The rain came down in soft sheets, pattering against the windows of the Volkov estate. Isabella sat in the corner of the grand library, knees drawn to her chest, the hem of her dress stained with paint. The silence around her was thick, interrupted only by the ticking of the tall antique clock in the hall.
She had been avoiding Alexander for days. Ever since she uncovered the truth about the debt, about how it wasn't just a business matter but something deeply personal, deeply connected to her family's past, something in her heart had cracked open.
She could no longer look at him without questions flooding her mind. Why her? Why this arrangement? Had it been pity? A vendetta? Or something else buried beneath his cold exterior?
The door creaked open.
Bella. His voice was low, hesitant. She didn't look up.
What are you doing here? she asked, her voice barely audible.
You've been distant. I… I wanted to talk. He stepped closer, but kept his distance.
Talk? About what? How I was just a name on a paper to you? How you thought a contract could replace trust?
That's not what I meant. You think I haven't tried to—
Tried what, Alex? To manipulate me? To protect your pride? You keep saying you don't know how to love, but you knew how to control me. How to isolate me.
She stood, eyes brimming with tears she refused to shed. Her fingers were clenched at her sides, shaking. For so long, she had stayed silent. Not anymore.
I was just trying to make things right. You don't understand. The truth about your family and mine… it's complicated.
Then make me understand. I deserve that much.
He looked away, jaw clenched. The cold mask he always wore began to crack.
My father… he once did something unforgivable to your family. It ruined them. When I inherited the company, I found out about it. I didn't know how to fix it, how to repay what was taken.
So you married me?
I thought if I took care of you, if I gave your family stability, it would make up for what happened. But then… you became more than that. And I didn't know what to do with those feelings.
Bella turned away, her shoulders trembling.
You think love is some transaction, something you can control. But that's not how it works. You didn't save me, Alex. You hurt me.
He stepped closer, reaching out but stopping just short of touching her.
I never meant to.
But you did. And now I can't even tell if any of it was real. Did you ever see me as more than a burden you were trying to compensate for?
Silence hung between them like a blade. Outside, thunder rolled across the sky.
I saw you. From the moment you walked into that office, I saw your strength. Your courage. Your heart. I just didn't know how to hold it without crushing it.
She turned to him, her expression unreadable.
Then maybe you need to learn. But not with me as your practice.
Without another word, Bella brushed past him, her footsteps echoing down the marble hall.
---
Two days passed.
The mansion felt colder than usual, emptier. Bella was gone most of the day, spending more time at Liam's gallery, helping curate pieces and painting in silence. She slept in one of the guest rooms now. Alex didn't stop her.
He couldn't.
In his study, he sat with his head in his hands, the contract they once signed lying in pieces on the desk before him. Paper meant nothing now. Not when she looked at him like a stranger.
Alex, she's leaving. Liam stood in the doorway, arms crossed.
What?
She's going to Italy. There's an art program there. A chance to finally build her own life. Without you.
Alex shot up from his chair.
You're letting her go?
I'm not letting her do anything. She's making her own choices. You were the one who made her feel trapped. Now she's finally free.
The words hit him harder than expected.
When?
Tomorrow.
---
Night fell.
Alex wandered into the library where Bella once sat, the scent of paint and her perfume still lingering in the air. On the table, he found a canvas left behind. A portrait.
It was him.
But not the cold CEO. The painting captured something else. A man standing in the rain, lost, vulnerable. Eyes full of longing.
She had seen through him, even when he couldn't see himself.
He realized then what he had lost. Not just a wife. Not just love. But a chance to be someone better.
---
Dawn broke over the city.
Bella stood at the airport terminal, suitcase in hand, ticket clenched tightly. Her heart was heavy, but her eyes were dry. She had made her choice.
Behind her, a voice called out.
Isabella.
She turned.
Alex stood there, soaked from the rain, breathing hard as if he had run through the entire city to get to her.
Don't go. Not yet.
You're too late, Alex.
No. I was too late before. But not now. I don't have a contract this time. No conditions. Just me. And this.
He pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a simple ring. No diamonds. Just a thin band of silver, engraved with her initials.
You once asked if I ever saw you. The truth is, I couldn't stop. I was just too afraid of losing the only real thing in my life.
She looked at the ring, then at him.
And what if I say no?
Then I'll still wait. Until you believe I'm worth a second chance.
She hesitated, then slowly stepped closer.
You're not the only one who changed, Alex. I'm not that scared girl anymore.
I know. And I don't want you to be. I want you to be you. The strong, brilliant artist who taught a cold man how to feel.
Her breath hitched.
Say it, Alex. Say what you came here to say.
I love you, Isabella. Not because I need to make things right. Not because I'm sorry. But because every day without you feels empty. I don't want a mansion. I want a home. And you are my home.
She stared at him for a long moment.
Then take my hand, Alexander Volkov. And build it with me.