Chapter 158 Sea of Hatred

The mournful tears running down his cheeks clouded his view of the road. He rubbed them with his fingers and a fiery orange glare almost blinded him. It turned out to be the sunlight shining through the window.

An unexpected sense of tranquility overcame his entire inner world. If it weren’t for his red eyes, nobody could guess he was crying. The gentle look on his face was now almost identical to his brother’s at the castle. He enjoyed being Edwin’s substitute and living his life but he had to take into consideration what would happen when his brother’s health would deteriorate even further.

Now he had to move fast. His brother had told him that Bell's blood had no problem for the next three months. He would have to speed up the procedure so that Bell could get out of danger as soon as possible.

Bella didn’t own a computer, so there was no way for her to work from her home. That evening, she took a shower and decided to go to bed but she couldn’t stop thinking of Charles and Katherine. In such a condition, it was impossible for her to sleep so she pulled a book about design art from the shelf and began reading. This was able to pull her mind off her problems.

At about half past twelve she felt her eyes closing and laid aside the thick volume. Just a second before she was going to fall asleep, someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Roy! I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

Bella got up and opened the door.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“Our Lord wants to invite you to his study room.”

“Why does he want me to go to the study room? To be hit by another bullet?”

She swore to herself that if there were another gun battle she wouldn’t block the bullets this time. He didn’t deserve such treatment.

“Lady, please forgive me. I’m just following orders.”

Bella came back to herself and responded with a low voice. “Wait a moment. I need to put on my robe.”

After Katherine had fallen asleep, Charles returned to the main villa. What Bella didn't know at the moment was that Charles waited outside her door for a long time. He put his ear against the wall and tried to imagine what she was doing.

Within the space of half an hour, her hair fell over her forehead four times. She raised it with her hand three times; on the fourth, she used a hairpin to fasten the hair in a bun.

During the same period she clicked on her pen ten times, she coughed twice, and touched her shoulder thrice. Every time she put her hand on her shoulder, he would feel a sudden pain in the chest as if he was having a panic attack.

He didn't know for how long he remained at the same spot. It was not until Ziv came to inform his that there was an emergency to deal with, that he went back to the study.

The so-called urgent matter was about the recent deaths of a large number of high-class sea residents. He had to look into this right away. As King of the Sea, it was his duty to protect every lifeform in the ocean.

Charles read the file Ziv gave him and noticed that all the evidence pointed to Devenport Research Institute, a new biological laboratory that had emerged in recent years. Thanks to the Royal Academy of Vancouver Island, it had now received recognition as the highest organization of its kind.

“We need to look into this Devenport Research Institute as soon as possible,” said Charles.

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Tomorrow maybe?”

Ziv hesitated a while before he gave his reply. 

“My Lord, it’s the fifteenth tomorrow.”

On this date, the King of the Sea needed to return to the sea. For the first time in his royal career, he found himself wanting to neglect his duties for the sake of Bella’s safety. How could he return to the ocean when her life was in grave danger?

“Come on in,” said Charles when Bella knocked on the door.

She stepped in a reluctant manner. Her eyes scanned the room for any traces of last night’s violent incident of which, there were none.

“Is there any specific reason you asked me here?” asked Bella while she stood in front of his desk.

Charles motioned her to sit down. Bella was a little tired so she didn't decline his offer. With one move of her arm, she pulled the chair and sat down.

“Tomorrow night I won’t be home, but you have to come back as usual.” For some reason his voice sounded somehow weak.

“All right,” she said.

“You got to promise me that you won’t get in any sort of fight with Katherine.” Charles was talking in the same way a father would talk to his kids.

“If there is going to be trouble with Katherine you can bet that I’m not that one that’s going to start it,” she said with a smile.

“I don’t think Katherine is that kind of person.”

Bella lowered her head, and her lips twitched with a heavy self-deprecation. “But you think that I am such a person.”

“You have the uncanny ability to make people angry,” Charles said sternly shaking his finger up and down at her. “Have you ever wondered how come you often make me angry but Katherine never does?”

“That's because you ask too much from me.”

“Bell...” The tone in Charles voice had suddenly changed.

Bella looked up at him. “It’s better to call me by my full name. We are not too close to each other to justify you calling me Bell.”

The fact that this cold-blooded and ruthless bastard was talking to her in such an intimate tone, made her sick.

The only thing she succeeded with those last words was to make him angrier.

“Have you forgotten that we slept together and exchanged many words of pure love?” he said with a large dose of sarcasm in his voice. He stood up put his hands on the desk and leaned over her. 

Bella’s face turned red and a light flashed in her eyes while her body began to shake.

She didn’t know yet whether it was out of excitement or anger.

“It’s true that I love you, but that doesn’t mean I like to be insulted.”

She jumped up from her seat and wiped the tears from her eyes. The sudden move brought a sharp pain on her wounded shoulder.

“Ah!” she cried out.

Charles strode to her side and grabbed her from the arm. 

“Bell, there is something I need to tell you.”

“Stop calling me that way. It makes me feel so awkward.”

Charles raised his eyebrows while Bella stared at him in a brutally honest manner.