Countdown to "I Do" novel Chapter 2

**Midnight Roads Unseen by George Orwell 2**
**Chapter 2: Vouchers**

A profound stillness enveloped the room, as if time itself had come to a standstill.

After what felt like an eternity, the sharp click of a lighter pierced the silence from the other end of the line, and Jared’s voice, thick with the scent of tobacco, broke through the stillness. “How did you know?” he asked, his tone a mixture of curiosity and something darker.

Isabella found herself staring blankly at the stark white ceiling of the hospital ward, the sterile environment feeling suffocating. The IV drip beside her fell drop by drop, each sound echoing like a countdown, marking the end of her foolish devotion to a man who seemed to have forgotten her.

“You just need to answer, yes or no,” Jared pressed, his impatience palpable.

For two agonizing seconds, there was nothing but silence on the other end. Then, with a tone that carried an emotion she couldn’t quite decipher, Jared finally spoke again, his breath sounding labored. “Come to me in seven days, and we’ll get married.”

“And—” he hesitated, the weight of his next words hanging heavily in the air, “after you marry me, you can never have anything to do with Adrian again.”

Isabella closed her eyes, her heart racing, but her voice emerged soft yet resolute. “I won’t.”

“In seven days, I will never see him again,” she reaffirmed, the finality of her words echoing in her mind.

As soon as she hung up the phone, a surge of determination coursed through her. She immediately booked a flight to Denver for a week later.

That was Jared’s territory.

The hours dragged on, and throughout the rest of the day, Adrian didn’t make an appearance.

Only a nurse entered the room, her demeanor respectful as she said, “Isabella, Adrian has been very busy with his company lately. He asked us to take care of you.”

Isabella merely hummed in response, choosing not to challenge the lie that hung between them like a thick fog.

Deep down, she knew the truth—Adrian wasn’t busy with work; he was at Ella’s bedside, devotedly attending to her every need, never leaving her side.

It wasn’t until the day of her discharge that Adrian finally showed up.

He arrived in a sharply tailored suit, a hint of weariness shadowing his handsome features, yet he still radiated an undeniable charm.

Upon seeing her standing at the door of the ward, suitcase in hand, he rushed over, his expression apologetic. “Sorry, Isabella. Work’s been crazy lately, and… I was planning a surprise, so I couldn’t be here with you.”

Isabella sidestepped his outstretched hand, her heart hardening as she walked ahead. “What surprise?” she inquired, her tone laced with skepticism.

A faint smile flickered across Adrian’s lips, a rare glimmer of warmth in his eyes. “I’m taking you somewhere special.”

Half an hour later, the car glided to a stop outside a lavish hotel, its grandeur overwhelming.

Isabella followed Adrian inside, her heart pounding with an uneasy anticipation. The moment he pushed open the ballroom doors, her senses were assaulted by the sight of roses and flickering candlelight—an enchanting scene that took her breath away.

It was a marriage proposal!

As if on cue, the guests turned, their eyes locking onto her, and she felt the weight of their gazes.

Adrian led her to the center of the room, his movements deliberate, and then he sank to one knee, retrieving a dazzling diamond ring from his pocket.

“Isabella.”

“Ella!”

Adrian’s expression shifted instantly, concern flooding his features. He leaped to his feet, rushing over without a moment’s hesitation, scooping Ella into his arms with a fierce protectiveness.

In that moment, he forgot he was still kneeling before Isabella, the unoffered diamond ring still clutched tightly in his hand.

The guests erupted into murmurs, whispers weaving through the crowd, each one more cutting than the last—

“Tsk, tsk, same old story… The moment Adrian sees Ella, he has eyes for no one else.”

“Isabella has stood by his side for so many years, yet she still can’t compare to a single glance from Ella.”

“He’s only ever truly loved Ella.”

Isabella stood frozen in place, her fingernails digging into her palm, the pain grounding her in reality.

She watched Adrian’s back as he hurried away with Ella in his arms, and in that fleeting moment, she caught Ella’s gaze, who silently mouthed to her—

“You’ll never beat me.”

What a terrible performance.

But Adrian didn’t even question it. He simply believed her.