CHAPTER FIVE

~ISABELLA~

“I’m ready to take the deal. I will work for you,” I said when Adrian was done with his call and had a strained look on his face.

I looked at him with a poker face even though all I wanted to do was hide in shame now that I had accepted the deal for Daniel’s sake and our property.

Look what Daniel had reduced me to. Again I had to pay the price for his irresponsible and gambling lifestyle.

“Like I said, you have to work for me. Act as my fake girlfriend, if possible Fiancée, just until I am made the CEO of my foster parent’s company,” He said with an unreadable expression on his face.

“What? That was what you meant when you said I said work for you?” I asked with my face scrunched up in shock.

Did I hear him well or was I imagining? Why did he suggest that to me all of a sudden and of all people why me? I thought he detested me.

“Don’t get me wrong. I have no feelings for you now. It’s just work. Do you want to save your brother or not?” he asked.

Clearly Adrian had shoved aside any love he had for me after that fateful day.

The last I knew Adrian, he was an Orphan and now he had wealthy foster parents?

That explained why he now looked and dressed like a wealthy man.

“Fine, I would do both of your requests,” I answered and he smiled satisfactorily.

“But,” I said, making his smile fade away and his brows crease.

“Go on,” He said while giving me a wary look but that wasn't going to stop me from saying what I had to say.

“On the condition that you give the order for the properties which my brother put up as collateral to be released alongside my brother, now,” I said.

“Still as smart and quick-witted as before. I see. Well, I will,” Adrain said with a more relaxed face and stretched his hands for a handshake.

“Deal?” He asked with raised brows.

“Deal,” I sighed.

I felt a mix of relief and trepidation.

I was glad that I still had a chance to be close to Adrian again after all these years and had agreed to release our family house and my elder brother, Daniel.

On the other hand, I was nervous about pretending to be his girlfriend, knowing our history together.

Especially knowing the fact that I still had feelings for him even after all these years. And he didn't look like he had any feelings for me at all anymore.

The one thing I hated in life was unrequited love.

His discomfort and mine were clear in the fact that he avoided making eye contact with me for the rest of our meeting.

I could feel his reluctance even in his tone of voice. It was strained like he was being forced to talk to me.

The fact that he was now well-built and looking more handsome than ever made matters worse for me.

If I was going to pull this through successfully I had to shove my feelings for him away and not let it show. But could I?

I frowned when I saw an unsaved number calling me but I still picked up the call.

“This is Officer Lucas. Your brother’s lifeless body was found in front of a casino we would…” He wanted to continue but was interrupted by me.

“What? Daniel? Dead?” I asked while I abruptly stood up from my chair and due to how I was in a hurry I rushed out without saying a word to Adrian.

But Adrian gave me a ride. But dropped me off and left. He didn't even care to come in even though he knew Daniel died.

I found this act of his cruel. Even though we weren’t on good terms, couldn't he have pretended to care even a little bit?

Either way, I rushed to the scene. I couldn’t believe, no, scratch that, I didn’t want to believe that Daniel was dead.

He was the only family I had left.

Our parents died after I was done with college leaving just Daniel and I and now Daniel was dead too?

Daniel, who was released from the police station just a few moments ago, had already gone to a casino?

Worst of all he got himself killed? I always warned him about going to casinos but he never listened.

Now look at where it landed him.

I was in tears while I called Daniel’s phone again hoping he would be the one to pick up the call but it was the officer who still picked up.

I bursted into a fit of tears and called Ella.

She arrived there almost immediately.

I kept on crying to the extent I felt like my eyeballs would pop out of its socket while Adrian kept consoling me.

From the police station, we went to the front of the casino and I saw my brother’s lifeless body on the floor.

Still crying I rushed to where his body lay but before I could get there

everywhere went pitch black.

***

It had been five days since I passed out on the day Daniel died. The police were still investigating his death.

Daniel’s burial was held four days back and now I was left alone in this world.

With no relatives either because both of my parents were the only offspring their parents had.

Ella was going to relocate from the city in a week's time because she got a new job. She didn't want to because she didn't want to be alone.

But I insisted she go because I didn't want her to miss an opportunity that would better her life just because of me.

Adrian gave me a job at Carlos's company. I was now Carlos, secretary.

Adrian said that his foster parents had to think I was a classy working-class lady for them to believe I was his girlfriend.

He didn't even attend Daniel’s funeral. He never called. He only reached out to me through text message and his messages were always straight to the point.

He never asked how I was doing either.

Although he suggested that I begin our fake relationship when I had gotten over Daniel’s death a bit I didn’t.

I didn’t want to die of depression so I decided to start working for Carlos to set things in motion for Adrian and I’s charade and also get my mind off Daniel’s death.

“Are you okay?” Ella asked me while briefly looking at me.

We were in a cab going back to my house. I had stayed in her house all this time.

“Yeah,” I answered with a small smile just when we pulled over in front of my house.

But when we did, I frowned when I caught sight of two muscular men dressed in black suits and wearing dark shades, standing in front of the gate of my house.

Ella and I got out of the cab and walked to the men in black.

When we asked them why they were there, we were shocked by what they revealed to us.

“This house is now a property of Mr Jax Benfort who owns a casino. The owner of this house owes him money and put this house up as collateral. He was unable to pay till he died. So this house now belongs to Mr Jax Bentfort,” One of the muscular men dressed in black said.

I gasped. This was bad. Really bad. Jax was like my living nightmare

“Jax sent you?” Ella asked in astonishment.

“Yes I sent them,” I heard Jax's voice.

Even after all these years, I couldn't even forget his voice.

Just like this the drama wasn't enough, I heard Adrian speak too.

“This house belongs to me, Jax,” Adrian said and we all turned to look at him.

This was going to pan out worse than I thought. I closed my eyes and cursed under my breath.