Chapter SixtyAlthough Max continuously used sweet words to coax Bella, what she wanted was not to hear empty words of consolation like this; nevertheless, Max's words were truly soothing to her ears. Clearly, Bella was Max's wife, but when someone else spoke ill of his wife, he didn't react with anger or annoyance. Instead, he simply comforted Bella, advising her not to think too much and reassuring her that Pearl had no bad intentions.Bella secretly smiled sarcastically, of course, Max and Pearl were not simply superiors and subordinates, they had unclear and very emotional relationships with each other."I also think Pearl means no harm. It seems that she's been feeling upset lately, so she said those things to me... But..." Bella spoke while looking up at Max with watery, sparkling eyes, causing Max to stare at her, unable to look away.Max asked, "But what?""I'm not sure if I should tell you this. Perhaps not, but Pearl's words really confused and puzzled me... Does she really
Chapter Sixty-OneThough not strong, the slap was enough to leave Pearl's fair, beautiful face tingling and flushed. Her hair, too, was disheveled by the slap, leaving Pearl looking disheveled and pitiful."You hit me? You dare to hit me? Just because of Bella's words, you come here without warning to hit me? Max, are you crazy? Why would you hit me? What did I do wrong for you to hit me?" Pearl looked at the man in front of her incredulously, anger and screams rising in her throat. She couldn't believe he dared to hit her.Throughout their time together, Max had always pampered and treated her like a queen. Whatever she wanted, he would give her. Though their relationship could only exist in secrecy and could never be revealed to others. Pearl knew Max had a wife, and that wife was her close friend, but it didn't affect Pearl's feelings or thoughts because both Max's marriage and Pearl's friendship were orchestrated by both parties.In the end, it was just the plan they had devised f
Chapter Sixty-TwoClosing the door behind her, Bella could finally breathe a sigh of relief. She slumped to the floor, running her hands through her hair."Ha... I didn't expect Max to come back... I almost..." Bella couldn't help but feel flustered, her face flushing with embarrassment from the recent events.After finishing her work and not finding Max at home, Bella assumed her husband had gone to be with Pearl again. Nonetheless, during dinner, she noticed his troubled and uneasy expression, clearly showing his anxiety upon hearing what she had to say.As usual, Bella had thought Max would spend the night outside. However, at this point, her husband's frequent overnight stays were no longer a source of discomfort and anxiety for her. But Max had barely left when Levi arrived.It seemed he knew exactly when her husband wasn't around to come over. Initially, Bella thought it was just a coincidence, but there were too many coincidences like this to ignore....One hour earlier,"Why
Chapter Sixty-ThreeBella lay on the bed, her mind consumed with thoughts of her husband's relationship with Pearl. She couldn't understand why, but she found herself wanting them to be together more and more. When Max wasn't home, Bella felt much more at ease. She didn't have to play the role of the obedient and loving wife, nor did she have to pretend ignorance about her husband's infidelity.Initially, Bella felt anger and resentment, but now she and Levi were also in a secretive relationship, much like Max and Pearl. Perhaps that's why Bella no longer felt resentment. Although she didn't want to harbor any special feelings for Levi, over time, she found herself involuntarily comparing him to her husband."If I compare them like this, the difference is too great," Bella muttered softly. If she were to weigh the two men, Levi would triumph in every aspect, from appearance to social status, and even in terms of his wealth, which far exceeded Max's.If Max and Levi hadn't been high sc
Chapter Sixty-FourRarely did Bella receive an acknowledgment from her husband, but he did recognize that what she did primarily helped him conveniently obtain that suburban plot from Levi. Bella just chuckled awkwardly without saying anything.Max continued, "We've been married for almost four years now. Soon, we'll be celebrating our four-year wedding anniversary.""You're right. We've been married for almost four years... and before getting married, we were together, so it's been about five or six years altogether," Bella laughed softly, her gentle gaze fixed on the man in front of her.Max nodded in agreement happily.The atmosphere between them was incredibly sweet and romantic, with the tender affection from his wife making Max start to feel warm. Even though Bella hadn't changed her clothes and was still wearing her office attire, she exuded a captivating and sophisticated charm.Taking a sip of wine, Bella then looked straight at Max. "Max, do you love me?"Without a moment's
Chapter Sixty-Five"... That's right, men are the most easily changeable creatures in the world. And the sign that they are gradually changing is when they begin to show indifference to something they used to care about and love very much... Ah, don't mind my words. I think it's because Max no longer cares as much about his career and work as before. You know, Max's mind was always focused solely on work, but now he's paying more attention to me." Bella smiled very naturally.Then, without waiting for Pearl to reply, Bella quickly said she was sleepy and wanted to go to bed, then immediately hung up. Watching the screen go black, Bella smirked; perhaps her words had made Pearl realize something. Pearl was a smart and sharp woman; she would definitely pick up on something in Bella's words. But as long as Bella pretended that she only mentioned it casually, Pearl would have no reason to doubt her."You should understand Max better than me, Pearl," Bella murmured, unable to help but laug
Chapter Sixty-SixPearl pursed her lips and held onto Max’s hand tightly, unable to let go. She had never experienced such pain and helplessness to the point of being unable to do anything. For the future that Max spoke of, despite her discomfort, Pearl had to accept silently standing in the shadows behind Max.After hearing what Bella said, Pearl couldn't sleep. She didn't doubt that Bella might have noticed something between her and Max. Because in Pearl's eyes, Bella was just an inherently foolish and extremely weak person. But Max was different; Pearl felt that Max, the man who had been by her side for so many years, was gradually changing in both thoughts and emotions.“Don't you trust me? Pearl, we've been together for so long, if I were going to abandon you, I wouldn't have waited until now. You should understand that. Now, quickly book a flight and return first; if you stay here, Bella will find out,” Max said. He wanted Pearl to leave quickly because he knew that her presence
Chapter Sixty-SevenIf this place wasn't crowded, Bella would definitely shout loudly and curse the pervert taking advantage of the opportunity to misbehave with her.Bella tightly gripped his hand, wanting to remove his grip, but the more she tightened her hold on Levi's hand, the tighter his grip became on one of her buttocks, causing her to turn pale from the pain. Given his strength, it was certain he would leave five fingerprint marks on her buttocks."Levi! Let go of my butt right now! Do you think I won't dare scream?" Bella spoke through gritted teeth, but she didn't dare raise her voice for fear of drawing the attention of those around her.But Bella suddenly realized that Levi had pulled her to a deeper area and further away from the people around. While Bella was unsure what the man behind her intended to do, whether he was simply retaliating because she had angered him earlier or was merely teasing her.Bella was startled to feel something hard as a rock poking at her butt
Chapter Ninety-Two"She insulted me, and you're just brushing it off?" Pearl wanted a few comforting words from him, but his indifference left her deeply dissatisfied.Max didn't look at her; he focused on his documents. With a sigh, he said, "Enough. Tonight, join me and Bella for dinner at this restaurant. She really wants you to come. She considers you her best friend, yet you treat her this way. Don't you feel guilty towards Bella?""WHAT? Max… what are you talking about? You're asking if I feel guilty towards Bella? Are you crazy? Why should I feel guilty towards her?" Pearl was furious at Max's words, unable to comprehend how he could say such things.They had been secretly involved behind Bella's back for years, even before Max and Bella got married. Together, they planned to take over Bella's father's company and intentionally made it impossible for Bella to conceive. Everything that had happened was a joint effort between Pearl and Max, not just her alone, yet now Max made it
Chapter Ninety-OneAfter the health check-up that day, the person most anxious and eagerly awaiting the results was Pearl, even though she had nothing to do with the health check-up. In contrast, Max seemed almost indifferent to it and showed clear annoyance whenever Pearl brought up the subject."Can you stop it already? I know what I need to do. Stop nagging about it all the time. Don't you find it annoying? If you have so much free time, you should focus on your own work. You know very well that the salary you receive every month is too high compared to the effort you put into your job," Max snapped irritably. He was growing increasingly fed up with this woman. Who was she to demand that he listen to her?Too troublesome!Pearl immediately retorted, "Why are you yelling at me? What did I do wrong by asking you to do this? You regretting it now? Don't forget, there's no turning back for us anymore."Of course, Max understood Pearl's words better than anyone, but he deliberately pret
Chapter Ninety (1)The Previous Night…The party had come to an end, with most of the guests having left, leaving only the staff to clean up. Max was so drunk that he was no longer conscious, and slumped over the food table despite the waitstaff's attempts to rouse him."Sir? The party is over...""Just continue with your work. He's my friend; I'll take him home," Levi said, raising an eyebrow at Max, who was asleep on the table.The male staff member immediately bowed, "Yes, sir."Levi called two bodyguards to help Max into the car. The driver was surprised, seeing his master allow someone else into the car besides Ms. Bella, moreover a drunken man.As the driver was about to take orders from Levi, he said, "I'll drive him home."In the car, it was just Levi and Max. Max was completely unconscious, sleeping in the back seat, unaware that Levi was taking him home.Seeing Max's sleeping form in the rearview mirror, Levi couldn't help but smirk. "Perhaps after tonight, I'll have to get
Chapter NinetyMax wanted to relive the sensation of last night, but he couldn’t remember anything at all—not even a blurry image in his mind. This made him even more regretful and unwilling to accept that he had made love to his wife while being completely unconscious.Just as he was about to touch Bella's chest, she gently pushed him away and spoke in a tired and somewhat coquettish tone, “Last night was enough. I can't continue anymore. Besides, you were so drunk last night that you had no control, and now I’m extremely tired and have no energy left.”Hearing his wife’s words, Max felt both happy and confused. He didn’t know how to feel about what Bella said because he couldn’t remember experiencing any of it. Did they really make love? But he couldn’t doubt her since the love marks on Bella's neck and chest, along with her exhausted state, were clear evidence of how crazy their last night had been.Seeing Max standing there lost in thought, Bella pouted and asked, “What are you th
Chapter Eighty-NineAfter Levi left the company, Pearl was extremely upset in the office. It was the first time she had been ignored and shown disdain by a man.As soon as Max returned to the office, Pearl clung to his arm and said coquettishly, "Max..."Before Pearl could finish her sentence, Max gently pushed her away and sighed, "How could you be so rude, Pearl? You can address me however you want in the company, but Levi is not just my friend; he's an important client. Thanks to him, I've been able to secure many successful projects.""I... I didn't mean to, I just thought since he's your friend, he's also my friend. I just wanted to be friendly and create a harmonious atmosphere. He didn't need to be so harsh with me." Pearl pouted, feeling she did nothing wrong, thinking Levi was being too strict and arrogant.Max didn't want to continue this topic but felt the need to make Pearl understand. "Are you delusional? Levi is your friend? Do you think you're on the same level as him?
Chapter Eighty-EightMr. James seemed to sense the unusual nature of his daughter's marriage clearly. Rarely seeing his daughter and son-in-law, and knowing that Bella did not want him to interfere in her small family to ensure her happiness and her right to decide her own fate, he had complied with her wishes.However, when Bella mentioned that she had been experiencing abdominal pain to the point of bleeding and yet Max showed no concern, Mr. James found it hard to accept such indifference.“Tell me, what’s going on between you and Max?” Mr. James tried to suppress his discomfort as he spoke to his daughter.Bella, of course, wanted to tell her father everything, but it wasn’t the right time. She simply smiled lightly and said, “Nothing is wrong, Dad. Don’t worry too much, I will handle everything myself.”“You? Handle everything yourself? Bella, I respected you and gave you the full right to make your own decisions and didn’t interfere. But look at this, married for four years and
Chapter Eighty-SevenThe atmosphere in the room began to feel strange, and Bella was confused by his question."Are you asking about the nature of our relationship? What are you talking about? Of course, our relationship is mutually beneficial. You help me get revenge on them, and in return, I fulfill your sexual needs." Bella said casually because it was the truth, an obvious truth. She didn't understand what Levi was implying.Levi didn't show any particular reaction as if he had already guessed Bella would respond that way. He sighed softly."But I feel that in this relationship… I'm not getting any benefits."Bella didn't understand, but she knew his words carried a hidden meaning. She frowned slightly, "What do you mean? Speak clearly, you’re not someone who likes to be vague."Levi's gaze was cold and dangerous. Bella couldn't look into his eyes for too long, so she took a sip of tea to calm herself. She didn't know why Levi was angry, but since she needed his help now, she coul
Chapter Eighty-SixBella worked, but her mood was restless and anxious. She kept glancing at her phone, waiting in worry and unease, but also full of anticipation and hope. Lauriel, sitting next to her, chuckled softly."Are you waiting for your boyfriend to call? You really know how to choose a boyfriend. He's not only handsome and tall, but he also seems very wealthy... like someone with high social status. Bella, tell me, which prestigious family does your boyfriend belong to? He doesn't seem like an ordinary salaried worker like us."Lauriel spoke with admiration in her eyes, not just for Bella's exceptionally attractive boyfriend but also because she had heard that the man had paid all of Bella's hospital bills, wanted to transfer her to a private room, and ensured she received special care. This level of attention wasn't something an ordinary man could afford, everyone knows that hospital fees are not cheap, and hospital services are extremely expensive.Bella knew Lauriel had
Chapter Eighty-Five"Miss Bella... please stay in the hospital for another day or two until your health is fully recovered. You are leaving right after waking up will-" The doctor said worriedly.Bella waved her hand, cutting him off, "I know, but I feel much better already. I have things to do and can’t stay here any longer."Hearing this, the doctor continued to advise Bella to stay for further examinations. Bella raised an eyebrow and said, "You don’t need to worry. I’ll rest well at home, so there’s no need to stay in the hospital.""But if you leave now, what am I supposed to tell Mr. Karter?" the doctor murmured. However, he couldn’t stop Bella if she wanted to be discharged.Since there were only the two of them in the room, Bella heard him clearly. She shrugged and said, "I’ll tell Levi later."Though she didn’t show any special emotion outwardly, Bella felt extremely uneasy inside. When Levi left the room, she had the quiet space to think more carefully about the unusual thin