Isabella~"Bella, is everything all right between you and Xavier?" The next morning, Victor came into my room before breakfast. "Yes, absolutely." After hearing his query, the memories of last night flashed before my eyes, but I decided to keep quiet because I didn't want to talk to anyone about our private issues. Xavier's forced kiss has deeply hurt me, yet I choose not to express it through my behavior. "I noticed that Xavier is upset from last night, so I thought that something happened between you two." He fixed his gaze on my face as if he were trying to see the lie hidden in my calm face. "Perhaps the case is stressing him out." I combed my hair and then tied it into a tidy bun. "Maybe you are right; let me drop you off at your office. I'm headed towards your office today." When he saw my car keys in my hand, he offered me a ride in his car. "No, I will manage; I have an important meeting with a client." I grabbed my purse from the side table and headed down the stairs.
Xavier~"Bella, we should leave now before he comes here and catches us red-handed." What does that mean? Where are they exactly? Before I could ask him any questions, I heard James' voice on the call, which surprised me. The call disconnected, and after that, he did not receive my call. Bella did not receive my call either. Hearing James' voice makes it very evident that they are now together and concealing something from me. What, though, were they hiding?I can't believe that Bella can hide something from me; I am sure she will tell me the whole story when she returns home. I tried to ignore the negative thoughts that were racing through my mind, but I couldn't help but feel frustrated due to my strong suspicions about the developing relationship between Bella and James.I begged her to forgive me last night, but she was not willing to talk or listen to me. Was my mistake so severe that she couldn't forgive me? She belongs to me, so what’s the big deal if I kiss her? I tried to st
Isabella~"Bella, we should leave now." After Xavier left for his court hearing, James called me."Give me five minutes; I’ll be there." I immediately jumped out of my bed and walked out of the house. Fortunately, Dad left early for urgent work; otherwise, I would have had to respond to his pointed inquiries before I could leave."Let’s go," I said, opening the car door and seating myself in the passenger seat."Bella, what’s all this?" James asked, puzzled, gazing at the dark circles under my eyes and my disheveled hair. "I pretended to Xavier that I was sick, but to make my lie seem more realistic, I had to maintain this appearance." I shrugged my shoulders and took out a comb from my bag."Bella, please improve your appearance; I’m scared seeing you like this," James teased."Stop mocking me and focus on driving," I replied, punching him lightly on the shoulder.Today is an extraordinary day for Xavier, and I wanted to be with him. However, after discovering that yellow file, u
Xavier~"My lord, I would like to summon John Woods to the witness box." I fixed my coat and asked the judge for permission to allow me to interrogate John Woods."Permission granted." The judge gestured to me to call John and looked at me with a hope-filled expression."John Woods, how long have you known Victor Thompson?" I questioned him as soon as he stood in the witness box."For the last three years." He hesitatingly replied after seeing Victor.Victor's eyes brimmed with pain and embarrassment as he scrutinized John's face. John's deceit profoundly wounded him. He conceals a wide range of emotions behind his composed exterior. Because I have personally experienced deceit, pain, remorse, fear, and embarrassment, I can truly relate to Victor's plight."Were you already married or in a relationship when you met Victor?" I kept my composure to conceal my anxiety, but beneath it all was the pressure to win this case and establish my worth."Yes, I was married at that time." John gav
Isabella~"Xavier, I am so happy for you." As soon as he came out of the courtroom, I hugged him happily."What are you doing here, Isabella? You were sick, right?" He broke the hug and looked at me with suspicion."Sorry, I lied to you." I nervously rubbed my back, determined to tell him the truth."Hmm, I can understand now; you don't want to accompany me because you want to hang out with your new friend, right?" His voice became resentful, the sharp tone cutting through my defenses."Xavier, what are you talking about?" I looked at his face with confusion, feeling the weight of his mistrust sinking in."James William, weren’t you with him?" He gave me a raised eyebrow, his doubtful eyes piercing my heart."Yes, I was with him, not because I wanted to hang out with him, but for other reasons." I tried to clarify his misunderstanding, feeling the urgency to make him understand."I don’t want to hear any more excuses, Isabella. I already saw what you were doing with him in his car." H
Xavier~"Where is Bella? Don’t you bring Bella with you?" Dad questioned me when I reached home."She has some important work; she will come later." I lied to him because I didn’t want to tell him the truth.The truth is, after seeing her photograph, I became so angry with her that I didn’t want to talk to her. How could she so confidently lie to me? Is this her way of exacting revenge on me? She deceived me in the past by lying about her relationship with Victor, and now she is attempting to deceive me once more by hanging out with James."Bella, why did you come so late? Where have you been busy today?" When I heard Dad’s voice, I turned to face the hall’s entrance."I missed my taxi, Dad." She entered the hall. There was no trace of sorrow or guilt on her face."Taxi? However, Xavier told me that you didn’t accompany him home because you had an urgent job to complete." He gave her a suspicious glance before turning to face me.I bowed my head to shield my face from his suspicious g
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
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
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