Chapter 1 At the Gallery

The gallery was bustling with activity as Isabella made her way through the crowds. She was here to see the work of a new artist, one whose paintings had

caught her eye in a local magazine. His name was David, and from what she had read, he was a humble painter who lived a simple life.

As she approached his section of the gallery, Isabella saw him standing by his paintings, talking to a group of admirers. He caught her eyes immediately - he was tall and lean, with sandy brown hair and bright blue eyes. He wore a simple white shirt and jeans, and his hands were stained with paint.

She took a deep breath and approached him, trying to keep her nerves under control.

"Excuse me," she said, "I'm interested in buying one of your paintings."

He turned, his eyes lighting up with a smile. "Of course," he said. "Which one caught your eye?"

Isabella pointed to a painting of a sunset, its vibrant colors swirling together in a beautiful display of light and shadow. "This one," she said. "It's stunning."

David grinned. "That's one of my favorites," he said. "Let me get it down for you."

As he retrieved the painting and wrapped it carefully, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him. There was something about his easy smile and down-to-earth manner that made her feel comfortable.

Little did she know tha, this simple interaction with David was about to change her life in ways she never could have imagined.

Isabella had always been a driven woman. She had started her own business from scratch and had worked tirelessly to turn it into a billion-dollar empire coupled with her rich family connection.

But despite her success, there was one thing that had always eluded her - true love. With all her wealth and power, Isabella feels unfulfilled and lonely and longs for a deeper connection with someone.

She has had her share of deceit and gold diggers as she had just shed some tears in the corner of her office. " I refuse to be down, " she said, " Jackson can go to hell for all I care " she fumes.

Jackson is the recent ex-boyfriend whom Isabella has just found out that his intentions don't match his actions. She takes one more glance at the local magazine she held and decides to walk down to the gallery to look at some art and clear her head.

" I am Isabella, what about you ?" David smile. "David Jonas at your call, my lady" Isabella got lost in thoughts in his eyes, those bright blue sexy eyes aren't something to look away from.

"I love your painting, " she said, " it all looks amazing" he smiled again Thank you". She pointed to other paintings that were close by "I wish that I could take it all, it's so beautiful."

He chuckles " Remind me to give you a discount when next you come around" he pauses You know what? I will give you a 30% discount on any painting you choose."

She couldn't accept such an offer from an upcoming, striving, young fine man who she obviously couldn't keep her eyes away from ever since the moment she stepped into the galler.

"Please don't do that" shy away "I wouldn't want to impose something like that on you on our first meeting"

David asked, "Does this mean that there will be a second meeting?"

She answered, "What do you think?" They both smiled.

Isabella felt an immediate connection to him, but she knew that if he found out about her wealth, he would see her as just another rich woman looking for a fling.

So she decided to play it cool. She approached him like any other customer, admiring his paintings and asking him about his process. David was friendly and easy to talk to, and Isabella found herself enjoying the conversation.

David Jonas was busy arranging his new collection when he heard the door of his art gallery open. He turned around to see a stunning woman walking towards him, her eyes sparkling in the light. "Hi there," she said, smiling at him.

"I looked through the window and noticed you aren't occupied and thought I'd come and take a look and say hi"

David smiled back, feeling a little nervous. He wasn't used to talking to such a beautiful woman and he didn't think that she would be back.

"I'm David once again," he said, extending his hand.

"Welcome to my gallery." They laughed.

As they walked around the gallery, Isabella asked David about his paintings, his inspiration, and his background. David opened up to her, telling her about his struggles as a young artist and his dreams of making it big one day.

Isabella listened with rapt attention, her eyes never leaving his face.

"I love your work," she said finally, as they stood in front of one of David's paintings. "You have real talent."

David blushed, feeling a surge of pleasure at her compliment. "Thank you," he said. "That means a lot to me."

They continued to talk for a while longer, discussing art, life, and everything in between. David found himself drawn to Isabella's intelligence, her wit, and her beauty. He couldn't help but feel a little smitten with her.

He asked her about work, life, and relationships and she lied about everything. She claims that she is between jobs but presently works as a secretary in her company, She told him that she comes from a poor family and she is in Chicago to make ends meet. David couldn't stop looking into her eyes as he loved her sincerity.

As they were about to say goodbye, Isabella hesitated. "David," she said, biting her lip. "I know this might sound forward, but would you like to go out for a drink with me sometime? I'd love to talk to you some more."