THE TYCOON'S REBEL BRIDE(19)

“My mother loved my father very much,” Isabella said softly. “He loved her, too.

They’d both want me to be happy. They’d want me to marry the man I loved.”

“Then I’ll wish you luck.”

Isabella smiled, though it was completely forced. “Thank you, Madeline.”

They left the conference room, and Isabella quickly signed the rental agreement

before handing it over to Madeline. “Let him read over it and if he has no objections, fax

it back for me, please.”

“And your shopping trip? When would you like to schedule that?”

Isabella shook her head. “I’ll go by myself. When is the cocktail party again?”

“Thursday night. Seven.”

Isabella slowly nodded. “Okay, I’ll be there.”

She turned to walk out of the office, her mind reeling from the unexpected shock

of Theron’s upcoming proposal. She flipped open her cell phone and dialed Sadie’s

number.

“Sadie? It’s me, Isabella,” she said when Sadie answered the phone. “Are you

busy? I need to come over. It’s urgent.”

Six

“T his is a disaster,” Isabella groaned as she flopped onto Sadie’s couch.

Sadie sat next to her, concern creasing her pretty features. “Surely you aren’t

giving up. He hasn’t even proposed to her yet.”

“Yet. That’s the problem,” Isabella said glumly. “Yet means he fully intends to,

so for all practical purposes, he’s engaged.”

“She might not say yes,” Sadie pointed out.

Isabella gazed balefully at her. “Would you say no to Theron Anetakis?”

“Well, no….”

“Neither will she,” Isabella said with a sigh. She stared up at the ceiling as she

raced to come up with a plan. “She’s no doubt a good Greek girl from a good Greek

family. She’ll have impeccable breeding, of course. Her father probably has loads of

money, and she would probably drink battery acid before ever going against her parents’

wishes.”

“That exciting of a girl, huh?”

Isabella laughed as she looked back at Sadie. “I’m not being very charitable. I’m

sure she’s lovely.”

“Now you make her sound like a poodle,” Sadie said in amusement.

Isabella covered her face with her hands and tried not to let panic overtake her. Or

despair.

“Oh, honey,” Sadie said as she wrapped her arms around Isabella. “This doesn’t

change anything. Truly. You still have to do the same thing as always. Get him to see

you. The real you. He won’t be able to resist you once he spends time with you.”

Isabella let herself be embraced by her friend. At the moment she’d take what

comfort she could get. Being alone had never really bothered her, but now she was faced

with the possibility of not being with the one person she wanted.

“We kissed last night,” she said when Sadie finally drew away.

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THE TYCOON’S REBEL BRIDE

27

MAYA BANKS

SILHOUETTE DESIRE 1944

THE ANETAKIS TYCOONS

“See? I told you,” Sadie exclaimed.

“Don’t celebrate yet,” Isabella said glumly. “He gave me the lecture this morning,

or at least he tried.”

Sadie’s eyebrow went up. “The lecture?”

“Oh, you know, the whole this can never happen again, it was a mistake lecture.”

“Ah, that one.”

“At least now I know why.”

“Okay, so it won’t be as easy as you thought it might be,” Sadie said. “That

doesn’t mean you won’t be successful. From what you’ve said, it hardly sounds like a

love match.”

Isabella sighed again. “So what do I do, Sadie?”

Sadie squeezed her hand and smiled. “You make him fall in love with you.”

“Which requires me to make him see past this whole guardian-ward thing. The

kiss was…” She took a deep breath and smiled dreamily. “It was hot. I need him to see

me like he did in that moment.”

“If I can make this all about me for a moment, I might have a somewhat devious

method for getting him to see you sorta naked.”

Isabella reared her head back in surprise. “You certainly have my attention now.”

Sadie grimaced. “I’d planned to ask you this anyway, and it sounds awfully self-

serving, but it could work. Maybe.”

“So, tell me,” Isabella said impatiently.

“I have an audition Saturday night. Well, it’s not exactly an audition but it could

turn into one if I play my cards right.”