Hello Isadora

ISA

I had always known I was destined to end up with one of the Madigan brothers. 

I’d spent hours with my sister, River, arguing about which of the brothers I’d end up with. We only considered the last three brothers, of course. Theodore was five years older than me, while the twins Keenan and Keeler were three years older than me. All acceptable age gaps. Theo was a little too old for me, but I was sure we could make it work somehow. 

“Father wants to see you in his office.” River ran into my room with an excited squeal. “Do you know what this means? It’s happening, Isa. You’re going to get married.” 

I grinned at her. "Oh, my God. Are they here? Do you think it’s Theo? Or the twins?” 

“I think it’s one of the twins. I didn’t see Theo when I peeked into the meeting room.” She jumped into the bed beside me. River and I had the same father but different mothers. Her mother had dumped her at our doorstep sixteen years ago, and Dad had taken her in. She was my favorite person in the world, even with the six-year age difference between us. 

While I was blonde and blue-eyed, she had gotten the distinct Love blue eyes but had brown hair to go with it. 

“What am I going to wear?” I groaned. “I hate when my father just springs things like this on me.” 

River giggled. “You've been preparing for this day since you wrote your final paper, Isa. You have three backup outfits for today.” 

“Well,” I drawled. “My hair’s not done.” I got out of bed, running my fingers through the blonde strands. I would have liked to get it curled because it lay flat on my back at the moment. 

“Your hair looks perfect.” 

I flashed her a grateful smile before hurrying to my closet to dig out the outfit I had bought specially for today. 

River was right; I had been preparing for today for so long. This was so exciting. 

I stripped off my two-piece lounge set and slid on the dress. It was a light blue, mid-thigh-length dress with long, sheer sleeves. I slid on low heels and then went to the dresser to get my makeup done. 

“I think you should do nude make-up.” River suggested. “That way, you can look all doll-like and natural. Men like that. The bare-faced makeup look.” 

“What do you know about what men like, anyway?” I laughed. “Don’t let Father hear you say that. You’ll be grounded till you’re thirty.” 

Father could be overprotective to the point of being stifling. I was shocked that he had even let me go off to college without hiring chaperones to go everywhere with me. But then again, I completely understood him. River and I were his treasures, and he didn’t want anything to happen to us. 

I had found ways to get around his strict rules and regulations, though, but what my father didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. 

“How do I look?” I asked River when I was done. 

She gave me a double thumbs up. I blew her a kiss and made my way down the stairs and towards the meeting room. 

Uncle Gunn was standing in front of the meeting room, pacing, when I got there. His head shot up at my arrival, his gaze narrowing. It wasn’t just my imagination that he looked worried as hell. My uncle was one of the most unbothered people ever. My stomach twisted with nerves. Was something wrong? Did they not think I was pretty enough? 

“What’s going on?” I asked. 

He opened his mouth, then changed his mind and snapped it shut. “It’s nothing; go on in.” He smiled at me. “You look beautiful.” 

I smiled back, relieved. “Thank you.” 

“Go on in.” He pushed the door open and held it for me. 

I stepped into the room. It was one of my least favorite rooms in the house. It was too dark and oppressive. The dark, wooden table in the shape of a decagon, the high-backed chairs, the bareness of the walls, the vaulted ceiling. It all came together to create this too-serious, imposing atmosphere that made my skin feel too tight and itchy. 

Five pairs of eyes flew up as soon as I crossed past the door. The only person who remained unfazed and uncurious about my arrival was the man sitting in front of me, his back to me. Father was on the opposite side of the table from the man; to his right was an empty seat that probably belonged to Uncle Gunn, and another was where his secretary, Tamara Godwin, sat. 

To his left were the Madigan twins, followed by Theodore. 

“Sit down.” Tamara nodded at the empty chair beside her. 

I immediately slid into the chair, adjusting my dress when it rode up too much. I looked up when I felt eyes on me. 

The man I didn’t know was finally looking at me. No, what he was doing was studying me. He had hair that was so inky dark it looked blue, and two different colors of eyes, one green and one grey. It created a chilling effect, sending goosebumps up my arms. 

I immediately snapped my eyes away from his. 

He was the most beautiful man I had ever set my eyes on in my life, but there was also something cold and lethal about him. I was better off avoiding him.

“Jude, my daughter, Isadora.” Father said. 

Jude? As in…

“Isa, meet Jude Madigan, the current head of the Madigan family and your soon-to-be husband.” 

My head swirled. No. No way. 

I looked at my father in horror, then at Tamara, who was also looking at my father in shock. On the other side of the table, Theo looked resigned, and the twins were expressionless. 

I finally looked at him. 

The terrifying man who was going to be my husband. 

His unusual eyes were still locked on me. Then his mouth smiled, the rest of his face remaining blank. “Hello, Isadora.” 

I shivered.