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
Xavier~What the hell is she doing? How could she flirt with him?My body boiled with rage when I saw the screenshot of James' chat with Bella that he shared with me. Every word between them hit me like a fresh wound, a constant reminder of how far she had moved away from me. I was scrolling through Bella's Facebook feed, eager to learn more about Alan, with the burning need to unearth the truth, igniting my every move. Learning that Alan was five years old deepened my suspicion that he was my son, yet with each realization came an ache I could barely endure. Every look, every habit Alan had reminded me of the boy I’d longed to raise. I planned to question her about Alan's exact age, but her anger compelled me to leave her car. How could I hold back when I felt the truth so close—yet every sign from her pushed me further from the answers I needed?What was the source of her anger? I now understand that this was a ploy to divert my attention. I was disappointed when I didn't find an
Xavier~"Please don't give me to the police. I'll tell you everything." That boy held my hand and pleaded with me, desperation dripping from every word."Tell me the truth, or I will report you to the police." I threatened him again. Although I was thankful for him saving my life, my mind was filled with doubts after seeing him living in this deserted place. Because of the unexpected flood, the government had strictly forbidden people from residing close to the river. Those who disobeyed faced severe penalties and fines for violating the regulation."Tell me, what’s your connection with Jordan Lucas?" Seeing his quietness, I threatened him once again."Jordan Lucas?" He gave me a perplexed expression, genuinely confused."Don't lie. I know he sent you here to keep your eye on us." I narrowed my eyes and gave him a doubtful glance, every nerve on edge."Sir, I don't have any idea who you’re talking about. I’m a student doing my research on submarine life." He quickly handed me his iden
Isabella~The cold water felt like an ointment to my burned skin, but soon I found myself flowing with the river's current. My hands felt numb in the chilly water as I attempted to swim against the stream. I had trouble breathing as water began to fill my nose. I looked around in search of Xavier, but I was unable to find him in the violent current.My body was still in shock from witnessing the car blast. I had never been this close to death before—never felt it breathe against my neck the way it did now. I made every attempt to locate the riverbank so that I could escape the current, but I was unable to do so since my hands and feet were not functioning properly.I heard the roar of the rushing water grow louder, and my swimming became more desperate. I was about to plunge into the waterfall ahead if I didn't exit the river's grip. This river would plummet vertically off the edge. If I didn't get out now, I would tumble down the cliff and that would be the end.I fought the river wi
Xavier~“Bella, what did you do? I am now sure he will not show any mercy to us.” Jordan Lucas' threats rattled my body. His eyes blazed with anger and retaliation. The moment he saw us in the court, he was fuming with anger. I am well aware of Jordan Lucas' nature. Once he decides something, he will not back out of it, no matter how far he has to go to achieve the desired outcome.“Bella, why did you discuss another case in this court when we already have difficulty handling Victor's murder case?” I looked at her with a complaint-filled gaze. I am well aware that she is not doing anything wrong, but I don't think messing with Jordan Lucas in every situation is a good idea.“Xavier, I didn't have any choice at that time. Can't you see how Andrew argued with us in today’s court session? He is one step ahead of us. He came here well prepared, and we would have lost this case in today's hearing if I hadn't diverted the court's attention to the recent crimes of Jordan Lucas.” She sits on
Isabella~“My lord, Jordan Lucas not only killed Victor Thompson but he also killed two of my staff by burning them alive. He not only took the lives of those two innocent people but he also burned my costly property.” I turned to look at Jordan Lucas with hate-filled eyes. Now he has to pay a high price for his sins. I waited for the perfect opportunity to enter the court so that I could see this fear-filled expression on his face. When I saw Jordan Lucas, I felt retaliation and rage in every cell of my body. How could he burn those two innocent individuals so viciously? I saw no trace of regret in his eyes. His brutality went beyond all bounds.“Objection, my lord, Mrs. Thompson is trying to mislead the case. She is attempting to squander the court's valuable time by involving my client in her latest baseless charges, even though we are here to discuss Victor's case.” Andrew rose from his seat and gave me a furious glare.“Andrew is correct, Mrs. Thompson; your statements seemed un
Xavier~"Bella, what are we going to find in this dusty area?" I looked at her with confusion. The house was covered with black dust. A shiver ran down my spine as I saw the state of the house. We would have been buried under the ground by now if we hadn't left this house on time. I am afraid of losing Bella while trying to send Jordan Lucas to jail."Take off your shoes and don't touch anything in the home, Xavier." She handed me the gloves after removing them from her suitcase."What are you saying, Bella? How am I supposed to remove my shoes on this dusty floor?" I gave her a perplexed look."Xavier, do what I am saying."I removed my shoes and shook my head in disappointment when I saw her demanding gaze. "Bella, please stop using the magnifying glass; we are not detectives." She took the magnifying glass out of her bag and then began to look at the burned items available in the house.I don't understand what new hobby she developed as a detective. She carries everything with he
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