Xavier~"Ouch.."My head struck the floor, causing me to open my eyes. How did I end up here? I found myself in my hotel room and glanced around bewilderedly. I scratched my head, trying to recall how I got here. As I struggled to recall what had happened the night before, all the unpleasant recollections rushed before my eyes. Oh no, what did I do in my intoxicated state? I regretted my last night's outburst. A dull, hollow ache settled in my chest. My actions, once impulsive and thoughtless, now weighed on me like a lead weight, as if every misstep had been building up to this inevitable fracture.How could I coerce her? I revealed all my deepest emotions to her. That's all because of Derrick Merchant; if he hadn't provoked me, I would not have reacted in such a manner. I attempted to rise from the cold floor of the room, but my feet ached and made it impossible. I realized my error again when I gazed at my swollen face in the mirror. It's difficult to reach out to Bella once agai
Isabella~"Victor, please return my phone to me." I pleaded with him as he disconnected Xavier’s call on my phone. "Bella, don't request anything that I can't fulfill. You already broke your promise two times, first kissing him and second accompanying him to his hotel in his drunken state." Anger burns in Victor's eyes. "Please let me talk to him once; maybe he has to discuss something urgent with me." I know my request had no impact on him, but still, I tried to take my phone back. My heart yearned to speak with Xavier after the events of yesterday night. Victor forbade me from speaking to Xavier again after he discovered that I had helped him get to his hotel the previous evening, even though I had already forgiven him for his actions and understood that the events between us were a result of his intoxication. I didn't deliberately offend Victor, but after seeing Xavier’s vulnerable state, I can't hold myself from accompanying him to his hotel. He needed my help at that time, an
Bella, thank God you came here. I was trying to contact you last night. Upon opening my door, I was shocked to discover her standing outside my hotel room."Xavier, is it true that James William was your best friend in college?" Her question filled my gaze as she kept her eyes fixed on my face. Seeing doubt in her expression, my heart ached, but I suppressed my pain and invited her to the room."What would you like to have: tea or coffee?" I gathered my clothes from the couch to create space for her to sit comfortably, as memories of our happier times, fleeting and painful, flashed in my mind. Those days felt close yet irretrievably distant."Xavier, I am not here to see your hospitality; I want an answer to my question," she said, her tone filled with irritation. I felt a wave of regret and frustration. What had happened to make her so guarded? Why was she speaking to me like a stranger? I knew she still had feelings for me—her actions last night proved that. Otherwise, why would she
Isabella~"Are you certain you want to be a part of this case, Bella?" Victor questioned me once again as he stopped the car in front of the court."Hmm," I nodded, collecting my documents from the back seat. I focused on steadying my breathing. Despite Victor's insistence, I felt a heavy mix of dread and determination. I couldn’t waver now."You don't have to hurt yourself; you still have the option to withdraw from this case." He grasped my hand and studied my face with a worried expression."No, Victor. I've already made up my mind, and I won't back down in this situation." My voice remained firm, though inside I wavered. "I'm determined not to betray dad's trust at any cost." I opened the car door to get out."Don’t worry about Dad; I will talk to him. He won’t want you to fight this case at the cost of hurting yourself." His eyes were searching my face for signs of the deep-seated agony within me. I quickly averted my gaze, not wanting him to see the struggle I tried so hard to
Xavier~"Mr. William, the documents you sent are based on Chinese legislation, which is not found in the United States." The judge reviewed the document that James had presented to him and shared his thoughts on it."My lord, because my client was born in China and holds both Chinese and American citizenship, he has the full right to follow Chinese government regulations in the United States."We were all amazed by James' statement. Although I am aware of his talent as a lawyer, I never would have thought that he would go to such lengths to save Jordan Lucas from exacting revenge on me by defeating Bella in this case. I tried to caution Bella against pursuing this case, but she constructed such a strong defense that my warnings were ineffective."My Lord, no legislation says we should obey the laws of other countries just because the offender is a citizen of another nation. The fact that Mr. Lucas holds dual citizenship despite having a serious criminal record, which also constitutes
Isabella~"Let's go, Bella." I considered talking to Xavier immediately, but when I saw him with James, I decided against it. I wanted to ask him why he was treating me this way, but before I could ask him any questions, Victor asked me to leave the courtroom. I still stood at my place, frozen, and looked at Xavier with a question-filled gaze, but Victor’s firm grip on my hand indicated that he didn't want me to waste my time on Xavier anymore."Bella, please listen to me. You misunderstood me." His pleading tone forced my steps to halt, and I turned to look at his face. James was smiling mischievously, and Xavier's eyes looked at me with sadness. My heart briefly begged me to listen to Xavier, but as soon as I saw James' unceasing smile, I realized that this was all part of his shady scheme. "Once a cheater, always a cheater; now I have nothing to listen to." I tried to control my resentment, but James' smile only made me feel worse about the judge's decision."Let's go, darling." I
Xavier~"Bella, stop; you can't leave without answering my question." I blocked her path by spreading my arms in her way."Xavier, what are you doing? Let us go; it's already so late." She avoided my gaze and attempted to move my arm out of the way."No, first tell me how your son got this birthmark." I bowed my head and pointed toward Alan's right leg, dreadand a fierce curiosity boiling under my calm exterior."What birthmark are you referring to? There is no birthmark on his leg." Bella’s face paled after hearing me, her expression betraying shock."Bella, I am talking about this birthmark." I embraced Alan, showing Bella the spot on his leg, the same one that held me in agonizing suspicion."No, this is not a birthmark; it's a burning mark on his leg." She made an effort to seem calm in front of me, but her trembling voice and perspiration on her forehead told me otherwise. Her denial, paired with her reaction, only confirmed my worst fears."What are you trying to hide from me?"
Isabella~"What happened? Why did you apply the car brakes so abruptly?" I gave him a furious glare. Due to his sudden application of the brake, Alan and I narrowly avoided falling onto the car's floor. However, I managed to balance my body weight and prevent Alan's head from colliding with the driver's seat."What did you just say, Alan is five years old?" He gave me a suspicious glance, his expression quickly sharpening as realization seemed to dawn. I immediately realized my mistake, and fear washed over me. Why did I keep giving him reason to doubt me? Now, he would undoubtedly learn the truth. Oh no, I must do something—anything—to keep his suspicions at bay."Xavier, why did you insist on driving the car when your entire attention is constantly focused on me? Do you wish for us to be killed in an accident?" I shot back quickly, trying to cover up my slip-up. I immediately opened the door and got out of the car, hoping to shift his focus."What are you doing, Bella?" He sounded
Isabella~"What are you going to do now, Bella?" Xavier's eyes brimmed with curiosity. "I don't know, Xavier; I only have to win Victor's case by hook or crook." I sighed deeply and fixed my gaze on the laptop screen. My attention was drawn to my phone's buzzing sound. "Are you okay, Bella?" I heard James' anxious voice on the call. "Yeah, we are all right, but why did you sound so worried?" I asked him. "I watched the news on TV." After listening to him, I became aware of the impact this news had on my family. They had no idea what was going on here. "Don't worry about us, James; everything is OK." His worry is evident in the weight of his voice. "I feared we lost you both, Bella." I heard him sobbing. "It was part of my plan, James. I am well aware of Jordan Lucas' cruelty. That's why I have already moved out of that house. I don't want any of you to get into problems, so please don't contact me again." I cautioned him once more. "Bella, everyone is concerned about you and
Xavier~"What are you doing here, Bella?" I got up from my bed when I didn't find her in our bedroom. I looked for her in the kitchen but she's not there. Where has she gone on such a late night? I looked in the study room, the hall, the terrace, and the balcony, but she wasn't there. My worry increased about her even more when she did not receive her phone. She is so upset because of Jordan Lucas' case. He destroyed all the evidence of his crime, and the next court hearing is in one week. I am afraid that she didn't take any dangerous steps due to depression. "Xavier, why do you look so tense? Is everything okay?" She put her file inside and looked at me casually as if nothing had happened. Upon seeing her in the old file storage room, I felt a sense of relief. "What are you doing in this room?" I turned my face to look at that dirt-filled room with confusion. "Xavier, we were worried about the evidence, but we forgot that we had the hidden treasure in this house." She got up f
Isabella~"Bella, why are you so silent? You know I'm scared of your silence."Xavier stopped the car in front of our house and looked at me, concern evident in his eyes."I can't live in this house, Xavier. We have to find some other place to live," I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned to face him.His brows furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong with this house, Bella?""He will attack us at any time to remove us from his path. I don't want to take any risks." My heartbeat was still erratic from the near-fatal accident earlier. The image of the truck speeding toward us replayed in my mind like a nightmare.Xavier let out a frustrated sigh. "Sometimes I don't understand you, Bella. On one hand, you're so brave—boldly challenging Jordan Lucas, standing firm in court—and on the other, you're terrified of him?" He held my hand, searching my eyes for an answer.I tightened my grip on his fingers. "No, Xavier. I am not afraid of him. I am afraid of losing you." My voice cracked with emotion.
Xavier~"Bella, let's go." I held her hand and gestured for her to leave the courtroom."I will kill this man," she seethed, clenching her fist as she locked eyes with Andrew."Calm down. Avoid wasting your time on him." I held her wrist tightly, stopping her from following him."Xavier, you surprised me today. Why didn't you tell me about this proof before?" As we sat in the car, she arched a brow at me, suspicion flickering in her eyes."Bella, I didn't hide anything from you. I was also unaware of this evidence; it was a last-minute idea, and I'm pleased it succeeded." I shrugged my shoulders, watching her reaction."Xavier, what are you saying? How is this possible? I saw your confidence in the courtroom—no one could tell this was last-minute." Her eyes widened in disbelief."Mrs. Thompson, Andrew was the one who inspired me to provide this evidence." A small smirk played on my lips."Andrew? How?" She crossed her arms over her chest, demanding an explanation."My blood was boilin
Isabella~"My lord, Jordan Lucas, killed Victor Thompson and named it as an accident. He not only tried to fool the law but also he once again tried to play with people's feelings and emotions since Victor was not a normal citizen; he was a famous singer. Therefore, I ask that this court sentence Jordan Lucas to death and send him to prison." I stood up from my seat and initiated the opening statement for the defense. The judge listened to my statement and then looked at Andrew to begin the court procedure. "My lord, my colleague Veronica Luis, aka Mrs. Thompson completely forgot that this court is not working based on statements; it needs proof." After giving me a sarcastic glance, Andrew slumped back in his chair. "Prosecutor, provide evidence to support your assertion." The judge motioned for me to present the evidence. After glancing at Jordan Lucas' face, I turned to Xavier and asked him to present the evidence we had gathered. Andrew has already made me angry, so I'm finding
Xavier~"Oh my god, look who's here. The most wanted criminal couple." Andrew walked towards us and looked at us with a mocking-filled gaze. "Andrew, you have a misunderstanding; we didn't kill Alicia." I stopped Bella from explaining anything to him by squeezing her palm as she tried. I know that Jordan Lucas has poisoned his head so much that Andrew will not listen to us at all. "I don't require your lies; save your stories for court sessions." Andrew's venom is making the surroundings so suffocating. "Let's go, Bella; we will visit the place later." I signaled her to leave this place. "But Xavier, we have to inspect this place; we can't leave." Bella protested my decision, but I forcefully made her sit in the car. "You both will run away from the court in tomorrow's hearing." He chuckled darkly as he watched me maneuver my car. "Xavier, why do you always show cowardice and run away from everyone when you have to show courage?" Bella is fuming with anger at seeing me turn the
Isabella~"Isabella, what will we do now? He hated us and thought that we had killed his sister." Xavier's eyes filled with sadness as we watched Andrew leaving the house."Don't be sad. He will eventually discover the truth because it can not remain hidden for long," I comforted him by holding his hand.Victor's death had already shaken Xavier's confidence. He had faced continuous turmoil, and now seeing Andrew—who was once like a younger brother—standing against him shattered him completely. Jordan had poisoned Andrew's mind so much that he didn't even want to listen to us.James, from now on, my family's responsibility is yours. I turned toward James, my eyes pleading with him to protect them in my absence."Don't worry about them, Bella. I will protect them more than my own life," James reassured me."Mama, when will you come to live with us?" Alan's innocent voice tugged at my heart as he waved his tiny hand from the car window."Mama will be here shortly, so don't miss me," I fo
Xavier~"When did he become a lawyer, Bella?" I stared incredulously at the TV screen. "Xavier, I don't have any idea about it." In response, she shrugged her shoulders. When she sees Andrew as Jordan Lucas's defense attorney, she is similarly astounded. "Don't worry about him right now, Xavier. We'll figure this out shortly, but for now, we need to put our family first. They need our support." She grasped my hand and motioned for me to rise from the hospital bench as soon as she saw Dad leaving the doctor's office. "Why were they doing my CT scan while I was perfectly well, Xavier?" Dad cast a wary glance at the doctor. "It was merely a routine checkup, so don't be afraid, Dad." My heart became even heavier after seeing his pitiful condition. "Xavier, I am perfectly fine; please ask this nurse to not put an injection in my body." He holds my hand like a child. Observing his actions now, I comprehend the profound impact Victor's death has had on his mental health. "Dad, don't wo
Isabella~"Mrs. Thompson, you seem to enjoy messing with me, huh?" Jordan grinned as he glanced at the envelope. "Of course, I like to teach a good lesson to those who always take the wrong path to achieve their goals." I glared at him while crossing my arms over my chest. "Alright, then I am ready to accept your challenge. Since your husband has previously lost a case against me, you might also try your luck." His voice carries a mixture of shock and anger. "Jordan, history doesn't repeat itself; occasionally, new events occur to establish a fresh milestone." My heart was blazing with anger as I gazed at him. Upon discovering the details of Victor's accident, I felt a surge of anger. I never expected him to kill Victor so brutally. "Are you okay, Bella?" Xavier approached me as soon as Jordan Lucas left the cemetery. "Yes, I'm all right." I nodded my head. Xavier was examining my body as if I had returned from a war. "Bella, let's go home.: My dad came to me and caressed my ha