Chapter 2

Isabella's POV

As we settled back into our safe house, I couldn't help but feel like we were trapped. We were constantly looking over our shoulders, waiting for the next attack.

But then, something unexpected happened. Daniel received a call from Miranda, his ex-girlfriend. I was surprised - after everything that had happened, I didn't expect him to be in touch with her.

But as I listened to their conversation, I realized that Miranda had information that could help us. She had connections to the crime family, and she knew how to get us the information we needed to take them down.

At first, I was hesitant. How could we trust Miranda, after everything that had happened? But Daniel was insistent, and I knew that we needed all the help we could get.

And so, we set up a meeting with Miranda, in a seedy bar on the outskirts of the city. As we waited for her to arrive, I felt a sense of unease. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

And then, she arrived. But she wasn't alone. She was flanked by two men, both of them armed.

I knew that we were in trouble, but before I could react, the men had us surrounded. Miranda stepped forward, a triumphant smirk on her face.

"You thought you could outsmart me," she said. "But you were wrong

I watched in horror as Miranda's true colors were revealed. She had set us up, leading us right into a trap. The two armed men approached us, guns pointed at our heads.

My heart was pounding as I searched for a way out. But before I could even think of a plan, Daniel stepped forward, his hands up in surrender.

"Let her go," he said, addressing Miranda. "You got what you wanted. Let us leave in peace."

Miranda laughed. "You think I'm just going to let you walk away? You two have caused me nothing but trouble. And now, I'm going to make sure you pay for it."

I could see the fear in Daniel's eyes, but he stood his ground. "I won't let you hurt her," he said, looking at me.

But Miranda wasn't listening. She signaled to the men, and they grabbed us both roughly, shoving us toward the back of the bar.

I stumbled and fell, but Daniel caught me, pulling me back up. I could feel his strength and his determination, and I knew that we were going to get through this together.

As we were led towards a back room, I tried to think of a way out. But before I could come up with a plan, we were pushed into a small, dark room, the door slamming shut behind us.

For hours, we were trapped in that room, with no food or water. I could feel the panic rising in my chest as I realized that we might not make it out alive.

But then, I heard a sound outside the door. At first, I thought it was Miranda and her men, coming to finish us off. But as the door creaked open, I saw the face of someone unexpected.

It was Charles, one of Daniel's closest friends and allies. He had come to rescue us, and I couldn't have been more relieved.

As we made our way out of the bar, I looked back at Miranda's smirking face. I knew that we had won this battle, but the war was far from over. The danger was still out there, waiting for us. And I knew that we would have to fight harder than ever to stay alive.

As we stepped out of the bar, Charles led us to a waiting car. Daniel sat in the front seat, while I sat in the back, feeling exhausted and scared. I could see the concern in Daniel's eyes as he checked to make sure I was okay.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

I shook my head. "No, I'm okay. Just a little shaken up."

Daniel turned to Charles. "Thank you for coming to get us. I don't know what we would have done without you."

Charles nodded. "It's all good, man. We gotta look out for each other."

As we drove away, I couldn't help but think about Miranda. She was still out there, plotting and scheming. I knew that we had to be careful, that we couldn't let our guard down for a second.

Over the next few days, I received several anonymous phone calls and messages, warning me to stay away from Daniel. I knew it was Miranda, trying to scare me off. But I refused to be intimidated.

One evening, as I was walking home from work, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see Miranda, her face twisted in anger.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Miranda stepped closer, her hand reaching for something in her pocket. "I want you to stay away from Daniel," she spat. "He's mine, and I won't let you take him away from me."

I could see the glint of a knife in her hand, and my heart began to race. But before she could make a move, someone grabbed her from behind, pulling her away.

It was Daniel, his eyes blazing with fury. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he shouted at Miranda.

Miranda struggled, but Daniel held her tight. "Let me go!" she screamed.

But Daniel wasn't listening. "I should have known it was you behind all of this. You're nothing but a conniving bitch."

Miranda's face contorted with rage, and she lunged forward, trying to attack him. But Daniel was too quick for her. He pushed her away, and she stumbled back, falling to the ground.

As I watched Miranda get up and run away, I knew that this wasn't over. She was still out there, still plotting and scheming. And I knew that we had to be prepared for whatever she had in store for us next.

In the days that followed, Miranda's attacks became more frequent and more aggressive. She would show up at Daniel's office, making a scene and causing a disturbance. She even went so far as to spread rumors about me, telling people that I was using Daniel for his money and that I was only interested in his status.

I tried to ignore her, to brush off her attacks and carry on with my life. But it was becoming harder and harder to do. I could see the toll that it was taking on Daniel, how it was wearing him down.

One night, as we sat in his apartment, drinking wine and watching a movie, Daniel turned to me. "Isabella, I need to talk to you about something."

I could tell from the seriousness in his voice that this was important. "What is it?" I asked, feeling a knot form in my stomach.

"It's about Miranda," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "I've been thinking about it a lot, and I think we need to take more drastic measures."

I knew exactly what he was suggesting. A restraining order. It was a drastic step, but one that we might need to take to protect ourselves from Miranda's attacks.

I nodded slowly. "Okay. Let's do it."

Over the next few days, we gathered evidence and filed for a restraining order against Miranda. It was a difficult and painful process, but in the end, we were granted the order.

For a few weeks, things seemed to calm down. Miranda stayed away, and Daniel and I were able to enjoy some peace. But it didn't last long.

One evening, as we were walking out of a restaurant, we were ambushed by a group of men. They attacked Daniel, knocking him to the ground and beating him mercilessly. I tried to fight them off, but there were too many of them.

As I watched Daniel lying on the ground, battered and bruised, I knew that Miranda was behind this. She had gone too far this time, and I was done playing nice.

The next day, I went to see Miranda. I found her at a charity event, surrounded by her friends and admirers. But I didn't care. I walked right up to her and slapped her across the face.

"You listen to me," I hissed. "I don't know what your problem is, but you need to stay away from us. You've gone too far, and I won't let you hurt Daniel again."

Miranda's face twisted with rage, and I could see the fire in her eyes. "You'll regret this," she spat. "You have no idea what you're up against."

As I walked away from her, I knew that she was right. We were up against a powerful and dangerous enemy, and I had no idea how to beat her.

As the days went on, Miranda's threats continued to loom over us. I was constantly on edge, watching my back and waiting for the next attack. But nothing came. It was almost worse than the attacks themselves, the waiting and the uncertainty.

One day, as I was walking through the park, I received a text message from an unknown number. It was a picture of me, taken without my knowledge. I felt a chill run down my spine as I read the message that accompanied it.

"I'm always watching."

I knew that it had to be Miranda. She was still out there, still lurking in the shadows, waiting for her next opportunity to strike.

But despite the fear and the uncertainty, something inside me shifted. I was done living in fear. I was done feeling like a victim. It was time to take control.

I went to Daniel and told him everything. I told him about the picture, about the text message, about my newfound determination to fight back. And to my surprise, he agreed.

Together, we hatched a plan. We would lure Miranda out into the open, using ourselves as bait. We would set a trap, catch her in the act, and turn the tables on her.

It was a risky plan, and it could backfire at any moment. But it was the only option we had left.

We put our plan into action, staging a fake fight in the middle of a busy street. And just as we had hoped, Miranda showed up, ready to pounce.

But we were ready for her. We had a team of security guards waiting in the wings, ready to take her down. And take her down they did.

As Miranda was led away in handcuffs, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. It was finally over. We won.

But as I looked over at Daniel, I could see the pain and the sadness in his eyes. It was a reminder that not everything was as it seemed.

Our contract marriage had started as a business arrangement, but over time, it had grown into something more. We had become friends, confidants, and even lovers. But now, as the dust settled and we were left alone with our thoughts, I could feel the weight of our situation bearing down on me.

I didn't know what the future held for us, whether we would stay together or go our separate ways. But one thing was for sure. We had been through hell and back, and we had come out on the other side stronger for it. And that was something that no one could ever take away from us.