Isabella~
"Bella, what are you doing? How could you get engaged to this bastard?" Xavier came into the party hall just as I was ready to put the ring on James' hand.
My eyes gleamed with happiness on seeing him in front of me. Nine months have passed since I last saw his face. He left my life after discovering the truth, but his final words continued to haunt me to this day. I expected him to fight for his rights, but he left Alan with me without question. His action touched my heart deeply.
I was always scared that, after hearing the truth, he would fight with me for paternity with Alan, but to my surprise, he disappeared from my life in silence.
In his absence, I realized my mistake and regretted my behavior. Victor also felt sorry for lying to him about our relationship.
"How dare you play your dirty tricks on her despite my warnings to stay away from her?" Xavier struck James in the face. Xavier's unexpected strike caused James to fall to the ground, but he rose fast and straightened his tux.
"What are you doing, Xavier?" I felt a wave of anxiety come over me because of his abrupt behavior.
"Why would I stay away from her? She will marry me because she loves me." In response, James hit Xavier in the face. The corner of Xavier's lips started to bleed as he collapsed to the ground.
"She does not love you," Xavier replied before launching another attack. Their fight shocked the guests, who crowded into the center of the party hall.
"Please stop them, Victor; if no one intervenes, they will kill one another." I pleaded, desperately turning to Victor.
"Bella, don't worry; enjoy the show—nothing is going to happen as you're fearing," Victor said calmly, taking a seat at the bar counter as he sipped his lemonade.
"You know she's my wife, so how could you flirt with her?" Xavier demanded, aggressively punching James' face as he held him on the ground.
"She has nothing to do with you because she divorced you," James growled back, throwing Xavier off and pinning him down.
My mind spun as I tried to comprehend the intensity of their fight It felt as though they were releasing years of resentment, with me caught in the middle of a rivalry I barely understood. Xavier threw James off, sending him rolling, and retaliated with another punch
"You now understand the pain we feel when someone snatches our loved ones away," James countered, hitting Xavier hard.
"I wanted to expose her in front of you when I caught her red-handed with David, but you misinterpreted me before I could do so," Xavier sneered, his words full of mockery and bitterness.
I could only partially comprehend what they were saying, but their argument was as intense as the blows they exchanged. I couldn't fully understand their conversation, but I'm confident it had nothing to do with me, and I felt relieved that they were confronting their past traumas.
"No, you're lying; she was not a cheater; it's you who backstabbed me," James spoke with disbelief, his voice reverberating across the hall.
His hand hovered mid-punch, but he couldn't hold back his anger and landed another blow.
"That recording is still on my phone. If you want to see it, check this now." Xavier took out his phone and held it up. James looked shocked, his anger fading into a look of regret.
"Why didn't you show me this earlier? I was so blinded by my need for vengeance that I committed a felony by standing up for Jordan Lucas because I loathed you for betraying me all those years." James' tone softened, remorse shadowing his face.
"I tried to tell you countless times, but you never gave me the chance." Xavier stood and offered his hand, helping James up as they finally confronted the misunderstandings that had torn them apart.
Xavier turned to me, his gaze filled with an intensity I hadn't seen in years.
"Please don't get engaged to Bella, James; I love her and want a second chance." His voice softened, the vulnerability beneath it sending a jolt through me. My heart skipped as he got down on one knee, ready to propose.
"Will you give me another opportunity, Bella?" Xavier asked, his voice filled with a raw plea that made the room grow silent.
"Before taking her approval, you should prove your worth to me." Just as I was about to say yes, my father-in-law interjected with a force that seemed to drain the room of any warmth.
"Dad?" Xavier asked, looking up with a bewildered expression.
"I am not your father, Xavier. I am Isabella's dad, and, as her dad, I am asking you to show me your worth. My daughter is a well-known lawyer; therefore, I don't think you're a suitable match for her," he said, his voice cold and final.
Xavier's face fell as he took in the weight of my father's words, and I felt torn between loyalty and the surge of emotions I still felt for Xavier. My dad's ultimatum stirred conflicting emotions within me: he was right to protect me, but part of me ached to fight for the love I'd rediscovered for Xavier.
"Until you prove your worth and show yourself as a compatible match, I will not support this union." Dad's voice echoed throughout the hall, drawing finality over Xavier's attempt to win me back. He didn't need to speak further—his warning was clear, and a hush fell over the room as guests quietly began to leave.
Victor and James took their seats at the bar, sipping whiskey as my dad departed, leaving me standing frozen, absorbing all that had unfolded. My thoughts raced as I grappled with the realization that I'd orchestrated this engagement solely to get Xavier back. Victor had helped, and even James had played his part in this elaborate scheme to bring him back into my life.
Indeed, this is my entire strategy to get Xavier back since I'm sick of looking for him. I followed him that day after he left me alone and went to his car to explain why I had done all of this, but after hearing Xavier and James talk, I realized that James was only trying to cause misunderstandings between us. I am aware that Jordan Lucas used the miscommunications between Xavier and James to exonerate himself of all the accusations.
I sincerely regretted my previous actions after learning the truth, and to get over my guilt, I decided to return Xavier to his family with the assistance of Victor and James. Xavier's eyes were filled with emotion as he gazed at me. Our eye contact broke when the courier boy delivered a notice for Victor. Xavier's eyes stayed on me, brimming with emotions that tugged at my heart. Just then, the quiet of the hall was interrupted by the arrival of a courier. He handed an envelope to Victor, who tore it open.
"What the hell is this? How could he do this to me?" Victor's outburst shattered the calm, and I quickly grabbed the notice from his hand, eager to know the cause of his shock.