Isabella

“Are you busy?”

Startled by my father’s voice, I spun around in my high-back leather chair and forced a smile.

With a thick head of black, wavy hair combed off his forehead, my father stood tall, the weight of the world balanced on his broad shoulders. Shrewd in business and in life, he had a fierceness about him that sent a chill down my spine when his hazel eyes met mine.

He shut the door behind him and strolled into the room, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of my desk.

I pushed the keyboard away from me and leaned my elbows on the desk as he took a seat across from me. “I’m working on a few things, but nothing that can’t wait.”

More like I was daydreaming and wondering why I hadn’t heard from Stephan. Again. He seemed to make a habit of making me wait around for him.

Why is my father here?

He always called before he made an appearance at his campaign headquarters. It was so unusual for him to drop by unless he was there for a photo-op or to strategize with one of his advisers.

“Mark said he spoke to you.” He folded his hands on his lap, sitting up straight in a five thousand dollar suit, a brown wingtip rested on his knee. “Have you considered the offer?”

I should have known this wasn’t a social call. My father never did anything without a purpose, and spending time with his family was more of an uncomfortable event he had to endure for the press.

I ignored his question. “How are your numbers? Any improvement?”

His jaw flexed, the tension in his body evident. “Not as high as I would have liked. But this marriage can change things for me. For our family.”

“You really think it would make a difference?”

He nodded. “I’d have a better shot at keeping my office with the help of the Voss’ and their generosity.”

“I hate politics,” I shot back, irritated. “I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked of me. This is one thing I don’t want to do.”

“You refused to attend grad school. I’d already paid the tuition when you told me you wanted to drop out and take a year off to think about what you wanted to do with your life. Marrying into the Vos family will give your life purpose, and it will help our family maintain our standing as one of the great American families.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Great American families? We’re not the Kennedys, Daddy. Be serious.”

“But we could be. This is a chance to maintain our legacy.”

“Your legacy,” I challenged.

His mouth twisted in anger. “You were always a difficult child, Isabella. I thought we had an understanding. For your life to have purpose, you have to make something of yourself.”

“And you think being the wife of a billionaire is going to be the answer to all of our problems?”

He sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, turning his head away from me. The weird thing about my father was that he never raised his voice in an argument. His voice remained calm and level.

“Would you at least meet Karl and consider going on a date with him? He’s a good man. You will like him. He’ll treat you well and give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

Except love. He could never have my heart. Because it already belonged to Stephan. It always belonged to him.

I let out a frustrated sigh. “Is that what it will take to get you off my back?”

He flashed a closed-mouth smile as if he’d won a game. “Yes, it would.”

I wasn’t playing his game, whether I went on the stupid date with the rich kid or not. In his world, women were pawns he could move across a board. I was done being used by him. Fathers were supposed to love and support their children, not hand them over to the most eligible bachelor for the right price.

This was about more than a marriage into one of the wealthiest families in the world. It was about my father’s pride. He couldn’t stand to lose. What he hadn’t realized was he’d already lost, whether he won the election or not. He couldn’t force me to marry Karl Vos. I didn’t care if Karl would buy me a private island and the jet to take me there. No amount of money could buy my love or me.

“I’m not going through with a marriage. Setting us up on a date will be a waste of both of our times.”

“You don’t know that. Just give him a chance. You might think otherwise after you spend some time together.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

He gave me a sideways stare. “What do you want to know?”

“What kind of people are we?”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “I don’t understand your question, Isabella.”

“You’re still friends with Giovanni DeLuca, even though you pretend to hate him.”

“That was a statement not a question,” he countered, not the least bit amused.

“Why are you still friends with him when I’m not allowed to even speak to his sons?”

“Because a man like Gio has his uses. His children do not. I don’t want you anywhere near his sons.”

I clenched my fists under the desk, trying to hide my anger. Like my father, I could pretend nothing bothered me, even though I was crumbling on the inside. “What uses does Gio have?”

He shoved a hand through his dark hair and sighed, looking away from me. “That’s none of your business, Isabella. There are certain parts of my life I don’t need to discuss with my children.”

I folded my hands on the desk in front of me, giving him a defiant smirk. “Then, I guess we’re done here.”

“I’ll be here late tonight. Think about meeting with Karl. I know you will see things my way. One way or another, you will serve your purpose to this family.”

My mouth fell open in shock from his words. What kind of father spoke to their child this way? It was hard to like him when he was like this, let alone feel anything closely resembling love.

I knew what my father was trying to tell me without saying it aloud. He would force me if I didn’t go through with the arranged marriage to Karl.

How could he force me to say the vows? I was sure he would find a way to make me cooperate. When the great and powerful Senator Parisi wanted something, he made it happen. And he would find a way to win his election, with or without me.

He glared at me over his shoulder with his hand on the doorknob. “I know you’ll come around. You always do.”

Not this time.

The halls were empty, save for a few people working on last-minute projects in their cubicles. I said my goodbyes on my way to the vending machine. At the end of the day, I made it a point to grab a soda for the ride home, and then would exit through the rear door to the parking lot. My dad’s office was around the bend, all by itself.

From this part of the building, no one could overhear his conversations, which was why I thought it was odd when I heard him arguing with someone. He was shouting at someone in Italian, and yet he pretended as though he couldn’t speak a word. That was strange, but then again, everything my father had ever told me seemed to be a lie. I had no idea when he was telling me the truth. Every word he spoke was to gain an advantage, another way to cement his place in government and in my life.

The rage in his tone sent shivers down my spine. Creeping toward my dad’s office, I clutched the soda bottle in my hand, afraid to make a sound. The closer I got to his door the louder the voices grew.

“You promised to handle the situation for me,” my dad said, now in English. “Do I need to remind you why you’re still in my life?”

“I think it’s you who needs the reminder, Senator.” It was Stephan’s voice emanating from the room. Wait, no… it was his father. They had the same pitch, only Stephan’s voice was slightly deeper, more like a growl.

What was he doing here? It had been days since I’d last heard from Stephan, and now Giovanni was in my father’s office, attempting to intimidate him. He underestimated my father. No one and nothing got under his skin. Because he was always two steps ahead of everyone.

“Why is Chris Rizzoli still breathing?”

I didn’t understand why my father was so hell-bent on taking down the man who had approached me at the nail salon. He was weird, and somewhat creepy, but I got a few good hits on him before Stephan and Nino kicked the shit out of him. There was no reason to kill him over a little scuffle.

I pressed my back against the wall and listened.

“We’re working on it.” Giovanni’s tone indicated Chris’ death was imminent.

But none of it made sense to me.

“Both of us will be implicated if this goes further,” my father said, lowering his voice. “Make sure you take care of this. I can’t have any more issues with my campaign. I’m having a hard enough time getting the vote to swing my way. A scandal is the last thing I need.”

“It won’t go any further than it already has,” Giovanni promised. “How are the numbers? Any changes this week?”

“No, not by much. But they will soon. I have a new plan in place.”

After they switched over to boring talk of politics, I crept down the hall and out the rear door. It was dark outside, well after nine o’clock at night. I was forced to work late to assemble signs and gather promotional items for the team. It was all busy work my father gave me just to spite me. My fingers hurt from all the wooden sticks I’d handled over the course of the night.

I removed the key fob from my purse, stuffed the soda inside my oversize bag, and clicked the button to open my car. It was a new Mercedes my father had purchased for me after I graduated from college. It was more like a bribe. The cars, handbags, jewelry, and clothes were all distractions he used to make me feel loved, when I knew the truth.

He was just priming me for the day when he’d attempt to force me into marrying someone like Karl Vos. How dumb was I to think he wanted anything from me other than my cooperation in return for all of his generous gifts?

I pulled on the handle, attempting to scream when a hand covered my mouth and strong arms wrapped around me. Struggling to break free, I attempted to elbow the person behind me in the stomach and failed. Panic shot through me, sending my body into overdrive.