The Spy

Chapter 26

John stood nervously in the luxurious sitting room of the Rodriguez family's mansion in Cairo. He couldn't believe he was finally in the same room with Mr. Rodriguez, Isabella's father.

Mr. Rodriguez was sitting in a large armchair, a glass of whiskey in his hand, and a stern expression on his face. John could feel his eyes on him as soon as he walked in.

"John," Mr. Rodriguez said in a low voice, nodding at him.

"Mr. Rodriguez," John replied, trying to sound as confident as possible.

"I'm sure you know why you're here," Mr. Rodriguez continued. "Isabella tells me you've been quite helpful in retrieving the Mona Lisa."

John nodded, not sure where this was going.

"I must admit, I had my doubts about you," Mr. Rodriguez said, taking a sip of his whiskey. "But it seems you're more than just a pretty face."

John tried to hide his surprise at the compliment. "Thank you, sir. I just did what I had to do."

Mr. Rodriguez leaned forward, his eyes boring into John's. "And now, I need you to do something else for me."

John's heart sank. He had a feeling he knew what was coming.

"I need you to leave Isabella alone," Mr. Rodriguez said firmly. "She has important work to do for me, and I can't have her distracted by...well, by whatever this is."

John felt his cheeks flush, but he tried to remain calm. "I understand, sir. But I care about Isabella, and I think she cares about me too."

Mr. Rodriguez scoffed. "You're just a passing fancy, John. Isabella has much more important things to worry about than a fling with a spy."

John's jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything. He knew Mr. Rodriguez was probably right, but it still hurt to hear.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Mr. Rodriguez said, standing up. "I have business to attend to."

John watched as the older man walked out of the room, his heart heavy. He wasn't sure how he was going to face Isabella after this.

Isabella walked into the room, her eyes scanning the area before landing on her father and John standing together. She could sense the tension in the room but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Father, is everything okay?" Isabella asked, her eyes flickering between the two men.

Mr. Rodriguez gave a small nod, "Yes, everything is fine. John and I were just discussing business matters."

Isabella nodded, "Alright then, I was wondering if we could have a chat?"

"Of course," Mr. Rodriguez said, gesturing to a nearby table, "Let's sit down and talk."

As they sat, Isabella noticed that John was tense and seemed to be avoiding eye contact. She turned to him, "John, is something wrong?"

John hesitated for a moment before replying, "No, everything is fine."

But Isabella could tell he was lying. She reached out and took his hand, "John, please. I can tell something is bothering you. What is it?"

John took a deep breath before speaking, "It's nothing, really. Just some business matters that I need to attend to."

Isabella could sense that he was holding back, but she didn't want to push him. Instead, she turned to her father, "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Mr. Rodriguez cleared his throat, "I wanted to discuss some plans for our upcoming project. I have some ideas that I'd like to run by you."

As her father continued to talk, Isabella couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. She glanced over at John, who was still avoiding her gaze, and couldn't shake the feeling that he was keeping something from her. She decided to confront him later and focus on the meeting for now.

Isabella's heart sank as her father spoke the words. "I want to sell the Mona Lisa."

She tried to protest. "But Dad, it's a priceless piece of art. It should be in a museum, not in the hands of some private collector."

Mr. Rodriguez shook his head. "Isabella, I've made up my mind. Selling the painting will help me settle some debts and secure the future of our family."

Isabella couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had always known her father was a businessman, but this was something else entirely. Selling a national treasure just to settle some debts? It didn't make any sense.

John saw the look on Isabella's face and tried to intervene. "Mr. Rodriguez, maybe there's another way. Perhaps we could find a way to use the painting to generate income without selling it."

Mr. Rodriguez considered this for a moment before shaking his head again. "I've already made arrangements for the sale. It's too late to back out now."

Isabella felt defeated. She knew that her father could be stubborn, but she never thought he would be willing to sacrifice something so valuable just to settle some debts. She turned to John, her eyes pleading for help.

John put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Isabella. We'll figure something out."

Isabella looked up at him, feeling a glimmer of hope. Maybe they could find a way to stop the sale and keep the painting where it belonged. 

John and Isabella sit in the living room after Mr. Rodriguez leaves, both lost in their own thoughts. Isabella looks over at John and notices the tension in his face.

"John, is everything okay?" she asks, concerned.

John looks up at her, his expression softening. "Yeah, everything's fine."

"Are you sure?" she presses. "I couldn't help but notice the tension between you and my father earlier."

John sighs and leans back on the couch. "It's nothing, really. Your father and I are just...complicated."

Isabella raises an eyebrow. "Complicated how?"

John hesitates, unsure of how much he wants to reveal. But he knows he can trust Isabella, so he takes a deep breath and decides to tell her the truth.

"Your father asked me to stay away from you," John said, watching her face for any reaction.

Isabella's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Why would he say that?" she asked, clearly taken aback.

"I'm not sure," John admitted. "He just told me that he didn't want me to get too close to you."

Isabella shook her head in disbelief. "That doesn't make any sense. My father has always trusted me to make my own decisions."

"I know," John said. "But maybe he's just worried about me distracting you from your work with the painting."

Isabella sighed. "I don't know. It just feels like there's something he's not telling me."

John nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. But maybe we should just focus on the painting for now and deal with your father's concerns later."

Isabella nodded, a small smile appearing on her lips. "You're right. We should just enjoy the time we have together while we can."

John smiled back at her, relieved that she wasn't upset with him for keeping her father's request a secret. He knew that they would have to tread carefully around Mr. Rodriguez, but for now, he was content to just be with Isabella and forget about their problems for a while.