The man was impeccably dressed and radiated an aura of wealth.
Joe had never seen a sophisticated man like him entering this apartment building. He eyed the stranger with confusion.
"Yes?" he asked; his gaze seemed to question the man’s very presence in this humble abode.
Theodore adjusted his tie and asked, "Is Isabella here?"
Surprise flickered across Joe’s face. "Isabella? Do you know her?"
Theodore simply nodded; his expression unreadable. "Can I see her?"
"Wait a minute. I’ll call her." Intrigued, Joe scurried into the apartment, excitement bubbling beneath his hurried steps.
"Bella..." He called out to her, his tone dropping. "There’s a guy here asking for you. Maybe it’s him, you know, the one you went to meet with." He grinned excitedly.
"A guy?" Bella, startled from her relaxation, shot up from the sofa. Her brow furrowed in confusion.
"He is handsome and looks quite wealthy," Joe continued in a hushed tone. "He has a bouquet of red roses. I think he’ll propose to you."
"Bella, you lucky duck!" Bridget squealed with delight. "Finally, you will meet your prince charming."
But Bella felt a cold dread pool in her stomach. She was already married, and she wasn’t looking for another man. Pushing down the rising panic, she forced a calm smile. "Alright, alright, calm down. Let me see who this mystery guest is."
Smoothing her rumpled skirt, Bella walked towards the doorway, a knot of apprehension tightening in her chest. Joe and Bridget followed close behind, their excitement evident on their faces.
As Bella reached the threshold, the sight that greeted her sent a jolt through her entire being. The impeccably dressed man with the hopeful bouquet in his hands was a face etched into her memory - Theodore. Her husband.
"What are you doing here?" she asked with a mix of shock and confusion. She had never expected him to show up at her rented house.
A hesitant smile tugged at the corner of Theodore’s lips as he shoved the bouquet towards Bella. "It’s for you," he said, his voice betraying a nervous tremor.
Bella, lost in a whirlwind of confusion, mechanically reached out and accepted the vibrant red roses. Their velvety petals seemed to mock her bewilderment.
’What happened to him all of a sudden?’ she wondered, perplexed.
He had kissed her twice while they had been at the Reid mansion – and now this bouquet. What had gotten into him?
Inside the house, Bridget and Joe sneakily watched them, their previous excitement morphing into a tense anticipation. Eyes glued to the doorway, they awaited the next act in this unfolding drama.
Theodore adjusted his tie and smoothed his jacket. "I’ve something to tell you. Please come with me."
Bella, her mind a tangled mess of unanswered questions, could only nod in agreement. The need to understand, to peel back the layers of this unexpected gesture, propelled her forward. "Sure. I’ll come with you."
She walked away with Theodore.
Bridget and Joe came out of the house. They watched, mouths agape, as Bella climbed into a luxurious car – a sleek black Bentley that oozed an air of opulence.
"He is hot," Bridget mumbled, a dreamy sigh escaping her lips. "Who is this mystery man?"
Joe shook his head, his own gaze fixated on the car. "No clue! But a business mogul for sure, maybe even an heir of a wealthy family. Look at that car!"
"Really?" Bridget’s eyes widened further, practically bulging out of their sockets as the car purred to life and glided smoothly away. "Wow! Bella hit a jackpot, wouldn’t you say?"
A sigh, tinged with a hint of melancholy, escaped his lips. "I just hope she finds happiness with him," he murmured, his gaze trailing after the disappearing taillights. "She deserves it after everything she has been through."
Bridget, oblivious to the undercurrent of Joe’s words, linked her arm with his and leaned in possessively. A hopeful smile bloomed on her face. "Oh, she will," she declared with a chipper confidence. "And I can’t wait to see her walk down the aisle!"
Inside the car...
The silence stretched on. Bella cast stolen glances at him, hoping Theodore would clarify why he had shown up suddenly with flowers. To her disappointment, all he did was stare ahead through the windshield.
Unable to bear the suffocating silence any longer, she blurted out, "What is this, Theodore? Showing up at my doorstep with flowers? This isn’t you."
He finally turned, his eyes meeting hers in a clash of emotions. "You are my wife, remember?" he said cooly. "Isn’t it normal for a husband to bring flowers to his wife?"
"Normal? Not for you," Bella retorted. "You’ve never done this before."
A flicker of something akin to regret crossed his features before he offered a husky murmur, "I am doing it now." His hulking frame loomed over her. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Bella instinctively pressed herself deeper into the plush seat, her heart pounding. Her hands, as if drawn by an invisible force, reached out and rested on his chest.
As their eyes locked, Bella searched for the coldness, the indifference that was familiar to her. But it was absent, replaced by a yearning she couldn’t quite decipher. Was it longing? Regret?
Bella’s gaze flitted away for a fleeting moment to the driver in the seat ahead.
Theodore, sensing her hesitation, pressed a button on the car’s console. With a smooth whir, a partition rose between them and the driver, creating a cocoon of privacy within the luxurious confines of the Bentley.
Once isolated, he murmured huskily, "I haven’t thanked you properly. So, I thought I’d take you out to dinner – just the two of us."
"Dinner!"
"Yes," Theodore confirmed, a flicker of something resembling warmth playing across his features.
"Why didn’t you tell me when we met earlier?" she demanded.
"I wanted to. I even invited you to get into the car, but you chose to leave on your own." He shrugged nonchalantly.
A frustrated huff escaped Bella’s lips. She gently pushed against his chest, creating a distance between them. "I don’t understand this sudden shift. Why do you need to thank me? It should be me to thank you for saving me from those goons."
His voice held a newfound sincerity as he replied, "Protecting you is my duty, Bella. You are my wife. You need not thank me. It’s my fault that I couldn’t take care of you properly. I was blind to the troubles you faced, completely unaware of the dangers lurking in your life. I apologize."
Bella stared at him, bewildered. The pompous, aloof man she knew seemed to have vanished, replaced by this... this apologetic stranger with Theodore’s face.
"But..." she stammered with confusion. "We have a temporary arrangement, remember? You told me yourself that we would not interfere with each other’s personal lives. You shouldn’t feel obligated to take care of my problems."
A shadow flickered across Theodore’s eyes, a flicker of something that looked suspiciously like guilt. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words seemed to catch in his throat.
He should have cherished her, protected her, and showered her with love. Instead, he had coldly presented her with a contract, a marriage devoid of warmth.
"Those words... I shouldn’t have said them," he began. "From now on, things will be different. I’ll take care of you, of your problems. You are not alone anymore. Always remember that you are my woman – Theodore Reid’s wife."
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