Chapter 217 Take Back My Love for You

It took about two hours for Bella to adjust the design according to Nick’s taste. She altered the designs several times before they finally settled on something that pleased him.

“Seems okay,” said Nick. “Let’s call it a day.”

“Thanks,” said Bella.

“I will wire the money to your account tonight,” said Nick.

“Let me know if there is anything else that you need to change and I will do it,” said Bella.

“All right. I hope this time I’ll be able to reach you on your mobile phone.”

Charles had not changed position all the time. He kept standing in the middle of the room and made sure that Bella would not touch Nick. His behavior was giving both of them the creeps but they had decided early on to ignore him while they were busy with the task.

Bella stood up and turned around to face Charles.

“Time to go,” she said to her driver.

“You forgot something,” said Nick.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about your laptop.”

“It’s your laptop and now that I’ve finished the task I’m returning it to you.”

“What if I need any last moment adjustments? How are you going to do them?”

Bella was at a loss to give him a response.

“Better take it with you,” said Nick.

“What if she doesn’t want your stupid laptop? I’m going to give her a better one,” said Charles, his cold eyes gazing at Nick in a provocative manner.

“Show some respect. I didn’t let you walk in my company so that I can listen to your insults,” said Nick in a cool manner.

He couldn’t let Charles behave like that in his own office. If it wasn’t for Charles, Nick would still be the Guarding Deity of the Sea Kingdom and he would be able to travel freely between the land and the sea. Now he lived in exile and could never return to the underwater kingdom. He also detested Charles for the way he treated Bella. Even though he had another woman, he never left Bella alone.  

Bella didn’t want to see a fight breaking between the two of them. She decided it was best to take the laptop with her. After all, Nick was right. How could she make final adjustments to the project if Nick came up with some new idea?

Under Charles intense gaze, she closed the laptop and put it in its case. Nick with his hands in her pockets gazed at her with some sort of contempt.

“I want to ask you a question, Bella. Do you enjoy being Charles’s mistress?”

“Who said I’m his mistress?”

She flashed in front of his eyes the twenty-karat diamond ring she was wearing.

“I’m his wife! Please don’t call me a mistress ever again. I hate that expression.”

Ever since her father’s mistress had kicked her mother out of the house, Bella hated that word. She never was a mistress and never would become one.

Nick raised his hands in an apologetic manner. He didn’t know what to say to Bella. He could only watch her as she pushed Charles out of the way to rush out of the office. Unable to understand what was wrong with Bella, Charles shrugged his shoulders.

“You’re the reason she feels so humiliated,” said Nick.

“You do your business and let me do mine.”

“Fair enough,” said Nick.

Charles rushed out of the office and went after Bella. He found her sobbing silently in the back seat of the limo. He tried to get in the back seat with her but she pushed him out. The only thing left for him to do was to go to the driver’s seat and take her back to the Williams Mansion.

He started the engine and drove off. At first, they remained silent and both gazed ahead. But they could both feel there was a storm shimmering under the surface. It was only a matter of minutes before the lid would burst open.

Bella broke the silence first.

“Are we going to get on with the process? I want to be done with it as soon as possible?”

“You mean the artificial insemination? Elsa believes it will never work. If a baby is born with artificial means, it won’t be able to qualify as my true heir.”

“You’re telling me this now?”

“I didn’t know until recently.”

“What happens next?”

Bella now feared that she would lose everything and her mother’s treatment would be terminated. Everything that Charles had agreed on would be null if there was no test-tube baby.

“I think there is another way.”

“What is it?”

“We can have kids the proper way and become a proper family.”

“No way. I don’t even love you.”

His foot pressed the brake pedal and the car suddenly came to a halt. Bella was thrust forward but before she hit her head on the front seat, Charles’s had stopped her mid-air.

By the way, he was looking at her, he was furious. Yet he had stopped her from smashing her face.

“I thought you loved me,” he said.

“I did too. But I don’t love you any longer. I take back my love for you.”