Xavier~"Let me help you." I opened the car's door to help her get down. Alan was sleeping on her lap, which made it challenging for her to get out of her position. "It's all right, Mr. Thompson; I will manage." She asked the security guard to help her. I managed my anger throughout the entire drive, but I'm finding it increasingly challenging to deal with her peculiar behavior. One moment, she was very friendly with me, and the other moment, she treated me as if she were talking to a stranger. Her behavior abruptly changed after that phone call. During the call, I overheard her discussing DNA reports. Was she talking about Alan? Why did she appear so terrified after speaking with her husband? "Open the gate; I will take him inside the house." I saw the old watchman and asked him to open the gate. Alan was suffering from blisters on his feet, so I didn't want to disturb him further. She opened her mouth to argue with me, but when she saw my frustrated gaze, she immediately closed i
Isabella~"Oh my god, Mr. Thompson, you scared me." As I turned to see who was standing behind me, the sight of Xavier in front of me filled me with fear. "I apologize if I scared you, but what are you doing late at night?" He gave me a perplexed expression. "I'm simply attempting to gather fresh evidence for the ongoing murder investigation." I shrugged my shoulders with nervousness as he looked at the fake murder scene in my room. "Humm, so to investigate this murder case further, you set up the identical murder scene." He put his hand on his chin. "Well, I believe if we understand the psychology of criminals, then we will be able to solve the case with ease." To free up space on my bed so I could sleep, I shut off my laptop and returned the file to the rack. "That's fantastic; you are outstanding." I get a little uncomfortable when I hear him compliment me. In the past, he never acknowledged my achievements, and now, when he attempts to praise me, all I can feel is resentment.
Xavier~"Mr. Thompson, please get up; we have to leave." I rubbed my eyes as I listened to her gentle voice. I attempted to straighten my body and almost managed to avoid falling off the couch. I looked around me and found myself sleeping in an unfamiliar room that was on the couch. "Don't look at my room in awe; I know it looks beautiful." I turned my head to look at her. She was standing in front of the dressing table and combing her hair. "I apologize; I can't recall when I fell asleep last night." It was quite embarrassing for me to spend the night in her room. "That's okay; everyone feels calm in my room." I turned to stare at her, bewildered to find my body covered in a blanket. Did she wrap a blanket around my body the night before? But looking at her cold face, I find it hard to believe that she truly cares for me. Why didn't she wake me up and ask me to leave her room? Once again, my mind was filled with countless questions as I observed her mysterious behavior toward me.
Isabella~"Mr. Thompson, please wait here; I will return in a few minutes," I asked him as I hurried back inside Alicia's room."What have you forgotten now?" he asked, confusion lacing his voice."Please wait," I replied quickly, my mind focused elsewhere. Once more, I opened her almirah and pulled out the anniversary photograph. It was the last memory I had with Xavier. Something in me still felt connected to that memory, even though it reopened old scars. I slipped the photo into my purse, determined not to let him see the effect his romantic photos with Alicia still had on me. The way they were together left me feeling as if I were a stranger in their story, and it still hurts.As I stepped out of Alicia's room, Lisa's venomous voice cut through the silence. "Stealing?""Stealing?" I repeated, stunned. Her accusation sparked a fire inside me."Mom, do you think I'm like Alicia, always taking what doesn't belong to her?" I stared straight into her eyes, my words cutting sharper tha
Xavier~"Bella, I reached my hotel." I don't know why I texted her about reaching my hotel room, but the urge was too strong to resist. My thoughts always seemed to drift back to her."Good night, take care," she replied almost instantly.I blinked at the screen, surprised she was awake—surprised she responded at all. Why was she still up? It was late. After spending time with Alan and sharing dinner with Bella and him, I felt an unusual sense of peace and contentment. It was as if, for a brief moment, I was part of a family. A perfect family. Meeting Alan had only deepened my desire to fit into Bella’s life once again.As I lay on the bed, my mind raced back to how pleased Alan looked earlier that day. His innocent laughter filled the house, and for a fleeting second, I allowed myself to imagine what it would have been like if I hadn’t betrayed Bella. Would we be a real family today? The thought sent a wave of longing through me, but I quickly pushed it aside. She wasn’t ready to l
Isabella~"Miss Luis, are you prepared to lose this case today?" As I entered the courtroom, Derrick's haughty voice filled my ears."Good morning, Mr. Merchant." I disregarded his taunting and greeted him with a warm smile."It's a beautiful morning, of course, but once you lose this case, it will quickly become a nightmare for you." When he saw my composed face, his arrogant smirk transformed into resentment."We will see, Mr. Merchant." I motioned for him to take a seat. His confidence irked me, but I had prepared myself. I knew my composure was unsettling for him, and I was ready for anything. "Miss Luis, you still have the opportunity to join my firm after you lose this case." He tried again to shake me, but I smiled inwardly. His words no longer had the power to affect me. "Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Merchant." I responded coolly and returned to arranging my papers, keeping my hands steady. Inside, my heart raced, not because of him but because of the weight of what wa
Xavier~"Bella, what is he doing with Alan?" I looked at Bella in confusion, my heart pounding. "Bella, why are you quiet? Answer me: What is Victor doing with Alan?" Her silence sent a shiver of fear through me, even though my mind had already pieced together the disturbing possibility."Victor." My voice wavered, barely containing the surge of emotion. "Where did you disappear after that night? Do you know I searched for you everywhere?" My eyes filled with tears, and I took a step toward him, desperate to embrace my brother after so many years of silence, but he remained frozen. He was so cold, so distant—as if I were invisible to him."Daddy, meet my new friend." Alan’s innocent voice interrupted the tension, and I stared in shock. "What? Dad?" The word struck me like a jolt, causing me to remain motionless. Alan tightly wrapped his hand around Victor's, his smile naive and pure. This can’t be happening. "What is he saying, Bella? Is Victor Alan's father?" The realization was
Isabella~"What are you doing, Bella?" He gripped my hand tightly, pulling me back to safety from the high-speed train rushing past."Why did you save me?" I whispered, my voice thick with despair. "Victor, I want to die. I have nothing left now." Overwhelmed, I buried my face in his shoulder, letting my sobs break free."I never expected this from you," he murmured, patting my back in comfort. "You've always seemed like a strong, resilient woman who would never give up. How could you be ready to die over something so... trivial?" His words were gentle, yet I felt their weight."Victor, it wasn’t a small thing," I choked, fighting to find the words for this unbearable ache in my heart. "I loved him; he was my life... I don’t know how I’ll survive without him.""But why are you grieving for him?" Victor’s voice grew firmer and steady as he helped me to the platform seat. "When has he ever shown you real love? Does he deserve your loyalty?""But I loved him, Victor." My voice cracked as
Isabella~"Thank God, we finally returned to the USA." When I heard Xavier's voice, I opened my eyes. The journey had been perilous and exhausting. Undoubtedly, Uncle Jorawar will be pleased to learn that we have taken Jonathan into custody.I took Xavier's hand and ran my thumb over it. "Do you truly believe it's that simple, Bella?" He raised his brow and questioned me, his expression dark."What's the issue now? Xavier, everything is in order now. We've filed a case against Jonathan and asked the Italian police to transfer him to the US police." I didn't understand why he still looked so worried about Jonathan when everything seemed sorted."Given that we assisted Italian authorities in apprehending Jonathan, do you believe Jordan will remain silent?" Xavier's forehead creased with tension.His words made my chest tighten. "What will Jordan Lucas do in this case? He has no authority over the Italian police." I tried to sound confident, though a flicker of doubt crept in."He mig
Xavier~"Are you ready, Jacqueline?" I teased James, unable to resist the opportunity since he was dressed like a woman."Don't play with me, Xavier; otherwise, I will punch your handsome face, turning it blue." He angrily gritted his teeth, his voice unusually high-pitched to match his disguise."Don't be too harsh on your delicate hands, Jacqueline." I smirked, taking his hand and running my thumb over it."Bella, ask this bastard to stop teasing me; otherwise, I will kick him in his main part, and he will not be able to fulfill Alan's desire!" James shot Bella an irritated look."Stop it, Xavier. How can you make fun of him in such a risky situation? You know that what James is going to do is not a simple task," Bella scolded, her expression deadly serious."I know, my sweetheart, but he looks so gorgeous in this attire that I can't hold myself back from flirting with him. Trust me, Bella, if he were a woman, I'd propose to him right now." I burst into laughter as I glanced at Jame
Isabella~"Why did you flee from that building, Xavier? You know we have a chance to apprehend him." I looked at him angrily as he was running from Jonathan."Use your common sense, Bella; you have no idea how dangerous Jonathan is. He's not like Jordan. If we don't flee from him, he will kill us." He looked behind to check whether Jonathan was still following us or not, his sharp eyes scanning the streets for any sign of pursuit."But now, how will we bring justice to Laila?" As we paused near the police station, I questioned him again, my voice trembling with frustration."For now, let's put Laila out of our minds; we need to get back to the United States," he said, his tone curt. He asked me not to overthink this, but the words felt like a dismissal, and my chest tightened.James made me sit on the bench. His heavy breathing and sweat dripping down his forehead gave me an idea of how exhausting carrying me must have been. Despite his weariness, he cast me a reassuring smile, as if
Xavier~What are we going to do now? Her questioning gaze fixed on my face. Since I was also unsure of what we should do at this point, I looked at James' face to get a hint about our next course of action. Jonathan and his shooters were staring at us with excitement, so I wanted to let him know that we were lawyers, not artists, and that I had no idea what I should perform when confronting themJames came up with the plan to alter our look to trick the gunmen, but Bella's obstinacy has caused us to follow Jonathan here instead. Jonathan's menacing grey eyes gleamed in the room's darkness, giving us the impression that we were standing in front of a ravenous lion within his den."What are you waiting for? My gunmen will shoot you if you don't perform soon."Two large shadows caught my attention behind his chair. They loomed like silent sentinels, their sharp eyes never leaving us."Without music, I can't dance." I adjusted the tone of my voice and explained my incapacity to perform,
Isabella~"What are you doing here?"I heard noises and a dangerous voice around me, and I opened my eyes. The dim glow of the museum flickered across the room. My heart sank."We were new to this place and had lost our way," James said, his voice trembling with forced politeness.What’s going on here? Where are we? I looked around to see what was happening in my immediate environment. Three gunmen stood in front of us, pointing their weapons at us. Xavier stood like a mountain, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, his presence grounding me in the face of fear."Where do you want to go?" I heard the piercing voice of one of the gunmen, his tone sharp enough to cut through the tense silence."We want to go to this drama theater." James reached into his coat and pulled out one card, his hands slightly tremblingbut his expressioncalm.Drama-theater? What is he talking about? I looked at him in confusion. Why did he dress in pirate clothes?"Have you seen any of them? We are actively
Xavier~"Bella, how did this happen?" I worriedly glanced at her broken leg. It's only been two days without her, but it feels like an eternity. When I learned she had checked out from the hotel, fear consumed me. I repeatedly dialed her number, but it was unreachable. My mind spiraled as I imagined the worst.Seeing her like this now, vulnerable and hurt, my jealousy and anger resurfaced. Her ignorant behavior toward me before leaving for Italy had already stung, but now I couldn’t hold back the flood of questions."Xavier, promise me first that you will not be angry with me after hearing the truth," she said, releasing me from our embrace and meeting my gaze."Please tell me everything first, and then I’ll decide." My fingers grazed her chin as I spoke, but my eyes shifted to James, narrowing in suspicion.My heart warred with itself, pleading with me to trust James, the friend I’d known since childhood. Yet my jealousy silenced those pleas. I couldn’t ignore the thought that he mig
Isabella~"James, are you sure we’ll find Jonathan here?" I questioned him in a doubt-filled tone, my unease growing with every passing second."Yes, Bella. I got this address from my informant." He motioned for me to exit the taxi.The chilly Italian air stung my skin as I stepped onto the deserted street. My life had completely transformed in just two days. Two days ago, my family and I were in the United States, and now I found myself in this unknown, freezing city, chasing someone I’d never even met.When James told me that Jonathan had moved to Italy after Laila’s passing, I knew I had no choice but to come. Jordan Lucas had already tricked Uncle Jorawar and dragged us into this chaos, and now Jonathan was my only lead. I wanted to share the truth about this trip with Xavier, but his erratic behavior and mistrust made it impossible. If I’d told him I was coming to find Jonathan, he would’ve stopped me no matter what.Despite the guilt of keeping secrets, I had to take this chanc
Xavier~"Bella, what happened suddenly? You love him, right?" Dad looked at her in disbelief."Yes, Dad, but I want to take my time and not rush things. I want to understand him better before marrying him." She fidgeted with her fingers and then looked at my face."Well, it's your choice, Bella. I don't want to impose anything on you." After letting out a long sigh, Dad accepted her choice."Thank you, Dad." After hugging him, she went to the kitchen.I don’t understand why she suddenly changed her mind. Is she no longer in love with me? I followed her to the kitchen, hoping to talk with her, but she didn’t show any interest. Her coldness was unbearable. I replayed every interaction in my mind, searching for what I had done wrong.I’ve always trusted her words, but seeing her with James stirred my insecurities. My desire to win her back always overtook my reason whenever I saw them together. Bella is the kind of woman every man dreams of having, and I can’t help but fear losing her. B
Isabella~"Hey Xavier, congratulations, buddy." I turned around after hearing James' voice. He was standing at the kitchen's entrance. His tightened jaw and white knuckles indicated that he was not pleased to see James here."Why are you congratulating me? I should be the one to congratulate you on your achievement, James." He approached us, his every move deliberate and slow, as if he were trying to control his anger."What are you saying?" James looked at him with confusion."You understand clearly what I mean, am I right, Bella?" Xavier’s doubt-filled eyes made me his target.In an attempt to gain his trust, I gazed intently into his lovely blue eyes, but all I could see were anger and jealousy."Xavier, listen, you misunderstood our relationship; we are just friends." James attempted to clarify his misunderstanding after noticing the tension between us."Do you think I'm a fool, James? Do you think I am not aware of your late-night conversations and the fact that you two spent the