The Billionaire's Redemption

Chapter Six

Isabella was speechless as she saw him leave the house.

Although she liked him and wanted him to be hers, the little raging display in her front would have propelled her to pack her things from his house, but she couldn't afford to because of the main reason she agreed to the arranged union.

She only hoped she could endure and keep up with her pretence till she achieved her aim.

If not for the fact that Alex's employee had been hyped and had looked forward to the mini-party organised to celebrate the agency's latest contract, he wouldn't have attended because he knew the media would be after him due to the video Isabella had posted.

He attended the event with his identity concealed.

His baseball cap, worn low over his brow, veiled his identity, and the dark aviator sunglasses completed the disguise, with their lenses mirrored and impenetrable. 

He was a ghost at his own party—the event he poured his heart and soul into to celebrate his success and win.

He enjoyed every moment of the event, as he forgot what was boggling him like a mystery. He had thought that he had escaped from the media until he wanted to live there through the back door.

"Mr. Alex, can you tell us when you and the beautiful damsel, Isabella, met each other and what led to your union?" A woman suddenly rushed to him and thrust her phone at him.

The camera lens was like a black eye staring at his eyes and into his soul.

A jolt of indignation shot through him. 

"Hey! What are you doing?" he snapped, instinctively taking a step back.

Panting slightly, she didn't answer. Her gaze remained fixed on him—an almost predatory gaze that sent chills down his spine.

"Alright," he said slowly, his voice surprisingly calm. 

"Take your picture." He thought she was one of his obsessed and star-struck fans.

Only when her ID card flashed into his view did he understand that she was a media professional—she was after a story.

He furrowed his eyebrows at her and wanted to leave the scene since she was the only media professional there. But she was persistent, as she followed him as he walked towards his car, which caught the attention of others in the parking lot as they were already staring at them.

Some people approached him, while others gushed from afar.

Since he wanted to maintain a positive review from the public eye just like he had been, he finally halted to give her the attention he sought.

"We met some weeks ago, and surprisingly, the connection between us sparked effortlessly." He faked a smile.

"So when should we, the fans, be expecting an online joint appearance of both of you at an event, like the sweet couples and lover birds you are?" The question caught him by surprise because she seemed to be making a big deal out of it.

"Hmm...soon. Very soon, but we prefer to keep our private lives private for now. We value our privacy, and we'll be glad if the public does not intrude on it for the moment." He muttered and left her presence immediately.

"But if you truly wanted to keep it private, why did your girlfriend, Isabella, post the video online?" She ran after him, but he ignored her, using the awaiting fans as an excuse.

He took pictures with some people and autographs as they requested and left the scene.

As he drove home, the thought of meeting Isabella on his bed at home intensified his headache from the parking lot incident.

Everything seemed to have gone back to normal as he did his daily routines peacefully. He and Isabella avoided each other like cats and rats in the house, as he totally ignored her, and she seemed not to be bothered by it.

The only issue he still had was that she was still living in his house and waking up beside him every day.

His secretary informed him through the office line that his father was around and wanted to see him, which he ordered to let him in.

He greeted him and then said, "You didn't tell me you would be coming today," immediately after his father had entered.

"So that you would tell me you won't be around? Besides, if I had called to inform you, would you have picked up the call?" His father's response shocked him, rendering him speechless. 

"How is your relationship with Isabella? You two are already getting acquainted with each other, isn't it?" His father said as he sat down in one of the seats in front of him.

"I think we are." He didn't tell him what was truly happening because there was nothing his dad would do about it.

It's not like his father would do what was expected of him if Alex did.

His father leaned back in his chair with a sly smile playing on his lips. 

"Good to hear that," he chuckled, his voice smooth as honey and laced with venom. 

"I knew you two were a perfect match." Alex's head snapped up in a flicker of anger, hearing his father's words.

"When do you intend to take it to the next level, son?" His smile widened as his eyes twinkled with a hidden agenda.

"You mean—"

"Yes. When are you going to propose to her?"

"But dad—"

"Your mom and I got married in less than a month of our living together, even though we hadn't met each other before the union. We, the two parents, are considerate enough to give the two of you time to work it out between each other, but you have to propose to her. In fact, you have to get married soon." His father explained.

He was speechless at the words that came out of his father's mouth.

"To save you the stress..." His father brought out a small box from his pocket that was wrapped in faded brown paper, tied with a single, frayed ribbon, and stretched it forward.

"I got you this," he added.

"What is it?" Alex inquisitively asked, clueless, about the content of the box.

His father told him to unbox it. 

He hesitated, his eyes flicking towards his father, searching for clues. A silent nod was the only answer from him, urging him to open it.

With a gentle touch, he untied the ribbon, and as he lifted the lid, he gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief at the sight of a glittering diamond ring.

"What is this?" He was still confused.

"That is the ring you should use to propose to her. You should have done that before now." His father replied.

His eyes widened instead of replying.

"It's very expensive, son, and from an expensive brand. So do what is right and what we expect of you." He added.

"And I noticed that your union is the talk of the town..." He slid two tickets to him across the table.

"Here is a VIP ticket to a gala next week where many influential people will attend."

"I don't understand."

"Propose to her at the event." He condescendingly spoke.

"What?! You're joking, right?!" He instinctively rose from his seat.

"My mouth isn't wide open, son. That will be the end of our discussion." He stood up immediately, not concerned about what he had to say.

Alex was still agaped that he was still on his feet after his father had closed the door behind him.

Everything that happened still felt like a movie in which he was a cast member, as the scene ended on a cliffhanger, leaving him to ponder if his father was manipulating him for his own purposes.