The broken heiress: lost it all, boldly taking it back

Isabelle felt the air grow heavy, despite the coolness of the air-conditioned car. Her palms were clammy, and she couldn't quite place the strength that had made her to say the words that followed.

"I can be more useful to you than you think. I know you can get another woman to be your contract wife, but you won't find anyone as resilient as me. I can keep a secret, and I'm not squeamish about seeing blood," she said, her voice firm with every ounce of resolve she had.

Logan was silent, and she could almost feel the smugness in his gaze as they sat in the dark car.

"You're... interesting," he finally replied, his voice cool but laced with amusement.

Any other woman will be begging for their life to be spared and would want to back out from the contract. But Isabelle decided to accept her fate and even state the importance on why she is still a valuable asset.

I'm not going to get rid of you that easily, dear. Your time hasn't come yet, Logan thought, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"If you think I want to get rid of you, you're absolutely wrong," he said, his tone now surprisingly serious. He turned toward her and cupped her face gently, an action that shocked Isabelle.

"I was worried you could have been killed. What if it wasn't Alice who saw you? You might be an asset, but you're still human. Life is precious; it shouldn't be wasted," he added, rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

Isabelle was taken aback by his unexpected tenderness, but she quickly regained her composure.

"So…you're not going to get rid of me?" She asked for clarity.

"Of course not. I told you before you signed the contract—it won't be an easy marriage. It's my responsibility to look after you. You had no idea what you were getting into," Logan remarked, his voice firm.

Isabelle depiction of him as a very dangerous and crafty man wasn't what she saw in this moment. His words, though blunt, carried an air of responsibility that she hadn't expected. Isabelle had prepared herself for a ruthless partner who saw her as nothing more than a pawn in his plans. Yet, here he was, speaking of obligations and care as though they mattered more than his cold, calculated exterior suggested.

"I don't know the full extent of what you're involved in, sir, and I fear it might come back to haunt me. But I will have my revenge on my enemies, no matter what," she said, her voice steady but tinged with caution.

Logan leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms as he studied her. Isabelle couldn't decipher his expression—was it concern, or something darker?

"So, you want to break the contract?" he asked, his voice low.

The thought struck Isabelle deeply. Breaking the contract meant starting from scratch—losing everything she had gained. She couldn't fathom doing that.

"No," she replied firmly. "I don't want to break the contract. But I believe I'd be safer if I knew more about your world. We're married, yet we barely know anything about each other's lives. If there comes a time you need help, I want to be of service."

Logan studied her, a flicker of admiration passing across his features. He knew she didn't fully understand what she was getting into, but there was something about her courage that intrigued him.

You'll understand soon enough, a shadow of something darker in his thoughts.

"You know this path you're about to take has no return, right?" he said, his voice low, almost a warning.

"Yes, I do. I don't know why you killed that man. It might have been for your own gain, or for other reasons I can't comprehend. But I won't jump to conclusions and assume you did it for pleasure," Isabelle replied, her voice unwavering.

Logan didn't respond immediately, and Isabelle felt her nerves stir. What would he say next?

They finally arrived home and exited the car. Logan moved ahead, and Isabelle followed closely, curiosity building inside her.

Isabelle's curiosity heightened. She followed him to the study, wondering what he had planned. Logan went to the desk and pressed a button hidden beneath it. The walls shifted, and Isabelle's eyes widened in surprise. The room revealed itself to be far more than a study—it was a command center, complete with rows of screens, controls, and advanced machinery.

Logan went to one of the controls and began to type something while Isabelle kept looking around the room.

This room was a secret room. Are all the rooms like this?  she wondered, her fingers trailing across the edge of a sleek console nearby. The surface was cold and smooth, almost unnervingly pristine. Isabelle's curiosity was piqued

what kinds of things is this man involved in? 

"Impressive, isn't it?" Logan's voice broke through her thoughts. He didn't look at her as his fingers moved quickly over the controls.

Then, a picture appeared on one of the screens. Isabelle froze. It was the man who had been killed earlier.

Another screen switched on, and a video began to play. Isabelle gasped, covering her mouth in shock as she saw a group of men engaged in human trafficking. the sight disturbed her deeply she could feel her stomach churn.

"The man was involved in horrendous crimes that couldn't be ignored," Logan said calmly.

"Shouldn't you have called the police?" Isabelle asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"For a man who'd been trafficking children for over 30 years and never got caught, what do you think?" Logan replied, his tone cold.

The police were bought.

Isabelle's mind raced as she processed his words. How far does this go?

"Killing him was the only way to stop it," Logan continued, his eyes darkening.

"But won't his people just continue the work?" Isabelle asked, though she already feared the answer.

"When they don't have a leader, their operations will collapse. The police won't be able to ignore it anymore," Logan remarked, pressing a button to shut off the screens.

He stepped closer to Isabelle, his presence overwhelming. She felt his gaze like a weight on her.

"Are you sure you still want to get involved?" he asked softly.

Isabelle knew the consequences of backing out now. Her entanglement with him meant that it would catch up to her sooner or later, whether she chose to remain or not.

"Of course I am"

 She knew she had gained a bit of trust from Logan for him to reveal this room to her, and she won't waste it.

Logan studied her intently, his piercing gaze searching for any hint of doubt. When he found none, a flicker of approval crossed his features. "Good," he said. "Because once you're in, there's no halfway. You'll see things that will haunt you, Isabelle. Things you can't unsee."

She swallowed the lump forming in her throat but held his gaze. "I'm not naive, Logan. I understand what I signed up for."

For a moment, the room fell silent, the hum of machinery the only sound. Logan leaned against the console, crossing his arms as he regarded her. "You're stronger than you look," he remarked. "Most people would have run by now."

Isabelle's lips curved into a faint smile, though her eyes remained serious. "I've been a coward and feeble all my life. I am not a fool to repeat that."

He tilted his head a faint smile of his own tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Fair enough. But having just resolve won't keep you alive," as he finished speaking, Alice entered the room.

 "Alice is going to teach you how to protect yourself. She wouldn't always be there to protect you." Logan remarked.

Alice bowed her head slightly, raising it back up.'

"We will go along your pace," he said, gently holding her hands

"But if its getting a bit to much for you, don't hesitate to tell us." He added.

Isabelle was touched at his kind gesture, his red eyes drowning her and she couldn't escape. She wished she could stare at it forever.

Snap out of it. He is just doing this because of the contract.

Logan went back to press the button and the room went back to what it once was.

"I leave this to you, Alice." He remarked and left.

Isabelle stares as he left the study room and looks back at Alice.

"I am sorry I almost misunderstood the intentions," She remarked.

"You thought like any normal person would ma'am," She replied.

Yeah…normal.

---

Logan entered his room, loosening his tie and shrugging off his jacket. 

"Can't believe she's actually willing to get involved," he murmured to himself, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "This is going to make everything so much easier."

When her removed his shirt, he went to the standing mirror, looking at his body. He saw the scar by the left side of his waist, his eyes tinged in something between pain and anger as his fingers lightly traced the jagged line. The scar was an old wound, a reminder of a betrayal that had almost cost him everything. He stood there for a moment, his expression hardening as memories threatened to resurface.

Shaking his head, Logan turned away from the mirror and reached for a glass of whiskey on the nearby dresser. He took a sip, his mind racing.

Isabelle's face lingered in his mind, unbidden. He didn't mind it, though he couldn't quite understand why she occupied his thoughts so much. Was it her courage? Her resilience? He couldn't say.

"I just admire her guts, that's all," he muttered to himself, convincing no one but hoping it was true. 

The shrill ring of his phone interrupted his thoughts. Glancing at the screen, a sly smirk crept across his face as he answered.

"Did you see my present?"