Blackmailing His Runaway Bride by Dance-is-me (carter reed .txt) 📗

 Isabella didn't like the thought of starting from scratch. She didn't want to experience something worse than the past few years of her life. 

So, with her thoughts clearer, Isabella faced Caleb and asked, “What should we do?”

 Caleb smiled. He was probably glad she didn’t use a personal pronoun, instead, she showed him that they were in it together. 

“Let’s renovate what we can from the money we have. We don't have to fix everything at once. Our focus right now should be the most used buildings." 

“Okay.”

 “And I was thinking, after renovating the main places, we could reopen them and re-advertise. Don’t worry I will make sure Shades and Cloaks gets a new face and you will love it. Besides, we have to pay Mr. Oxford back by making the most of his generosity. Do you know how disappointed he would be if he invests greatly in the company only to see it fail?” 

Isabella wore amusement on her face as she inwardly told herself not to think less of Charles's help. “Are you trying to say you don’t need me?” 

He chuckled. “I am saying you need to be enjoying your honeymoon right now.” 

“Why are you so bent on this honeymoon thing?” Isabella got up after she realized that Charles's meeting was likely to have ended. 

“Because you need it. Hug?” Caleb stretched his arms. Without a word, she leaned into his embrace and thanked the universe for giving her such a good friend and secretary. 

Their friendship was unexpected since they met when she brutally spilled hot coffee on him during a rowdy parade. After that day, it didn't seem like he would ever greet her with a simple ‘hi’ talk less be her friend. 

But things happened and they ended up looking out for each other.

“I’ll see you later.” Isabella bade him goodbye and told him not to bother with walking her out.

Soon, she was by her car and about to enter when her phone rang.

 Excitedly, since she figured it would be Charles calling, she dug out the device. As she wondered if he was calling to tease her again, Isabella decided she was going to be strong should he try to pull another stunt.

But, it was not Charles's name that was on her screen. It was just a string of numbers. But she picked it anyway.

 "Hello?”  Nothing but silence came from the other end. “Hi. How can I help you?”

 ‘Isabella.’ 

Her heart jumped.

That was undoubtedly Gabriel's unpleasant voice. 

Isabella was about to give in to the weakness in her knees when she recalled that she was free from him already. Gabriel should not scare her that easily anymore.

“What do you want?” she sternly asked. 

‘You must be enjoying life.’ The toxicity in his voice... Isabella told herself that it mustn’t get her. ‘Your husband is here in jail but you are out there getting married to another man.’ 

“You are no longer my husband. You never deserved that title, to be honest.”

 A peal of short maniac laughter followed and his voice lowered in a menacing way as he said, ‘I am coming for you, Isabella. When I am out of this place, I will look for you. And when I find you, you’ll be sorry you left.’ 

“We are divorced Gabriel,” she drove that fact into his head in case his mind lost a bolt or two before calling her. “And if you try to hurt me, I will make sure you end up in prison again.” 

‘Keep telling yourself that babe,’ he mocked her and she felt like reaching out to strangle him. ‘I am watching you, Isabella. And I will be back for you.’

 The call ended and Isabella stood there, almost lifeless because she could strongly sense it... The seriousness of his threat.