Chapter Four: Whispers of Truth
For the first time since stepping into Hale Industries, Isla didn't feel like a consultant.
She felt like a target.
A very alluring, very necessary target.
Days after the dinner at The Archer Room, Ethan's presence hovered over her like a phantom. Not because he called or messaged often—he didn't—but because his gaze that night had said too much. Said things his lips wouldn't, shouldn't, but just might if she let this unravel.
Isla didn't let things unravel. She was method. Strategy. Control.
But the way Ethan had looked at her across candlelight? That was neither business nor casual interest. It was possession wrapped in admiration, desire hidden under courtesy.
And that was dangerous.
Especially now.
She'd been assigned to lead a pivotal presentation for Hale's board—an entire brand audit and digital shift proposal. A task that could either solidify her presence in the company or send her back into the sea of freelancers clawing for validation.
At 10:03 AM, she stepped into the glass conference room, where the board of Hale Industries waited. Ten men in suits. One woman. All powerful. All skeptical.
Ethan sat at the head of the table.
As always.
"Miss Winters," the older board member to the left began, "We're aware of your... unconventional approach. But tradition has served us well. What makes you believe we need to change anything?"
She smiled, calm.
"Tradition," she said, clicking her remote, "is comfortable. But growth rarely is."
The screen behind her lit up—an image of two brands side-by-side. One was Hale's current look: monochrome, clean, cold. The other was her mockup of a redesigned identity: modern, immersive, with storytelling at its core.
"Your market wants connection. Your audience has changed. You must evolve or risk becoming irrelevant."
She walked them through the research, the campaign mock-ups, the user engagement patterns, the competitor comparisons, and her custom strategy—each slide armed with logic and emotion.
Ethan never said a word. Just watched.
But when the lights came back on, no one moved.
Then a slow clap broke the silence.
Ethan.
One.
Two.
Then the rest joined.
After the meeting, Ethan caught up with her in the hallway.
"You stunned them."
"Good. That was the goal."
"You also stunned me."
She turned to him. "That wasn't."
He stepped closer. "I meant what I said. You're not like the others."
"I'm not trying to be," she said, voice firm but heart racing.
"What are you trying to be, Isla?"
"Independent. Respected. Unbothered."
His lips curled faintly. "You don't do 'unbothered' very well."
"Neither do you."
They stood there a moment too long, the tension sizzling like electricity in wet air.
Then her phone buzzed, saving them both.
A message from her assistant:
New client inquiry. Wants a 50k word business ebook and consultation.
Source: Webnovel profile bio.
Her lips parted slightly. Another lead. Another chance.
Ethan noticed the shift in her expression. "Work?"
"Always."
But as she turned to leave, he called after her.
"Dinner. Again. This Friday."
She paused. "Why?"
His eyes darkened. "Because I need more of your mind."
And maybe—just maybe—your heart.
But he didn't say that last part aloud.
Friday arrived with the kind of energy that made Isla question her own emotional barriers. She met Ethan again—this time at a lesser-known jazz lounge in the heart of the city. No paparazzi. No pretense.
Just them.
Over red wine and roasted lamb, they drifted from business to backstories.
"I didn't always want to be in marketing," Isla admitted. "I wanted to write stories. Fiction. Novels. Love, loss, redemption."
"You still can."
"I do—just not under my own name."
Ethan frowned. "Ghostwriting?"
She nodded. "Yes. I help others tell their stories. CEOs, influencers, even startup dreamers. I take their vision and make it sing."
He leaned in. "Then sing me something."
"What?"
"A line. From something you've written."
She hesitated.
Then whispered:
"Even broken clocks are right twice a day.
But some hearts never tick again after they've shattered."
Ethan stared.
"You wrote that?"
"I've written more than you'll ever know."
"I want to read all of it."
"I doubt you have the time."
"I'll make it."
Their eyes locked again—and suddenly, Isla realized something terrifying:
This man wasn't just another client.
He was a chapter she hadn't meant to write.
Later that night, back in her apartment, Isla worked late into the darkness. Her screen glowed with messages from clients—one wanted a 200k word motivational book, another needed help with launching on Amazon KDP.
Each request came from someone who had seen her mini-author bio on her Webnovel profile, tucked neatly beneath the chapters of a story that had begun as fiction—but now blurred into reality.
Her fingers danced across the keyboard as she updated her CTA section beneath the latest chapter.
Hey reader, love what you're reading?
I'm Chizurum Enyinnaya, the pen behind this passion. If you're a business owner, coach, author, or dreamer who needs your story told through books, marketing content, or even personal branding—let's talk.
Services I offer include:
Fiction writing (romance, drama, thrillers, fanfics)
Nonfiction writing (business guides, self-help, motivational books)
Editing, book structuring, and ghostwriting
KDP Publishing & ebook formatting
Ebook cover design and promotional storytelling
LinkedIn articles & storytelling marketing strategies
Let's bring your ideas to life!
WhatsApp: +2347044469125
Email: chizurumchidimma2000@gmail.com
Facebook: Best Ebook Cover Designs
Business Name: INTELLECTINSCRIBED
Your story deserves power. Let me be the voice behind it.
As she hit publish on the latest chapter and saved her final proposal for a new client, Isla smiled to herself.
She wasn't just telling stories anymore.
She was building an empire.
One word at a time.
And somewhere along the way, she had managed to make Ethan Hale part of it.
Whether that was the best thing—or the biggest risk—she'd ever done remained to be seen.
But she wasn't afraid.
Not anymore.