Malcolm was very happy with the turn of events. His wish to see his grandson settle down was finally fulfilled. Now he would live at ease.
"Theodore, you make me happy," He embraced him. "Now I want to see great-grandchild events." He looked towards Bella, his eyes twinkling with anticipation.
Theodore grinned as he hugged him back, passing a wink at Bella.
Bella’s cheeks flushed crimson, her gaze momentarily shy as she tucked her chin.
"Stay here," Malcolm urged. "I’d like to spend some time with Bella. Last time, we didn’t have a proper dinner."
Theodore hesitated. He wouldn’t want to stay here when Franklin was around. On top of that, he had other pressing matters at the office. However, he would stay if Bella wanted to. He looked at her with questions in his eyes.
Bella shook her head, silently expressing her denial.
"Grandpa, not today," Theodore said gently, realizing Bella also had worked at her office. "I have some important meetings to attend to. I promise to spend the weekend with you."
"Okay, I get it." Malcolm nodded knowingly. "I won’t force you."
After a brief goodbye, they left.
Claudia and Franklin sneaked away.
"Mom, what the fuck is going on?" Franklin hissed as soon as they entered Claudia’s room and the door closed behind them. "You were confident this time. But what happened? Your plan fell apart!" Disbelief contorted his face. "That old man accepted his so-called wife."
Claudia’s shoulders sagged slightly, her hands gesturing helplessly. "I didn’t anticipate this twist either," she admitted with dismay. "That woman actually saved Theodore!"
"Ugh... Don’t remind me of that," Franklin groaned in frustration, his face contorting with bitterness. "It’s unbearable. I thought I had removed the biggest obstacle in my life, but he survived." He gritted his teeth at his failure to kill Theodore back then.
"I stopped myself from harming him when you planned to marry Gina to him," he continued. I thought I’d tolerate him for Gina’s sake, but he actually had found his savior. He seems to like that woman."
He whirled and met his mother’s eyes with an intensity that could cower anyone. "And now that old hag wants grandchildren. If Theodore’s child is born, everything we’ve worked for will be lost. We have to do something."
Claudia’s resolve solidified, her jaw tightening with determination. "No, that won’t happen," she said firmly. "I won’t let all my sacrifices and hard work go to waste. That woman," her face darkened in fury, "has no place in this family. Theodore’s wife’s role belongs exclusively to Gina."
"But how are you going to do that? Franklin countered. "He seems to like her. Didn’t you hear what he had said? He is considering spending his life with that woman."
Franklin’s heart burned with resentment. Theodore would have been out of their lives long ago, blown to pieces, if it weren’t for Bella’s intervention.
A glimmer of steel flickered in Claudia’s eyes. "He is lying," she said confidently. "He can fool his grandpa, but not me."
"How are you so sure about that?" Franklin raised a curious eyebrow.
"Humph!" Claudia let out a humorless scoff. "If he was serious about that woman, he would have made his marriage official – declared her his wife to the world."
A slow, satisfied smirk spread across Franklin’s face. "Yes, you have a point, Mom. He is fooling that old hag. I knew it. Theodore can’t fall for an ordinary woman who marries him for money. This whole ’savior’ story is probably fabricated."
"Anything is possible." Claudia also suspected that Bella wasn’t the one who had saved Theodore. "All this is a lie—to convince the old man. But his little web of lies will unravel soon enough. I’ll personally see to it that this woman is out of his life, out of this family."
Franklin, however, seemed to have a different plan brewing. A predatory glint entered his eyes. "Hold on, Mom," he interjected. "Before you banish her, I have...interests in this woman myself. I want to have that woman as my plaything. "
Claudia’s gaze turned icy. "Don’t get carried away, Franklin. "As long as he is Theodore’s woman, she is off-limits. Once I kick her out of this family and his life, you can have your little fun. Until then, stay away from her. I don’t want extra trouble. Do you understand?"
Franklin, though clearly disappointed, grudgingly agreed. Bella had piqued his twisted desires, and he wouldn’t rest until she was his to control.
~~~~~~~~~~
Zack came to the hospital to visit Bella’s mother. He expected to see Bella as well, as she had not arrived at the office on time. To his surprise, he didn’t find her there. However, he met Bella’s mother and introduced himself.
Selena lit up at the sight of Zack. "You’re too kind, Mr. Hudson," she said weakly, accepting the fruit basket he had offered. "Bella told me about you."
Zack’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of Bella discussing him with her mother. "Really? What did she say?" There was a spark of hope that Bella thought of him favorably.
Selene pulled a smile from her pale face. "I saw her distressed about arranging money for my surgery. I told her not to worry, to focus on her own life, but that child is stubborn."
A wave of empathy washed over Zack. Selena’s illness, this surgery he knew nothing about – it was a revelation that stunned him. Bella had never mentioned any surgery of her mother. And on top of that, he hadn’t asked her either.
Shame pricked him for not being more attentive to Bella’s personal life, and for not taking the initiative to ask. His resolve bloomed in its place. He would help Bella, in whatever way he could.
"Mrs. Dawn," he began, his voice taking on a more determined tone, "I want to help you with whatever you need."
Selena’s eyes softened. "That’s very kind of you, Mr. Hudson," she replied weakly. "Not many employers care so much about their staff."
Zack blurted out, a touch too quickly, "Bella is more than just an employee to me."
"En?" The room seemed to chill as Selena’s expression sharpened.
Zack fumbled with his words when he noticed the change in Selena’s expression. He corrected himself quickly, "I mean, she is a valuable member of my team, a very hard worker."
"Uh, yes... But you have already been helping us a lot. If it wasn’t for you, my treatment would have been stopped a long time ago. You paid her a few months of salary in advance. And that’s how my treatment is going on."
Advance salary?
Zack’s expression froze instantly.
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