Chương 3: Why did he want to marry a stranger?

The plush rug beneath Bella yielded precariously as she lurched to her feet. Her head spun, but sheer will kept her upright. "Marriage?" The word escaped in a strangled gasp. "No... I-I can't."

'Why does he want to marry me?' she wondered to herself, bewildered.

Confusion clouded her thoughts. This man, undeniably handsome and radiating an aura of wealth and power, could have his pick of any woman. Why her? Why did he want to marry a stranger?

"You said you could do anything if I helped you, didn't you? Now you are backing off your word." He narrowed his eyes, his tone dangerously cold. "I can still throw you to those men."

His words sent a fresh wave of fear crashing over her. Bella swallowed a lump in her throat. This man seemed dangerous and powerful, not to be offended.

She stammered out an apology, "I apologize, Mister… I spoke without thinking. I'm nothing special, just a nobody, while you obviously seem quite wealthy. I am not fit to be your wife. For your help, I am eternally grateful. This favor… I can never repay. Sorry, I won't disturb you any longer."

She didn't dare wait for his answer. With her heart pounding, she bolted out of the chamber.

"Did she just reject me?" he muttered, incredulous. "How dare she?" His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Mr. Reid…" A man in a black suit hurried into the private chamber. "Are you alright?"

"Deal with those men," Theodore Reid roared, his countenance darkening. "How dare they create a nuisance in my club!"

"Consider it done, sir," Skyler acknowledged swiftly.

Theodore's anger simmered up a notch as a new question burned in his eyes. "And who was that woman?" he demanded.

"Erm…" Skyler stammered, caught off guard. "I'll dig out all the information about her."

"Better you do it fast, Skyler." Theodore rose from his seat and strode towards the expansive window, his gaze settling on the bustling cityscape below.

"Your grandfather has arranged another blind date for you this evening at Hotel Siera," Skyler ventured cautiously. "Are you going there?"

"Absolutely not," a cold answer came from Theodore. "Inform him that I have no interest in meeting any more of those cocky women."

Skyler felt his forehead throb. If he failed to take him to the Hotel Siera tonight, the old man of the Reids would skin him alive. However, convincing his boss to meet the umpteenth blind date was akin to moving a mountain.

He sighed.

"And tell me," Theodore's voice softened unexpectedly, "have you found anything about the woman who saved me?"

Skyler had noticed that his boss would only become soft whenever he talked about that mysterious woman who had saved him six months ago. It was evident that the woman held a special place in his heart. Unfortunately, the search had yielded nothing but frustration.

"Negative," Skyler admitted. "It's proving to be a difficult task. We don't know anything about her beyond her name – Isabella. It's like searching for a needle in a haystack. She is not at the address we received from the hospital. We're asking the neighbors about her."

"Isabella," Theodore murmured.

The cityscape shimmered outside the window, a million tiny lights reflecting in his stormy eyes. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a sapphire green pendant.

Memories flooded back - the screeching of metal, the agonizing pain, and then... darkness. He would have died in that car accident, but Isabella appeared from nowhere like an angel and saved him. He hadn't seen her face clearly, only glimpses of long blonde hair and eyes the color of the deepest ocean.

Ever since he had woken up from the coma, he had been looking for her. He yearned to thank her, to repay her favor, to return the pendant she had dropped while saving him.

Then, tonight, a woman who somewhat resembled Isabella appeared in front of him. Overwhelmed by a desperate hope, he had blurted out a proposal of marriage. But she had rejected him.

Theodore clasped the pendant in his palm. 'Get a grip, Theodore,' he murmured to himself. 'How could I compare my angel to that strange woman?'

"Find her," he commanded, his tone growing thicker. "If I have to marry, I'll marry her."

Skyler's jaw nearly hit the floor. Ignoring all kinds of gorgeous women he could have, Theodore wanted to marry a mysterious, unknown woman. What if this Isabella turned out to be a wrinkled crone, or worse, already married and had children?

Swallowing hard, Skyler ventured, "What about the woman you just met? Should I look into her background as well?"

Theodore's face darkened. The memory of her rejection stung his pride. "Yes," he snapped, "find out everything about her. I have a score to settle."

"Got it." With a curt nod, Skyler scurried out the door.

Theodore sank back into his chair. "Bella," he murmured, "we'll meet soon."

Bella hailed a cab back to the office, hoping to complain about the incident to HR. "Scoundrel," she spat, her lips a tight line. "What do you think of yourself? Since you are the manager, you can do anything you please. But I am not someone to be toyed with. You'll regret messing with me!"

The cab finally stopped outside the office building. Stepping out onto the familiar sidewalk, she marched towards the entrance, her steps fueled by a potent cocktail of outrage and determination. She was about to reach the elevator when a snatch of conversation stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Bella won't be able to escape tonight," a voice, dripping with malice, echoed through the lobby. "She will be ruined."

A jolt of ice coursed through Bella. She recognized that voice. It was unmistakably her coworker. "Olivia," she mumbled in shock, her face turning pale.

The horrifying truth crystallized in her mind. Olivia had orchestrated the entire charade. It was Olivia who was supposed to deliver the file, not her. But she requested her to go there, saying that she had a date with her boyfriend.

"Olivia, you scheming snake!" Bella hissed. She lunged forward, ready to confront her. But before she could take another step, another voice sliced through the air, sending a fresh wave of terror crashing over her.

"She deserves it," the woman purred. "A bitch like her needs a good teaching. How dare she lay eyes on my fiancé."

Bella staggered, her trembling fingers pressing on her lips. It was her boss's fiancée. 'Why would she think I'd be interested in her fiancé?' she murmured dazedly in her mind.

She turned around and sprinted out of the building, abandoning her plan to complain about the manager. The whole incident was a deliberate plan to tarnish her image, and the person behind it was not someone she could offend. This job was important to her.

'I'll pretend nothing has happened.' Stopping a cab, she headed straight to the hospital to see her mother.

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