When they got home, Ethan asked James to find him all the information he could on Isabella. James gathered all the details he could find and presented them to Ethan.
After reviewing the information, Ethan was convinced that Isabella was the perfect candidate for his plan. "James, I've made up my mind," Ethan said. "Isabella will be my wife."
James raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden declaration. "But Ethan, I thought you just wanted to know more about her. Why do you want to marry her?"
Ethan smirked, a confident glint in his eye. "Because, James, I need a wife to appease my family and secure my business dealings. And Isabella fits the bill perfectly."
James looked skeptical, his expression uncertain. "But what about Isabella's feelings? I don't think she wants to get married."
Ethan waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about that, James. We can just have a contract marriage and get divorced later. It's a win-win situation for both of us."
James looked unconvinced, his brow furrowed in concern. "I don't know, Ethan. This sounds like a pretty selfish plan. What if Isabella finds out it's all a ruse?"
Ethan shrugged, his expression unbothered. "Then we'll deal with it. But I'm confident she'll go along with it. She's desperate to escape her parents' arranged marriage, just like us."
James sighed, still looking uncertain. "And what about Miss Kim? She's not going to let you get away with this without a fight."
Ethan's smirk returned. "Leave Miss Kim to me, James. I've got a plan to handle her too."
James raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite himself. "Oh? And what's that?"
Ethan leaned in, a conspiratorial glint in his eye. "Let's just say I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Now, let's focus on convincing Isabella to agree to our little plan. I want you to send her a message, asking her to meet us at the cafe where we met earlier today. Tomorrow at 9 am."
James nodded, still looking unsure, but willing to go along with Ethan's plan. "Got it. I'll send the message."
When Isabella got home, she was greeted by her family waiting for her in the living room. Her grandmother, father, mother, and three siblings were all seated, looking expectant.
"Sit down, Isabella," her grandmother said, patting the couch beside her.
Isabella sat down, feeling a sense of dread wash over her. She knew what was coming.
"So, how was your day?" her grandmother asked, eyeing her expectantly.
Isabella sighed. "It was a disaster, Grandma. I don't think I'm interested in any of the men they're trying to set me up with."
Her brothers snickered, teasing her about not being good enough for the high-society men their parents wanted her to marry.
Grandma frowned, her expression stern. "Isabella, you need to bring a man home by the end of the month. If you can't find someone suitable, I'll have to fix you up with someone else."
Isabella felt a surge of frustration. "No, Grandma, I can handle it myself. I'll bring someone home, don't worry."
Her mother looked concerned. "Isabella, are you sure? You know how important it is to our family's reputation..."
Her father intervened, his voice calm. "Let's trust her, dear. She's a grown woman. She can make her own decisions."
After the tense conversation with her family, Isabella retired to her room, feeling frustrated and trapped. She locked the door behind her and took a deep breath, trying to shake off the anxiety.
As she stood there, her phone buzzed with an incoming message. She looked down at the screen and saw a text from an unknown number: "Hello Isabella, this is James, I am Ethan's secretary. He asked me to send you a text message. Can you meet him at the same cafe where you met earlier today? Tomorrow at 9 am?"
Isabella raised an eyebrow, wondering what Ethan wanted. She knew Ethan, and she couldn't think of any reason why he would want to meet with her. She typed out a response: "What do I have to do with him?"
The response came quickly: "You'll find out when you get there."
Isabella's curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know what Ethan wanted. She typed out a response: "Okay, I'll be there."
She didn't feel like thinking about it anymore, so she put her phone away and began to get ready for bed, her mind still wondering what Ethan could possibly want.