Some people were so hypocritical to the point of playing two characters so flawlessly at once. In Vaughn's case, one was the kind and loving husband who would do anything for his wife, while the other was the heartless psychopath who cared about no one else except himself.While having breakfast that morning, Bella found it hard to suppress her emotions. The fear and anger from yesterday would always resurface whenever her husband looked at her with false, gentle eyes or even kissed her. She would always recall the multiple times he had hit her, hurt her badly to the point of being hospitalized.Did this man not have a conscience? Was there no self-guilt? How could he live with himself knowing that he was putting on an act? He clearly didn't love her, so why insist on leading her into thinking he did? Why couldn't he let her go?"Eat some more, you've lost a bit of weight these past few days," Vaughn said softly. He put some more pancakes on her plate and even offered to make her some
Seeing the horrified look on her face, Damien chuckled. "I was just joking."Bella sighed in relief. Knowing how love-struck she had been in the past, she wouldn’t have doubted if she’d actually said something like that. She and Damien used to be good friends before she met Vaughn. He would always tease her like this. At one point, everyone thought they were dating, but then his demon cousin showed up, and the rest was history."Don’t say things like that; I actually believed you just now. Who would commit suicide by choking on a bar of soap?" The idea was ludicrous.Damien looked at her deeply. Seeing her like this, he was almost tempted to bring up the time she’d nearly dyed her hair blonde and gotten tattoos around her belly button just because she’d heard a rumor that Vaughn was into that aesthetic.This woman had done a lot of foolish things in her life for the love of a man. Damien had gone from seeing her as a genuine friend to thinking she was crazy; he had even been disgusted
"Can I make love to you? It’s been a while since we last did it, don’t you agree, baby?"Bella finally couldn't hold back a reaction. Her entire body tensed, and she looked at Vaughn with wide, stunned eyes. "What?"Vaughn smiled and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. His movements were graceful and very delicate, and his voice was filled with patience as he explained, "We don’t have to, of course, but I just feel it’s been a while. I... I miss how beautiful you look under me. I want to hear those sweet moans of yours again."Let it be said that Vaughn might be a man with a high libido, but the only time they’d had sex was during the first few days of their marriage, back when they had gone on a honeymoon in the Maldives. Even then, he had insisted on using protection. The sex had been great for her, but it felt like her husband wasn’t that into it.Since then, they’d only exchanged kisses, and even that had grown very rare over the passing years. Bella would have probably found
Bella wasn't aware that Vaughn had already started suspecting her. At the moment, she was just glad that she wouldn't have to deal with that hypocrite anymore.Feeling worn out from the day's events, she stripped off her clothes and got under her sheets. It didn’t take long before she fell asleep.When she woke up the next morning, she got dressed and made herself some breakfast. She took a taxi to school; Vaughn had offered to get her a private car, but she had turned him down, afraid he would just use the opportunity to plant a spy by her side.While sitting in the car, she browsed through her phone. She had some text messages from Vaughn and her parents, all asking her to take care of herself. What caught her attention, however, was a text message from an unknown number.“Your husband isn’t as loyal as you think.”Those words put her in a trance—they sounded very familiar. She realized it was the same text message she had received that day at the hotel, the one that had made her co
Bella didn't go home immediately after seeing Eliza off; her mind was filled with thoughts about whether to take what the woman had said seriously. She didn't think Eliza was lying to her about this matter; the other woman had seemed sincere.So why would Jessica say they weren’t biological sisters? Had she only said it to convince Eliza to help her out? Did her words hold any truth?Bella wasn’t naive. She had long noticed the lack of resemblance between herself and Jessica. While most might consider her attractive, when compared to her blonde bombshell of a sister, she dulled in comparison. But she never thought much about it, as her dad had dark hair, so she figured she had inherited her brunette looks from him.Her childhood had been good; her parents had been loving and supportive, and she'd never had a reason to complain. She and Jessica had been treated equally and raised with so much love. So how could they not be biological sisters? It didn’t make sense!The thought of being
The day goes by in a blur. Bella can't seem to focus on any of her classes, not when her mind is a jumbled mess. She flops badly in her dance classes, even more than usual, and the displeased look the teacher gives her is enough to make her want to crawl into a hole and die. But persist she did, urgently wanting to get this awful day done and over with. After leaving the dance studio, she finds a spot under a shady tree to sit. She scrolls through her phone but only sees text messages from Vaughn and her parents, who are still convinced they can get her to return to Vaughn's mansion in New York to keep him company. Bella thinks she'd rather crawl into the deepest part of hell than return to that place, which brings back so many torturous memories. She replies to Vaughn's messages to avoid appearing suspicious. She ignores her parents, not wanting to indulge them further. The only highlight of her day is when she goes to see Damien. Maybe the pop star knew she would be in a bad mood
"You know him?" Damien was surprised, seeing the two of them bickering with familiarity.Bella huffed, "It’s just a coincidence. I met him at the park... that day..."She didn’t need to emphasize which day she meant; Damien understood. He still felt guilty for not being there to accompany her, but he knew that some things she needed to face alone. It was the only way she could identify who was truly with or against her.The stranger glanced between the crybaby and Damien, sensing a hint of intimacy between them. The way they seemed to communicate through mere eye contact was irritating. He couldn’t deny he had a peculiar interest in the woman; she was fierce and seemed to share his interests. Forced here by his brother on behalf of the company, he figured he might as well enjoy himself."The name’s Silas, Silas Walker. I’m sure you’ve heard of me. Even if you haven’t, I’m not offended. We can still go somewhere private and get to know each other," he flirted shamelessly, unfazed by th
For someone like Silas, who had grown up with an overindulgent brother and a workaholic father who used money to solve problems, he’d never once been verbally disciplined. Now, he’d suddenly received a shoe to the face. He was so stunned that he couldn’t react for a long time.When he did, it seemed he didn’t feel anger in the end. He chuckled and wiped his face. Wow, fierce women were really the best. "Okay, don’t be angry. I didn’t mean it maliciously."Bella didn’t even want to acknowledge the man anymore. His thinking aligned with Vaughn’s. As expected, most men raised in wealthy families seemed to grow up with the mindset that they could get whatever they wanted with money."I still have things to do, so I’ll go first." She said her goodbyes to Damien and left.Silas watched her retreating figure, his eyes falling on her slim waist and voluptuous backside, hugged by the short dress she wore. He said to Damien, "How about you give me her number?""She is a married woman.""Huh?" T
Jessica's life had never been more challenging than it was at this moment. Don’t get her wrong; she’d always wanted her sister to get divorced, but what’s the point of that anymore when Vaughn didn’t even give her a second look? She’d never seen the man so obsessed before.The news of the divorce had taken the world by storm. Many people were in disbelief as Vaughn and Bella were viewed as the perfect couple. They’d been seen together acting all loved-up, and now they were separating?While Bella seemed to have disappeared completely from the public eye, Vaughn, unfortunately, was left to deal with the aftermath of the divorce. The paparazzi followed him like a second shadow. The blinding flash of their cameras and the inappropriate questions they threw at him pissed him off to no end. At this point, he might just work directly from home.But even while at home, there were still some people who came to bother him from time to time. Damien blamed him for his split with Bella, like Vaug
Bella met with the lawyer the next day. He was a middle-aged man who had been working with the Walker family for almost a decade. According to Ethan, he was one of the best lawyers money could buy."Ms. Page, you need to understand, if you insist on not filing for domestic violence, you'll likely end up with very little after the divorce. Your husband has such a good reputation in the public eye. Also, since you filed for the divorce, he has more advantage in this case.""It doesn't matter. I didn’t want anything to begin with. I want a smooth parting if that's possible."The man hummed in understanding. "We'll still have to meet up with your husband's lawyer. Your husband has asked that you speak to him in person.""Fine. Where?" Vaughn was probably going to try to convince her not to go through with the divorce. However, her mind was made up. If he came all the way to China for that, then she'd like to see the disappointment on his face when she rejected him. Also, she had some thin
Her words didn't garner the reaction she had been expecting. Her father and brother looked like they had anticipated her saying this."I have a lawyer ready. In two days, all arrangements to go to court will be concluded," Ethan said, assuring his daughter with a soft smile.He was usually a detached person who rarely showed such emotions. Ever since the tragedy years ago, he’d felt as though he had lost his reason to wake up every day with a smile. But now, with his daughter back, he vowed to honor his deceased wife by being a good and supportive father.Bella was surprised. She hadn’t expected Ethan to have already found a lawyer for her. She wondered if Damien had told him about the divorce earlier. Either way, she still felt uneasy about having to ask for their help.“I… thank you. You didn’t have to do this for me, but I’m grateful.”“This is what we must do. You are the daughter of the Walker family, and nobody is allowed to get away with bullying you.”“We’ll easily amass half
Bella's mouth fell open. She wanted to curse but couldn’t find it in her to utter even a single word. She felt completely drained. Jess took her silence as submission, and with one last hateful glare, she stormed out of the house, slamming the door hard behind her.Bella slowly rose to her feet and walked to her bedroom to strip off her clothes. Mindlessly, she walked into the bathroom to shower. Even the hot water didn’t manage to calm her down. Today was turning out to be one of the worst days of her life, and that was saying a lot, considering she had had a lot of bad luck in the past few years.She didn’t sleep a wink that night. Whenever she closed her eyes, even for a moment, her mind quickly flashed back to Damien and the conversation they’d had earlier. Bella wasn’t frightened by Jessica’s threat. At this point, she didn’t think her life could get any worse. But the fact that the woman was pregnant couldn’t be ignored. And Damien had so ruthlessly lied to her face for weeks. T
Bella blinked, startled. "Your... sister is Jess?" It was hard to imagine that the stubborn girl Dylan talked so fondly about was none other than Jessica—the woman who clung annoyingly to Bella's lover. "That's a surprise. I don't see any resemblance.""Yeah, she takes after our mom. Lucky her. By the way, are you familiar with Jess?""Well, not that much. She hangs out with Damien a lot, so we've met a couple of times." Bella tried not to let the bitter jealousy seep into her voice. She wasn’t sure if she pulled it off because Dylan was looking at her with those attentive eyes that seemed to see right through her very soul. She turned her gaze away, afraid that if she kept looking at him any longer, he might see how much bitterness she was masking."Didn't think they were back together."Back together? What the hell did that even mean? Her eyes darted back to him so quickly she went dizzy for a moment. "What?""You know, the guy I was telling you my sister's been dating—the rich boy.
'What am I doing? 'Bella thought to herself as Vaughn's kisses trailed to her neck, his fingers slowly working the loose ends of her dress. He had never kissed her like this before—slow and loving, almost as if he thought she would slip out of his grasp at any moment."Vaughn..." Her words were cut off when his lips pressed against hers once more. He backed her against the sofa, his fingers slipping through her dress to caress soft skin. Things were escalating so quickly that Bella feared if she didn’t do something now, she might not get the chance in a few more minutes."Vaughn!" Her trembling hands came up to push her husband's chest.The billionaire pulled back with a small frown, but he didn’t give her the distance she so desperately needed."What’s the matter?""I don’t want to do this!""Come on, it’s just sex. We’ve had sex before, remember...?""It’s not just sex! It’s sex with a man who literally betrayed and destroyed my life! I’d be crazy to let this happen!""Your body...
And damn, that revelation made him anxious. Vaughn prided himself on his ability to manipulate others; he was a businessman, after all. With money, he could get whatever and whoever he wanted. But now... even with half his fortune on the line, billions of dollars laid on the table, just begging to be taken, his woman didn't even glance at it a second time.Was I that much of a monster?Vaughn wasn't the kind of asshole who lied to himself—he knew he wasn't a good person. And honestly, he'd never cared before. Good people didn't get what they wanted. Just look at Bella—kind, gentle, and good—yet she was stuck with a monster like him. Goodness made people stupid; it made them ignore all other signs and signals. It was what made her marry him, despite the fact that he hadn't exactly hidden his flaws back then. She must have noticed how he got around her sister—the inappropriate touches must have been obvious. But she believed he was good enough not to break her heart. That was her mistak
Damien has been acting weird lately. On the days they are together, he clings to Bella like a second shadow, and on other days, he seems to disappear off the surface of the Earth, not even leaving her a text to ease her anxiety. Bella worries, but she knows better than to push things at this point. He is a busy man as well; it's understandable.She attends her horrible classes and spends her leisure time dreaming of freedom—of a divorce. Vaughn doesn’t contact her either, thank God for that. She saw on the news that he was cooperating with Eric's company on a project. How totally bizarre was that? Two businessmen who hated each other’s guts working together? It sounded too unreal.At this point, Dylan Snow seemed to be the only normal aspect of her life. They hung out once in a while, and their friendship was proving to be a wall she could lean on.“Hey, how are you?”Bella cringed, not even needing to look back to know who it was. Silas Walker, the latest thorn in her flesh. She didn
"I want to see him! I'm not leaving unless I do!"The secretary felt her irritation soar higher with this woman's behavior. She'd worked in the company for only a few weeks after the boss's last secretary had quit her job all of a sudden. She couldn't understand, for the life of her, why someone would want to give up a job working for America's most generous billionaire. The pay was good, and the boss was kind and easy to deal with.But there were some days when the middle-aged woman was tempted to bang her head on her desk. And it was all because of this blonde bitch. She knew who Jessica Page was—a famous model and sister-in-law to Mr. McCoy. Though Martha had never met the boss's wife in person, she'd heard from her coworkers that the woman was kind and down-to-earth. Her sister, on the other hand, was a bitch! She thought being related to Mr. McCoy meant she could treat his staff disrespectfully."Ms. Page, please understand that the boss is currently busy with work. If you have a