The next day...
When Bella arrived at the office, Olivia appeared at her desk and informed her that Zack wanted to see her urgently.
Bella’s stomach churned. A vivid memory of Zack’s confession flickered in her mind, leaving a cold dread in its wake. "Why does he want to meet me so urgently?" she managed, apprehension tightening her throat.
"Who knows? I’m just the lowly messenger," Olivia said disdainfully. "You are the hotshot now with the bossman’s favor. How would I know what he has to talk to you?"
The barb hit its mark. Bella knew Olivia had been waiting for a chance to retaliate. She wouldn’t want to meddle with her. It wasn’t worth the energy to engage. Without a word, she pushed back from her chair and went straight to the CEO’s office.
The hallway seemed longer than usual, and her heart pounded in her chest as she wondered why he had called her so urgently.
Finally, she arrived at his office. Her knuckles rapped a nervous rhythm against the dark oak door.
A curt "Come in" boomed from within.
Bella pushed the door open, stepping into a room heavy with anticipation.
Zack sat in his seat, a photograph clutching in his hand. He looked up at her, a smile splitting his face. But there was an undercurrent disdain beneath that smile.
"Bella..." he drawled. "Tell me, do you truly believe your husband loves you?" he asked.
Bella’s mind scrambled. Why would he ask such a thing? Drawing herself up, she met his gaze head-on. "Of course he does," she declared, her voice firm despite the tremor in her hands.
"Humph!" A humorless snort escaped Zack’s lips. With a dramatic flourish, he slammed the photograph down on the table. "Take a look at it. Your husband is cheating on you."
Cheating!
Bella’s mind reeled, wondering if Theodore had really cheated on her. Numbness crept through Bella as she reached for the picture. She lifted it, her gaze falling upon the image.
The shock was immediate. Her jaw fell apart in shock.
The photo depicted Joe, arms wrapped tightly around Bridget, outside the hospital. The photo might have been taken when Joe came to pick up Bridget. A chilling realization dawned on her.
Zack had completely misunderstood. He had been following Joe, mistaking him for her husband. The initial shock morphed into a fiery rage.
She turned the photo toward him and asked sharply, "Do you think this is my husband?"
Zack’s expression faltered for a moment, confusion flickering in his eyes. His carefully constructed smile crumbled at the edges.
Did he misunderstand something? But how?
He had seen Bella clearly with the man on the motorcycle. Was she playing him for a fool again? His jaw clenched, and his expression hardened.
"Don’t try to fool me!" he growled. "I saw you with that man! And judging by the way you held him, it’s clear he is your husband. A cheating one at that!"
The accusation stung. A surge of fresh anger flickered in her heart.
"Mr. Hubard! This is Joe...Joe Miller, my best friend Bridget’s husband." She pointed a sharp finger at the photo, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts. "The woman in the photo is his wife."
"What?" Zack scowled, disbelief etching deep lines on his face. He lunged across the desk, snatching the photo from her grasp. He studied it intently, blinking in confusion. "That’s his wife! But... you were smiling with him."
Bella sighed with exasperation, crossing her arms across her chest. "Joe isn’t just Bridget’s husband," she explained, "he is like a brother to me. He took me into his rented house and helped me when there was no one for me. They are the only family I have after my mother."
Zack’s face contorted with a mix of confusion and frustration. He examined the photo again, trying to reconcile his initial assumptions with Bella’s explanation.
Zack couldn’t believe he had made such a terrible blunder. His shoulders slumped in defeat. He had thought he would help her get rid of a cheating husband and had been happy to think that he would finally get the chance to win her. But after knowing that he had actually misunderstood the whole situation, he felt terrible. All his happiness and enthusiasm vanished.
"Then who is your husband?" The question tumbled from his lips before he could stop it.
Bella’s response was a hiss, laced with a fury hotter than he had ever witnessed from her. "None of your business," she spat. "Please, Mr. Hudson, don’t meddle with my personal life. You are my boss, and let’s be professional. I have a husband, and you’re engaged to Miss Hill. If she finds out you are interested in me, she will be upset and target me. I prefer working in a peaceful environment, not under constant threats."
Hearing her words, Zack understood all those hardships she had endured in the workplace were because of Ivy. Perhaps, Ivy had been scheming to hurt Bella all the time.
As Bella turned to leave, a surge of desperation gripped him. He lunged forward, cutting off her path.
"What did you mean by that?" he demanded frantically. He grabbed her hands desperately. "Don’t hesitate. Tell me the truth. I’ll make her pay for any trouble she has caused."
"Please, sir..." Bella recoiled, pulling her hands free. "You are making things difficult for me. If you continue like this, I won’t be able to continue working here."
The threat of her resignation hit him like a physical blow. Zack stepped back instantly, his heart lurching. "No, please, don’t say that," he blurted. "I won’t... I won’t overstep again. I apologize."
Bella shot him one last cutting look, her eyes blazing with a potent mix of anger and frustration, before storming out of the office.
Zack stood alone, the weight of his mistake pressing down on him. He had messed up badly. A dull ache bloomed in his chest.
He had lost Rose, bringing disaster to his life. He had even tied himself to an unwanted relationship. Bella was his hope to get out of this relationship. She was the one person who could potentially salvage his happiness.
Zack couldn’t let her go. He had to find a way to win her heart. And first of all, he needed to find out who Bella’s husband was.
A steely glint hardened his gaze. "Bella is mine," he muttered, "mine alone." A dangerous resolve settled over him. He would find a way to remove this unseen husband from the equation.
He believed he would win her heart slowly once he made her his.
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