Isolde POV
The grand gates of the Park estate swung open, revealing the familiar, sprawling gardens and the majestic mansion that had been my childhood home. It was a stark contrast to the cramped apartment I had just left. A sense of weary relief washed over me. I was home.
My father, Alger Park, no, my actual father, the one who truly cared, met me at the door. Not Alger, my uncle. My real father, William Park, greeted me with a solemn nod, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and approval. "Isolde," he said, his voice deep. "It's good to have you back."
"It's good to be back, Dad," I replied, a genuine smile finally touching my lips.
He led me to a lavish drawing-room, where a figure already sat, impeccably dressed. "We have a meeting, Isolde," my father said, waving a hand towards the man. "A strategic alliance. A marriage of convenience, as you requested."
My breath hitched. I had agreed to this. I had sent that text. But I hadn't expected it to move so fast. I had also foolishly assumed I would have some say in who the alliance was with. I walked further into the room, my eyes fixing on the figure. He turned, a sardonic smirk playing on his lips.
My teacup clattered against its saucer. "Jaxson Banks?" I gasped, the name ripping through the carefully constructed calm I had built. Jaxson, heir to Banks Corp, my childhood rival, the bane of my existence, the one person who could always push my buttons like no other. This was not what I expected.
He chuckled, a low, arrogant sound. "Surprise, Isolde. Miss me?" His eyes, sharp and intelligent, swept over me, a familiar glint of mischief in their depths. "Still playing the 'poor orphan' act, I see? Did your little junior analyst job finally bore you? Or did your ambitious boyfriend finally realize he was punching below his weight class?"
My face flushed with a mixture of anger and humiliation. He knew. Of course, he knew. Jaxson Banks always knew everything. He had been my rival since we were kids, competing in everything from chess tournaments to debate clubs. He was always one step ahead, always ready with a witty, cutting remark. This strategic marriage was already off to a terrible start.
"You arrogant pig!" I snapped, grabbing a decorative cushion from the armchair and launching it at him.
He caught it effortlessly, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Still as fiery as ever, Park. Some things never change." His expression then sobered, his tone dropping to a serious note that made me sit up straighter. "I heard about Ben Carpenter. The whole office is buzzing. The poor, ambitious scholarship boy, sleeping his way up the corporate ladder with Haylie White." His eyes met mine, a flicker of something surprisingly gentle passing through them. "I'm sorry, Isolde. He wasn't worth it."
I went silent, the cushion still clutched in Jaxson' s hand. The sudden shift in his demeanor caught me off guard. The raw wound of Ben's betrayal throbbed anew. I hated that he knew. I hated that he saw my pain.
"He was a fool," Jaxson continued, his voice steady. "A dime-a-dozen opportunist who couldn't see the diamond in front of him because he was too busy chasing pyrite." He stood up, his tall frame suddenly imposing, casting a shadow over me. "He looked at you, Isolde, and saw a stepping stone. A temporary convenience. A means to an end. Do you know what that says about him? Not about you."
I tried to retort, to defend my past judgment, but the words stuck in my throat. He was right. Every agonizing word he uttered was true.
Jaxson leaned down, his face close to mine. He reached out, his fingers gently but firmly taking my chin, tilting my face up to meet his gaze. His touch was electric, unsettling. "You, Isolde Park, are an heiress. A brilliant woman. You chose to hide your power, to dim your light for a man who didn't even deserve a flicker. Do you truly believe you are so worthless that you needed to be 'rescued' by a man like him?"
I slapped his hand away, my eyes blazing. "Don't you dare question my worth, Jaxson Banks!"
He straightened up, a smirk returning to his lips. "Good. Glad to see you still have some fight left in you." He paused, then dropped the bombshell. "Marry me, Isolde."
I blinked. "Are you insane?" I retorted, a nervous laugh escaping me. "We hate each other!"
He shrugged. "A healthy rivalry is better than a miserable romance, wouldn't you agree? Besides..." He leaned in again, his voice dropping to a seductive whisper. "Think of the power we'd wield. The havoc we could wreak."
His words struck a chord. Power. Havoc. Revenge. My mind, still reeling from betrayal, seized on the idea. This wasn't about love. It was about strategy. It was about survival. It was about making Ben and Haylie pay.
"Fine," I said, my chin lifting, a cold fire in my eyes. "But on one condition. I want the most spectacular, over-the-top, high-society wedding this city has ever seen. I want every single one of those hypocrites to know exactly who they're dealing with."
Jaxson' s eyes glinted with amusement. "Is that all, Isolde Park? Because I can promise you, if we're doing this, it won't just be a wedding. It'll be a declaration of war. What exactly do you want to achieve with this 'spectacular' event?"
I met his gaze, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. "I want Ben Carpenter ruined. I want Haylie White bankrupt. And I want my uncle, Alger, to know he picked the wrong side."
Jaxson threw his head back and laughed, a genuine, booming sound that filled the room. He reached out, ruffling my hair, a gesture he used to do when we were kids, after a particularly fierce debate. "Now that's the Isolde I know. Welcome back to the real game, Park. This is going to be fun."
