CHAPTER FOUR

ISABELLA’S POV

I walked to the table where Carlos and Adrian sat and carried the first glass cup my hand touched and drank the content, but I hissed when I felt the burning sensation in my throat as I gulped the content.

Gosh, it was vodka. Who serves Vodka at a restaurant?

I could have sworn I saw Adrain suppress his laughter. But Carlos, on the other hand, was chuckling.

“I won’t work for you, Adrian. Not after what I did to you. I know you will make my life a living hell for me if I do,” I said and walked out of the restaurant without looking back.

I boarded a taxi and returned home. I thought that if I was well rested, then I could think of something.

I wondered what would become of Daniel if I couldn’t bail him out. When I had gone to see him in the station, I could tell he regretted his actions.

This was all too much for me; I couldn’t think properly, and I wasn’t sure what the right thing was anymore.

Reaching our house, I saw a man who looked like a bodyguard standing by the gate. But I decided to ignore him, thinking that maybe he was waiting for someone.

“Miss, you are not allowed to go in." The man in a black suit walked towards me and tried to keep me from walking any further to the house.

“Why not?” I asked even though I knew why already.

But that wasn’t going to deter me. Adrian couldn’t break me. I wasn't going to let him.

“Miss, this house is on sale, and no one is allowed to go in.” The man in black said, and I frowned.

The house was already on sale? I sighed and facepalmed, feeling utterly frustrated.

I tried to plead with the man for almost an hour, and when I realized he was true to his words, I had no choice but to board a taxi and go to my friend's house.

******

Reaching Ella’s house, I rang the doorbell.

Tears were dried on my face, and my nose was red from all the crying. The door swung open, and Ella widened her eyes as she saw me.

“Oh my goodness! What happened to you?” She stared at me confused and suddenly pulled me in.

“He is back,” I whispered in between sobs. I just wished all these were nightmares and they would go away.

“Who is back?” She asked, more confused.

It was one thing to see me upset but it was another to see me cry, and I knew this must have startled Ella. Because I rarely did what I was doing now.

“Adrian,” I whispered his name as though I dreaded it.

The name that I had always loved to call, the name that I had always loved how it sounded, but now it was like a poison.

“How? When? Where?” She questioned, and when she caught the gloss of tears in my eyes, she pulled me in for a hug.

I sobbed silently into her chest. After a while, my sobs subsided, and I pulled away from the hug and wiped my tears.

“We are losing the house,” I muttered in a cracked voice.

“I am lost here. Come have a seat and tell me exactly what is going on.” She gently pulled me into the living room and offered me a cup of water.

When I was done drinking, I placed the cup on the table while Ella kept on shooting questioning glances at me.

“Daniel gambled the company away and everything we’ve owned to Adrian,” I blurted out, and Ella gasped.

“So this is how you met him,” she stated.

“Not really,” I muttered and began to narrate my ordeal to her.

I didn’t want to bother Ella about my problems, but I just had. I needed someone to confide in.

The last time I had made her worried was when Adrian left, but Ella was the only person who stood by me because she knew Adrian was my first love.

“I don’t know what to do, Ella,” I cried out.

“Take the deal. Work for him,” she said as though it were nothing.

I snapped my head abruptly in her direction. After what happened, she still expected me to work for him?

“No, I won’t. I can’t do that,” I said.

“Oh my God, Bella! Stop being so stubborn!! You still love Adrian, and ever since he left, you’ve been a shadow of yourself. Take the goddamn deal and get some fucking closure!” She persisted.

“No! Goodness! I can’t believe you would suggest such a thing. I was the reason he was hospitalized for over a month, remember? And to top it all, I broke his heart.” I tried to remind her.

“And you didn't know that would happen!! You were scared of Jax!” She exclaimed.

“Fine. This isn’t about your history with him. This is about getting a roof over your head. Do not get me wrong, you are always welcome here, baby girl, but what about Daniel?” She asked.

At the mention of his name, I realized I couldn’t be selfish. I needed to get him out of jail, and we needed the little we could get.

“I guess it’s time to start thinking with my head and not my heart.” I picked my bag from the couch and stood, “I’m going to him now. I'll hit you up later, best,” I said and quickly exited the house, heading to meet Adrian and hoping he would still be at the restaurant.

********

ADRIAN’S POV

My phone began to ring, and it was the security man I stationed in front of Bella’s house who was calling me, so I picked up the call.

“Boss, she just left.” The security, who was told to watch over the house, told me when Bella left the vicinity.

“Okay. Just keep me posted,” I replied and then hung up.

My thoughts drifted to the diner when I had seen Bella. If only she had apologized and accepted the wrong she did, I would have forgiven her, but she didn’t and made it look like it was my fault.

The other day we met, and I said I wouldn't forgive her; I was just bluffing. I wanted her to persist and apologize, but she didn't.

“Why are we still here?” Carlos asked me.

“Because we are waiting for Bella to come running back to us. She will be here soon, give or take, an hour.” I smiled and downed the last drop of the Vodka I was taking.

“I just hope you know what you are doing.” Carlos grumbled.

I knew Carlos didn’t like the way things had turned and how I was handling it. But I wanted to make Bella understand something.

My phone pinged, which made me glance at my phone quickly, and a smile lit on my face as I glanced at my phone screen.

“She’s here,” I grinned.

“I will leave you to it, lover boy,” Carlos teased as he rose from his seat earning a scoff from me.

He paused, then turned, “Don't do anything rash. You and I know you still love her,” he warned and then walked away.

Did I still love Bella, Yes. But was I willing to easily forgive her for what she did to me, No. It was a love-hate feeling.

The moment I caught sight of Bella's beautiful face, my phone began ringing. When I checked the caller I saw it was Carlos who just left here.

While Bella was sitting in front of me, I picked Carlos call wondering why he was calling when he just left here.

“We have a problem,” Carlos said the moment I picked up the call making me frown.

“What problem?”