed to help her in exchange for a meal, Isabella's carefully constructed lie would collapse.

"Did you tell Victor anything?" she asked.

Daniel's face tightened."Why would you ask me that?"

"Because you have a history of making decisions without considering the consequences."

"Isabella, I'm still your brother."

"And I'm still the one trying to protect this family!"Her voice echoed through the small office.

Daniel fell silent.

Isabella immediately regretted raising her voice, but the frustration had been building for too long.

She took a breath."I'm sorry. But I need you to understand how serious this is. Victor doesn't want the restaurant or the land alone. He wants me to marry him, and he won't stop until he gets what he wants."

Daniel lowered his eyes.

For once, he appeared to understand the weight of his mistakes.

"What are you going to do?"

Isabella looked at him."I don't know yet."

"But you're still going to marry that man?"

"If he keeps his promise, yes."

Daniel looked troubled.

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then I'll face that problem when it comes."

She returned to the documents, hoping he would understand that the conversation was over.

Daniel remained by the door for another moment.

"Isabella?"

She looked up.

"I'm sorry."

The words surprised her, Daniel rarely admitted when he was wrong, and even more rarely apologized without making excuses.

But Isabella was too exhausted to respond as she might have wanted.

"Just don't make things worse," she said quietly.

Daniel nodded and left.

Isabella sat down slowly, she had forgiven him for taking Grace's money.

She had tried to understand when he sold their parents' land without considering what it meant for the family.

But every mistake had brought them closer to disaster, she wondered how many more she would be expected to forgive.

****

Later that afternoon, Adrian returned to the restaurant, Nadia greeted him with a smile.

"Good afternoon, sir. Welcome back."

"Good afternoon."

Nadia led him to his seat, Isabella noticed him from across the room.

For a moment, she considered pretending not to see him, then she remembered the message from Victor and Daniel's warning.

She needed to speak to Adrian before the situation became worse, She approached his table.

"Good afternoon."Adrian looked up from the menu.

"Good afternoon, Isabella."

She was surprised that he remembered her name.

"May I sit?"

He gestured toward the chair opposite him.

"Please."

Isabella sat, placing her hands on the table.

"I need to tell you something."

Adrian set the menu aside."I'm listening."

"Victor knows about you."His expression remained unchanged.

"How?"

"I don't know. Someone must have seen us together."

"And what does he know?"

"That you're the man I intend to marry."

Adrian studied her face.

"Does that concern you?"

"Of course it concerns me!"

Her voice came out louder than she intended, she glanced around, then lowered it.

"Victor isn't someone who accepts being challenged. If he believes you're standing between him and what he wants, he may try to interfere."

Adrian leaned back slightly.

"Is that a warning?"

"It's a fact."

"Then perhaps you should tell me more about this man."

Isabella hesitated, she had already explained the situation once, but there was still much she didn't understand herself.

"Victor has influence throughout Montclair, people are afraid of him because he has the money and connections to make life difficult for anyone who crosses him."

"And you crossed him."

"I refused to marry him."

Adrian considered that answer.

"Why does he believe he can force you?"

"Because my family owes him money, and he has used that debt to put our property at risk."

"Is the debt legitimate?"

Isabella looked away.

"That's complicated."

"Then explain it."

She looked back at him.

"Daniel made a deal with Victor. I don't know every detail, but our family property became part of the arrangement. Now Victor wants me to marry him, and he's making it clear that refusing him will have consequences."

Adrian was silent for a moment, then he asked,

"And you expect me to become involved in this?"

Isabella's confidence faltered.

"I know I have no right to expect anything from you. That's why I'm telling you now, If you want to withdraw from our arrangement, I won't stop you."

She forced herself to meet his eyes.

"But I would appreciate it if you made that decision before Victor approaches you."

Adrian studied her for several seconds, she had come to warn him, even though his withdrawal would leave her with almost no options.He respected that.

"You said you wanted an arrangement," he reminded her

."Yes."

"And you still want to proceed?"

Isabella swallowed."Yes."

"Then we proceed."

She stared at him."You're not worried?"

"Should I be?"

"Victor might make things difficult for you."

Adrian's expression was almost indifferent.

"Isabella, I've dealt with difficult people before."

There was something in his voice that made her wonder what kind of life he had lived.

He didn't sound like a man who had never faced opposition.He sounded like someone who had learned not to be intimidated by it.

"But you don't even know me," she said.

"That is true."

"And you're still willing to help?"

Adrian held her gaze."You asked me for something. I agreed to discuss it. I don't intend to change my mind simply because another man has decided to interfere."

Isabella didn't know what to say, for the first time since making her desperate proposal, she felt that perhaps she had not chosen the wrong person after all.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Adrian nodded.

"Now, about that meal."

She blinked."What?"

"Tortilla Española, When will you prepare it?"

Despite everything weighing on her mind, Isabella almost smiled.

"You're still thinking about food?"

"I remember making a request."

"Of course you do."

"Can you prepare it tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Good."

He picked up the menu again, signalling that their conversation was over.

Isabella stood."I'll arrange it."

As she turned to leave, Adrian spoke once more.

"Isabella."She looked back.

"Yes?"

"Don't allow fear to make every decision for you."

She stared at him, caught off guard by the unexpected advice.

Before she could respond, he returned his attention to the menu, Isabella walked away slowly, she didn't know why his words affected her, but they stayed with her long after she returned to work.

*** That evening, Adrian sat alone in his temporary office, reviewing the documents his agents had gathered.

Victor Blackwell's name appeared several times.The man had business interests throughout Montclair and a reputation for using his influence to secure what he wanted.

Adrian closed the folder, he had no intention of allowing a stranger's dispute to interfere with his work, but he had already agreed to help Isabella, and he wasn't accustomed to abandoning a commitment simply because it had become inconvenient.

His phone rang, it was the agent investigating Victor.

"Sir, we've confirmed that Victor Blackwell is trying to identify you."

"And?"

"He knows you've been meeting Isabella, but he hasn't established your full identity yet."

Adrian's expression hardened."Make sure he doesn't obtain information about my business through your investigation."

"Understood." The agent hesitated.

"There's something else, sir."

"Go on."

"Victor has announced that he intends to visit Isabella's restaurant tomorrow."

Adrian's fingers went still against the desk.

"Did he say why?"

"He hasn't given a public reason. However, given his recent inquiries, we believe he's going there to confront her about you."

Adrian looked toward the darkened window.

Tomorrow, He had planned to complete his land inspection and return to his other business matters.Now he had a feeling the day would be more complicated than expected.

"Send me the details of his schedule," he instructed.

"Yes, sir."

The call ended.

Adrian stood and walked toward the window, he had agreed to become a stranger's groom.

He had agreed to prepare himself for an arrangement that made little sense.

And now, he was about to meet the man who had driven her to make such a desperate request.