Chapter 2 An Invitation（2）

• Isabella reread that letter over and over, trying to understand it. She couldn't believe that this invitation could be real, as never, but never in her life, had Isabella had any kind of contact with that family.
• Albert, Isabella's father, was the eldest son of William and Margaret, the main heirs of the prestigious and ancient Sinclair dynasty, the second richest and most powerful family in the country. However, Albert, the next heir of the family, fell in love with a humble woman, Patricia Soler, a young foreigner who had come to the country alone, seeking a new life and opportunity.
• Albert's romance angered his father, who ended up disinheriting him and banishing him from the Sinclair family upon learning that his eldest son, his pride, had secretly married the insignificant and poor woman, Patricia, who was surely an opportunist.
• Since then, Albert had led a humble life with his wife, completely changing his life but being very happy, even though his parents, his siblings, and the entire Sinclair family exiled him and completely forgot about him.
• That's why Isabella would have never expected to receive an invitation like that, especially from that family—people she didn't know, who never reached out to her or offered a helping hand, people she saw in the news and on television and seemed unreachable, a family that despised her solely because of her mother's humble background.
• Isabella read the letter one last time and examined the signature at the end, ‘Margaret de Sinclair.’ That was her grandmother. The young woman remembered seeing her only once in her life; she was just a child and had seen her from afar, a few meters away. But she would never forget that day, as it was at Albert's funeral—her father—who had died in a terrible accident.
• What could these people want from her after so many years of neglect? The young woman pondered with a certain feeling of anger because despite all the money and power of that family, they had never, not once, reached out to her.
• She threw the letter and the envelope aside, from which a cruise pass slipped out, explaining all the amenities they would have on the trip: food, drinks, spacious suites, a pool, different recreational activities, boutiques, among many more. At the end, some words stood out: everything is paid for.
• It couldn't be denied that the offer was more than tempting—two weeks on a luxurious cruise, all expenses paid. Although she would be socializing with people she didn't know, it was definitely much better than living in the shelter, where she was in the same situation, surrounded by strangers.
• Of course, it wasn't forever. Isabella understood perfectly that after finishing the two weeks of the cruise, she would have to return to the life of poverty in the shelter. She would probably continue to be exiled from the family for being her mother's daughter. However, if there was a free boutique, at least she could get a couple of decent outfits that would allow her to get a good job to support herself.
• Isabella took the cruise pass in her hands. She definitely had to go; perhaps this was her chance. Her mother had always taught her to be a good person, saying that good things happened to those who were good in life. Maybe, life finally had something good prepared for her.
• The young woman looked carefully at the address, then checked the date once again: ‘the fifteenth day of March of the current year.’ She realized that date was that same day. She got up from her cot, in a hurry, rereading the rest: ‘which will depart at ten in the morning.’ She only had an hour before the cruise departed.
• She had to hurry and run, or else she wouldn't make it on time. She bent down to pick up the small suitcase she had stored under the bed when a loud knock on the door startled her. Isabella assumed it was Jade; it was about time for her friend and companion to have returned. So, as her friend had already taught her, she asked before opening.
• "Yes, who is it?"
• "It's me, Jade," came the voice from the other side of the door.
• Without much hesitation, Isabella went to open it and was paralyzed to discover that her friend was not alone but accompanied by a couple of men. Isabella knew them very well; they were the same ones who had tried to rob and abuse her before.
• "I'm so sorry, Isabella. It was either you or me."