Chapter 4 SHADOWS OF THE PAST

Her going back to Ethan's penthouse was unexpected. The fear in the car was much, a weight pressing down on Isabella as she sat on her seat. Ethan looked out the window, his jaw moved and his eyes dark, he was deep in thought.

She wanted to demand answers, to ask who Victoria was and why her presence at the gala had unsettled him so deeply. But the look on Ethan's face kept her silent. This wasn't the time to push.

When they arrived, Ethan got out first, giving her his hand. She was shy, then took it, the condition of his touch sending an unpleasant feeling down her spine. They walked into the passage, minimalist space of his house, where the city lights shined through floor to ceiling windows.

Ethan broke the silence first. "You handled yourself well tonight," he said, his voice measured but distant.

"Don't patronize me," Isabella shot back, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "Who was she? Victoria. She clearly knows you, and whatever history you have, it's obvious she's a threat to this arrangement."

Ethan turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "Victoria is... complicated."

"Complicated?" Isabella crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "That's not an answer."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, a rare crack in his otherwise polished demeanor. "She's my ex-fiancée. We ended things years ago, but she's always had a way of showing up when it's least convenient."

Isabella's heart sank. Of course, she thought bitterly. She was just a placeholder, a piece on Ethan's chessboard, while the real queen loomed in the background.

"What does she want from you now?" Isabella asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I don't know," Ethan admitted, his tone laced with frustration. "But I'll find out."

His evasiveness only fueled her anger. "You expect me to do this, to put my integrity on the line, and you can't even tell me what I'm about doing? How am I supposed to assure anyone of this engagement if your past keeps reflecting now?"

Ethan stepped closer, his towering presence both intimidating and magnetic. "You don't need to worry about Victoria," he said firmly. "I'll handle her."

Isabella stood her ground, meeting his scary look. "You keep saying that, but it is not enough. If we're doing this, I need to know what I am about to do."

Ethan hesitated, a face of been hurt crossing his reaction before he stopped it with his usual voice. "Fine," he said. "Victoria and I were together for three years. We were meant to get married, but she left me the night before the wedding."

Isabella's eyes widened in shock. "She left you?"

"Yes." His voice was cold, filled with a pain he couldn't hide. "She said she wasn't ready, but he later found out she had been meeting someone else. Someone who gave her a life free of responsibility."

The revelation stunned Isabella. Ethan, the man who exuded control and power, had been abandoned. The idea of him being vulnerable, hurt, was almost impossible to reconcile with the image he projected.

"And now she's back?" Isabella pressed.

Ethan nodded. "Victoria thrives on chaos. She sees this engagement as a game, a way to test me. But she won't succeed."

Despite his confidence, Isabella couldn't shake the feeling that Victoria's return was more than just a coincidence. "And if she exposes us?"

"She won't," Ethan said, his tone firm. "Victoria may enjoy stirring trouble, but she's also highly protective of her image. If she tries anything, she risks damaging her own reputation."

Isabella wasn't convinced, but she decided to drop the subject-for now. "Fine," she said. "But if she becomes a problem, you'd better tell me before it's too late."

Ethan nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Agreed."

Later that night, as Isabella was into the guest room Ethan had prepared for her, she couldn't refused the unpleasant feeling at her. She agreed to the proposal to save her family's company, but she got to know that Ethan's world was more complicated than she thought.

Her thoughts were disturbed by a knock at the door. She opened it, Ethan standing there, his usual composed attitude replaced by something simpler.

He just wanted to say thank you, surprising her. "For putting up with all of this."

Isabella blinked, caught off guard. "You don't need to thank me," she said. "This is just a business deal, remember?"

His lips twitched into a faint smile. "Right. A business deal."

But as he was about to leave, Isabella couldn't help but feel that there was something she wanted to say something none of them was ready to accept.

The next morning, Isabella woke up,her phone buzzing. It was a text from an unknown number.

"You don't know me, but you have to be careful. Ethan isn't who he seems. Meet me at Café Amour at 10 AM if you want the truth."

Her heart raced as she read the message. Who could this be? And what truth were they referring to?

As she looked at the screen, in between ignoring the message and finding out more, one thing was clear: the deeper she went into Ethan's world, the more dangerous it became.