The bustling bar was alive with muted chatter and clinking glasses, but in that moment, time seemed to slow for Bella and Diane. Diane leaned in, her eyes wide with shock and curiosity as she wiped a glass with exaggerated care.
"Spill the tea, girl," Diane demanded, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm as she gestured toward Bella, who sat across the counter, cheeks flushed with a mix of excitement and nervousness.
Bella hesitated, then finally forced out, "Well, I finally did it."
Diane's eyebrows shot up. "Did what?"
A shy, sheepish smile crept across Bella's face. "Did it with Josef."
Diane froze mid-cleaning, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. "What?! You? What happened to strictly no sex before marriage?!"
Bella's face fell, guilt washing over her like a tidal wave. "Well..." she trailed off, biting her lip. "We got drunk, and I wanted it. It just happened."
Diane raised an suspicious eyebrow, arms crossing over her chest. "Wait. Did he know he was your first?"
Bella's expression flickered with uncertainty. "Umm, I told him I'd never done it before, but... he kept bragging about how I wouldn't forget it. Oh my God!"
Diane's eyes widened further. "What?"
"Would he even know if it was my first?" Bella whispered, voice trembling. "I mean... would he then know that I was a different person?"
They both stared at each other in silent realization, the weight of unspoken fears hanging between them.
Bella's eyes widened in horror. "Fuck. Is that why he left me alone this morning?" she whispered, voice trembling with dread.
Diane's face paled. "Okay, this is bad."
Bella's mind spun, trying to piece together the fragments of her fragmented memory. "Wait... I remember him calling me Mira last night," she stammered, voice cracking.
Diane's eyes widened in shock. "Now, that is worse."
If Bella hadn't been so drunk, she might have left right then. That name—Mira—had a weight, a meaning that felt like a trap closing around her chest.
Suddenly, the shrill ring of the phone shattered the tense silence, slicing through their dread like a knife. Bella's hand trembled as she reached out, hesitating before answering.
"Hello?" she managed, voice barely above a whisper.
There was a pause on the other end, then a quiet, cold voice that made Bella's blood run cold.
The call ended abruptly, leaving Bella frozen in place. Her spirit almost left her body, her knees buckling as she clutched the phone.
"I have to go," she muttered desperately.
-----
Bella's eyes darted to the suitcase at her feet, its familiar shape feeling suddenly alien. It was all she could do to keep her trembling hands from dropping it. The sleek black cars parked outside looked like ominous sentinels—visitors, she told herself. But why was her suitcase here? Am I being kicked out? Her thoughts spiraled into chaos, anxiety clawing at her chest.
She stepped cautiously into the vast living room, where the air was thick with unspoken judgment. Madame Ana and Josef's grandmother, sat rigidly in her chair, her eyes narrowing with disdain as she saw Bella.
"Look, who's still here..." Madame Ana drawled, her voice dripping with disgust.
Mrs. Harlington, Josef's grandmother, sat nearby, her face blank, her gaze fixed on her tea, ignoring Bella entirely.
Bella's stomach twisted. She looked around desperately, searching for Josef—her heartbeat pounding in her ears—until she spotted him on the veranda, standing beside a woman whose presence was like a breeze of elegance and danger. Her hair and dress fluttered with the wind, her posture graceful and effortless.
A cold shiver ran down Bella's spine, her anxiety mounting—something ominous was coming, she could feel it.
A staff member called her before with a hurried tone. "Miss, you need to go home. You're about to be asked to leave." The words hit Bella like a punch. Her knees felt weak.
"Josef..." she called softly, voice trembling.
Madame Ana's voice cut through the air sharply. "Josef... she is here."
Josef turned his head slowly, stepping out of the veranda with a look of surprise—almost guilt.
"Mirabella... why are you... here?" His voice sounded distant, unfamiliar, as if he barely recognized her.
Bella's heart sank. She swallowed the hurt that threatened to spill over. Had he forgotten? Had their night meant nothing?
Before she could respond, the woman from the veranda approached gracefully, extending her hand with a gentle smile.
"Hi, you must be Mirabella," she said softly, her voice like a melody.
Bella hesitated, then reached out, her fingers trembling as she accepted the hand.
Her skin was flawless—white as porcelain, perfectly manicured nails painted in a delicate shade. When she looked up, Bella was struck by her face—symmetrical, almost divine, like a goddess from her Greek myth books. Her eyes were round and luminous, her nose refined, lips plump and red—a picture of effortless perfection. Her hair looked like it had been styled in a salon every day, cascading in glossy waves.
Despite her beauty, Bella's heart clenched painfully. She felt painfully out of place—dressed in her simple shirt, jeans, and sneakers—clothing that seemed so mundane compared to the goddess standing before her.
"And you are...?" Bella asked, trying to hide the insecurity trembling in her voice.
The woman's smile widened, revealing perfect teeth. "I'm Elena. Josef's fiancée."
The words echoed in Bella's mind like a thunderclap. Fiancée. The word felt like a blade twisting inside her.
Josef's eyes flicked between Bella and Elena, a flicker of something unreadable passing in his gaze.
---
"Fi—fiancé?" Bella muttered almost in a whisper, her voice trembling.
Josef was about to speak when his mother stepped between them, her presence commanding.
"Yes. You heard that right," Madame Anna declared sharply. "You are not supposed to exist anymore. You left, remember?"
Bella's eyes darted to Josef, her gaze full of accusation.
"No," Bella thought bitterly. "I agree. I am not supposed to be here. It was your son who dragged me back."
Madame Ana's fingers pointed accusingly at Bella, her voice rising.
"It was Elena who helped my son stand after you dragged his name through the mud. They were to marry at the end of the year. But... you shameless woman, what are you doing back here?!"
Josef quickly caught his mother's wrist, pushing her hand aside. His tone turned commanding.
"Stop it. Both of you. I said, I can handle this from here."
It was more an order than a request.
Mrs. Harlington, surprised by Josef's firm tone, rose abruptly, tea still in her hand. In a flash, the hot liquid splashed across Bella's shirt.
Before anyone could speak, Mrs. Harlington's piercing gaze swept across the room, her voice cold and threatening.
"We won't leave until this trash of a woman disappears."
A staff member hurried over, handing Bella a towel. The heat was a small comfort compared to the tension thickening the air.
"You promised to end your ties with her, Josef," Mrs. Harlington hissed. "Why is she living here? Have you considered Elena's feelings? Or how we feel about this?"
Her voice trembled with anger.
Josef's jaw tightened. "I can't—yet..."
"Why not?" Mrs. Harlington pressed, voice rising. "A hundred million dollars is nothing. Just let her rot in prison. Why are you keeping her? You're getting married!"
She caught her breath, visibly shaken. Elena quickly moved to her side, offering comfort.
"Don't worry, Grandma," Elena whispered softly. "We'll fix this. Don't overwork yourself."
Madame Ana turned sharply toward Bella, her expression hardening.
"We're willing to forego the hundred million dollars you stole from us," she said coldly. "Just... disappear."
With that, she pushed Bella.
Bella steadied herself, looked directly at Josef, and finally found her voice.
"Okay. A hundred million dollars for my silence and disappearance? I'll take it. You heard that, Josef—my debt is settled."
Despite the weight lifting from her shoulders, a pang gnawed at her—the ache of losing Josef, whom—perhaps—she had finally begun to open her heart to.