Ring-Ring-Ring...
The shrill ringing of the phone pierced the thick silence that had settled in the villa. Still curled up on the floor, Bella snapped out of her daze and reached into her bag, her fingers fumbling for the phone. Glancing at the screen, she saw Willow’s name flashing. She quickly wiped her tears, trying to steady her voice. "Hello?" she answered hoarsely.
"Bella, I’m heading to my hometown," Willow’s voice came through, sharp with urgency. "There is an issue at the fashion house. It’s a bit of a mess."
Bella sat up straighter, concern filling her chest. "What’s going on, Willow? Is everything okay?"
"It’s a long story," Willow replied, clearly flustered. "I’ll explain later, but I really need to go. I hope you can handle things at the office while I’m gone."
"Of course, don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of everything here. Just focus on handling things back home."
"Thanks, Bella. I knew I could rely on you. I have to go now."
"Wait..." Before Bella could say further, the line went dead. Staring down at the phone in her hand, Bella frowned. "It seems she doesn’t know about Grandpa."
She wondered why Theodore hadn’t informed Willow yet Letting out a sigh, she shrugged off the concern.
"It’s good for her. She seems disturbed."
Bella pushed herself up from the floor, her muscles aching from sitting too long. She needed to clear her mind and freshen up. Maybe later, she could find the strength to talk to Theodore again and explain everything.
At the hospital...
Claudia entered the room to find Theodore sitting beside the bed, his forehead resting against his grandfather’s hand. The scene was heartwarming, symbolizing how much Theodore cared about his grandfather. The sight increased her determination to make him feel guilty and turn him against Bella.
"Theodore, you need to reconsider your relationship with Bella," Claudia started with feigned concern, taking a step closer to him.
Theodore stiffened slightly at her voice. He lifted his head and straightened his back, casting a glance at her over his shoulder.
"She is not loyal to you," Claudia pressed on, her tone sharper now. "She approached you with a plan in mind. She and that man, Zack – they are scheming together. You need to end it before she ruins you."
Theodore silently clenched his jaw, a storm brewing behind his calm exterior. Theodore wasn’t blind—he knew exactly what Claudia was trying to do. He no longer had any doubt that Claudia had planned the whole thing to make it look like Bella had cheated on him.
She was the one who had caused his grandfather’s heart attack. If she had not shown Malcolm those photographs and instigated him, he wouldn’t have been in this condition. But she put the blame on Bella.
"I wouldn’t be surprised if the baby she lost wasn’t even yours."
This was the bottom line Claudia had touched. Theodore’s restraint shattered. Fury ignited in his eyes as he shot up from his chair, his sudden movement startling Claudia. "That’s enough!" he snarled. "Just because I’ve been quiet doesn’t mean I’ll let you say whatever you want." The fire of his anger smoldered in his eyes. "I won’t let you or anyone else humiliate Bella like this."
Claudia was stunned, momentarily at a loss for words. She had thought she had finally driven a wedge between them, that the photographs were undeniable proof of Bella’s betrayal. But Theodore’s unwavering belief in Bella left her shaken. How could that be possible? Weren’t those photographs enough to prove her infidelity? 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
"Why can’t you see she is deceiving you? She is..."
"One more word, I’ll throw you out of here," Theodore threatened her, his expression turning dangerous.
Claudia froze, stunned by the intensity in his eyes. She could see her plan was crumbling before her.
"I know Bella better than you do," Theodore grumbled. "A woman who risked her life, who took a knife for me, could never betray me. She’s loyal to me. And these?"
He glanced down at the scattered photographs, contempt filling his gaze as he bent down to scoop them up. "These? These mean nothing to me. Yes, she knew Zack long before me, but their relationship is strictly professional."
He took a menacing step toward her. The fire in his eyes made Claudia cower, and her legs moved back instinctively.
"I know exactly what you’re doing, Claudia. You’re trying to tear us apart, but it won’t work. Bella is my wife, the woman I love, and I’ll never leave her."
The icy resolve in his voice sent a chill down Claudia’s spine. She had underestimated the depth of Theodore’s love for Bella. She realized this was not going to work like this. She had to play her trump card.
"Humph!" she snorted. "You’re so sure of yourself. But your grandpa," she emphasized the word with a sharp smile, "he believes Bella has cheated. He hates her now, Theodore. He wants you to leave her. How are you going to change his mind?"
The smug look on her face fueled his rage further. "He is my grandpa," Theodore asserted. "I’ll make him understand the truth. When he wakes up, I’ll explain everything. He’ll believe me."
"Really?" Claudia raised her eyebrows, her lips twisting into a mocking grin. She pulled out her phone and scrolled with calculated precision. "Then how do you plan to explain this to him?"
She held the phone in front of Theodore, her smug expression daring him to react.
Theodore’s face lost its color as a video played before him. His heart pounded in his chest, cold dread creeping through his veins. He had been very cautious that no one found out about what had happened that stormy night. But here Claudia had the video of him assaulting O’Neil.
He snatched the phone from her and watched the video in shock. "How? How did you get this?"
Claudia’s lips twisted into a victorious smirk. She savored the moment, watching Theodore’s fear. "Oh, Theodore," she drawled. "We both know we’re not fond of each other. And I’ve been waiting for this moment for what feels like forever. Watching you squirm, seeing the terror in your eyes... it’s delicious."
She paused, reveling in the power she now held. "I wanted to see you broken. Begging for mercy. And now, it’s happening."
"You’ve been following me!" Theodore spat through gritted teeth, his anger barely contained.
Claudia’s eyes lit up with cruel delight. "Yes," she confirmed. "And look at the result! Can you imagine what will happen when your precious grandfather sees this video? I think it would be enough to give him his third heart attack. And this time, he won’t survive."
"You!" Theodore growled. "You are threatening me!" He held the phone up, eyes blazing. "This is what you’re using to blackmail me?"
Theodore hurled the phone to the ground, his boot crashing down on it with savage force. The screen shattered beneath his heel, bits of glass and metal scattering across the floor.
"It’s gone," he sneered, stepping back from the wreckage. "All of it, destroyed."
Claudia frowned as she looked down at the broken pieces of her phone. She was frustrated. She had all the important contacts on that phone, but it was okay. Compared to what she achieved, it was nothing.
When she looked up at him again, a smirk played on her lips. "Oh, Theodore, you are so naïve. Do you think you have destroyed the video by breaking my phone? How adorably foolish of you."
She took a step closer, her eyes gleaming as she leaned over to him slightly. "That video? It’s just a copy, darling. I have backups, and you destroying my phone changes nothing."
Her voice was laced with malicious glee, and Theodore’s expression darkened. She wasn’t bluffing, and he knew it.
"The original video is stored safely—beyond your reach. And dear," she patted his shoulder mockingly, "I can show it to your grandfather whenever I choose. Just imagine what will happen when he learns you murdered someone."
She stepped back, a smug smile spreading across her face. "He’ll drop dead from the shock, and your precious Bella? She’ll leave you in an instant. Why would she want anything to do with a murderer? The woman you adore will look at you with nothing but disgust."
Theodore’s blood boiled with anger, but a chill of fear crept into his heart. He couldn’t bear the thought of Bella hating him, of his grandfather suffering from the knowledge of his dark secret. He staggered back, the ground beneath him feeling unsteady. He had to keep this video hidden at all costs.
The fear in his eyes made her even more confident. "And let’s not forget—if I hand this over to the police, you’ll be locked away in no time," she added with a sinister smile.
Theodore glared at her, fully aware of her machinations. If he ended up in jail, she would swoop in, seizing control of the family fortune and business. Despite the precariousness of his situation, he refused to let her win.
He wasn’t someone who would simply roll over and accept defeat; he was determined to fight back.
"What do you want?" he asked, his tone cold, his eyes even colder.
Claudia smiled with satisfaction. She had been waiting for this moment. "I want you to divorce Bella and marry Gina," she demanded.
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