“BAM!”
A loud crash echoed as the drunkard was sent flying.
He was just about to climb to his feet and retaliate when Nancy Monroe closed the distance in a few swift strides and delivered another vicious kick.
“Get lost.”
Recognizing that she was someone of high status and not to be trifled with, the drunkard scrambled away in a panic.
The atmosphere returned to a tense calm.
Adrian Xavier bent down to pick Bella Jefferson up.
His handsome face was dark, and the voice rumbling from his chest was dripping with ice.
“Who told you to come to a place like this?”
“Mind your own business.” Bella shoved him hard and tried to stand up.
However, during her struggle with the drunkard, she had taken off her high heels to smash him over the head.
Now barefoot and drained of strength, her foot slipped, and she pitched forward unsteadily.
The man’s long, slender hands wrapped around her waist again, yanking her hard against his chest.
Bella let out a muffled groan of pain.
She was just about to curse at him when she heard him say, “If you don’t want me minding your business, who do you want?
Him?”
He shot a sideways glance down the hall.
Bella followed his gaze.
Deep down the corridor, the bright lights casting against the wall illuminated the faces of the two people ahead with crystal clarity.
Mason Sinclair had Scarlett Sullivan pinned against the wall.
His large hands gripped her waist as he leaned down, kissing her so passionately that he was completely oblivious to the strange looks from passersby.
Bella’s eyes suddenly burned, and her nose stung sharply.
It wasn’t because this scene made her sad or heartbroken.
Rather, she wondered why she always had to run into Adrian when she was at her most humiliated and wretched.
Right now, he was looking down at her from his condescending pedestal, mercilessly crushing what little dignity she had left beneath his feet.
Bella felt a suffocating weight in her chest, but she stubbornly raised her head to meet his eyes, enunciating every word.
“But compared to him, you’re not much better.”
It was true that Mason was entirely responsible for her current predicament.
But if it hadn’t been for Adrian’s betrayal back then, how could she have gotten completely wasted and ended up having that absurd one-night stand with Mason?
Mason was a scumbag.
But what about Adrian Xavier?
He had taken advantage of her when she was at her most vulnerable.
What kind of honorable gentleman did that make him?
Having said her piece, Bella lowered her eyes and walked forward.
As she passed him, she rammed her shoulder hard into his, using almost every ounce of her strength.
Adrian froze in place, his shoulder blade throbbing with pain.
Yet, the slight upward curve of his thin lips carried a mocking smile.
Bella washed her hands.
She was just about to leave the restroom when her wrist was suddenly seized by a tremendous force.
Adrian had chased after her at some point.
His knuckle-heavy fingers were like iron tongs, digging painfully into her flesh.
But he didn’t stop there; like a madman, he forcefully hurled her against the wall.
The sound was even duller and heavier than the punch he had thrown at the drunkard.
Bella’s back slammed into the cold wall.
She gasped in pain, physiological tears welling up in her eyes from the impact.
She was thoroughly furious.
“What are you acting crazy for?”
Adrian closed in on her, his tall figure casting a dark shadow over her.
He planted his right hand on the wall next to her ear and pinched her chin with his left, forcing her to look up at him.
“Bella Jefferson, maybe I’m not much better, but how pure and noble are you?”
His heavy breaths carried the faint scent of tobacco; he had clearly just smoked a cigarette.
Bella’s chin throbbed from his tight grip, and her anger tore out of her throat.
“Let me go, you lunatic!”
“Do you really not know why I’m acting crazy?” He rubbed his thumb forcefully against her chin, his tone laced with a manic hatred.
“When you chose to betray me and fool around with Mason, you should have expected this outcome.”
Bella’s eyes widened sharply, and she struggled wildly to push him away.
“What do you mean I betrayed you?
It was clearly you who—”
Before she could finish, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the restroom.
Then came Hailey Lynch’s worried voice.
“Bella, are you in there?”
Bella was about to answer when Adrian suddenly leaned close to her ear, abruptly changing the subject.
“In a few days, it’s my grandmother’s eightieth birthday.
You’re going to attend it with me.”
He was far too close.
Bella could feel his scalding breath brushing against her earlobe, and she dodged away in a panic.
“That falls outside the scope of my work.
I’m afraid I can’t accompany you.”
“Several experts in the scientific community are also interested in this new technology.
You can have an in-depth discussion with them.
It might be helpful for your upcoming research.” Adrian released her.
Before turning to leave, he added, “Sarah can’t hold on much longer, and I don’t have the patience to sit around waiting.”
When Hailey walked in, she bumped right into Adrian as he was walking out.
He gave her a curt nod in greeting, straightened his suit, and strode away.
Bella followed him out a moment later.
Although she had tidied herself up, her entanglement with Adrian had left her visibly disheveled.
“Were you two…
together this whole time?” Hailey sized her up with a surprised look, but her sharp eyes quickly spotted the bruise forming on Bella’s wrist.
She immediately grew anxious.
“Did he get physical with you?”
“No.” Not wanting her friend to worry, Bella tugged her sleeve down to cover her wrist and offered a relaxed smile.
“We just chatted about some work stuff.
Come on, let’s go back and keep drinking.”
Mason wasn’t coming home tonight.
Bella stayed with the group until around eleven o’clock before heading back.
A light had been left on in the living room, letting her know the nanny was back.
She hadn’t wanted to disturb the woman, but the sound of her going upstairs woke the nanny anyway.
“Madam, you’re back?
I’ll go prepare some hangover remedy for you.”
“There’s no need. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
Go back to sleep.” With that, she took the stairs in wide strides.
Bella had a busy job and often had to attend social engagements, so coming home drunk was a common occurrence.
The nanny was long used to it and naturally didn’t think much of it.
Back in her room, Bella took a shower and lay in bed, mulling over Adrian’s words.
Anyone he called a scientific expert had to be a formidable figure.
Having a discussion with them might indeed provide some inspiration for her research.
Although Serena Xavier’s condition was temporarily under control, there was always the possibility of a relapse at any time.
It really couldn’t be delayed for much longer.
Bella was also anxious to get her medical books and research back; she had to resolve this quickly.
After weighing her options, she grabbed her phone and opened WhatsApp.
Her fingertips hovered over the screen before finally tapping on his black profile picture.
She typed out a quick message: “I’ll go with you.”
Adrian didn’t reply, but at noon the next day, an invitation was delivered to her research lab.
When Hailey took a picture of it and sent it to her, Bella was in the laboratory listening to Anson report on yesterday’s progress.
Scarlett Sullivan was in the room as well.
Seeing Bella zoning out while looking at her phone, Scarlett assumed she didn’t understand the report.
Her eyes were full of hidden disdain, but she feigned concern.
“Bella, you haven’t been involved in research before, so it’s normal not to understand.
It’s okay, take your time.
If it’s really too difficult, we can have President Sinclair talk to Mr.
Xavier again to see if they can swap in someone more professional to liaise with them.”
Bella snapped back to attention and put her phone away with a faint smile.
“I’m only responsible for reporting; I don’t need to understand too much.
Anson will organize all the data and send it to me, so I can just hand in my homework.”
Scarlett saw her acting like such an amateur, and an imperceptible smirk of contempt tugged at the corner of her mouth, though her expression remained gentle.
“That’s true.
You’re good at negotiating business deals, so you should be able to wing it.”
Good at negotiating business deals…
What an ironic phrase that was!
Bella played along, acting oblivious.
“If I can’t handle it, I still have you and Mason.
You two will help me, right?”
“Of course!
We’re good friends.
Who else would I help?” Scarlett walked over and linked arms with her in an overly familiar manner.
“It’s lunchtime.
Let’s stop talking about work and go grab something to eat.” She then casually added, “President Sinclair probably hasn’t eaten yet either.
Let’s ask him to join us.
I happen to have some work-related questions I need to discuss with him.”
“Sure, I’ll go get him.” Bella pulled her arm back and turned around.
As she stepped through the door, she tilted her head just a fraction—enough to catch a clear glimpse of the smug look in Scarlett’s eyes.
A faint smile curled on Bella’s lips, but her gaze grew icy as she strode out of the laboratory.