Leaving the hospital, Bella Jefferson stood by the road, waiting for Hailey Lynch.
She had planned to drive here herself, but since Hailey happened to be running errands in the area, she offered to give her a ride.
Just then, a black Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up in front of her.
The luxurious car exuded an understated elegance, signaling the high status of its occupant.
Every passing pedestrian couldn’t help but steal a glance.
Thinking she was blocking the way, Bella was about to step aside when a deep male voice suddenly came from inside the vehicle.
“Get in!”
The window rolled down, revealing an impeccably handsome, aloof face.
Bella looked up and met his deep gaze.
Frowning, her eyes filled with coldness.
“Is there something else, Mr.
Xavier?”
Adrian Xavier had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, one sturdy forearm resting casually on the window frame.
He leaned back against the seat with his eyes closed, fatigue written all over his face.
Bella thought of Sarah Xavier, whom she had just seen in the emergency room.
The little girl was so tiny, completely lacking the vitality of a normal child.
Born with congenital heart disease, Sarah must have suffered immensely from a young age.
And Adrian, a grown man having to care for a sick child while managing corporate affairs, couldn’t be having an easy time either.
But where was the child’s mother?
Why wasn’t she by her side?
Seeing her standing there motionless, Adrian tapped lightly on the car window.
“Let’s talk about how to get the medical book back,” he said in a tone that brooked no refusal.
Five minutes later, Bella opened the door and slid into the backseat.
The cabin was spacious, but with Adrian sitting right next to her, his presence seemed to permeate every inch of the space.
Feeling suffocated by his overwhelming aura, Bella just wanted to wrap this up quickly and get out.
“What are your plans, Mr.
Xavier?”
Adrian shot her a faint look.
Noticing the intense alienation on her face, his eyes darkened a fraction.
“The fact that you sought me out means you already have something in mind.
Tell me your plan.”
Bella did have an idea, but this plan required Adrian to step forward.
“Agree to cooperate with Meridian Group, and let me follow up on the new project.
When the time comes, I’ll use reporting on work as an excuse to return to the research institute and continue my unfinished research.” Since Mason Sinclair refused to disclose the R&D secrets, she had to find a way to access the project and finish developing the technology one step ahead of him.
Cooperating with Xavier Group was the perfect opportunity.
Adrian’s thoughts mirrored hers, but he had a different arrangement in mind.
“Xavier Group has its own laboratory.
You can conduct your research there and keep an eye on Sarah’s condition at any time.”
Bella, however, didn’t want to get too involved with him.
She refused without a second thought.
“That won’t be necessary.
I prefer a familiar environment.”
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Nancy Monroe clearly saw Adrian’s grim expression through the rearview mirror and didn’t even dare to breathe loudly.
The atmosphere instantly froze, and the oppressive tension left Bella feeling breathless.
Just as she was about to open the window for some fresh air, Hailey texted to ask where she was.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she was about to reply when she heard Adrian say, “Then come and report to me on your work every day.”
“Mr.
Xavier, I’m not your employee.” Bella looked up, fearlessly meeting his abyssal eyes.
The turbulent emotions hidden within them were clear, instantly restricting her breathing again.
They had been together for years.
Bella knew his temper well enough to recognize that he was angry.
A cold sneer tugged at the corner of Adrian’s mouth as he reminded her, “I’m a businessman, and I don’t engage in risky transactions.
Since you’re the one who came to me for a partnership, you’ll play by my rules.”
Even though they were both seated, Bella constantly felt as if he were looking down on her.
The commanding aura of authority radiating from him was simply too overwhelming.
Knowing that his request wasn’t actually unreasonable, she still refused to compromise.
“I will report to you in person once a week; otherwise, we communicate by phone.
I promise to develop the new technology as quickly as possible so your daughter can recover soon.”
Worried that he might raise another excessive demand, Bella didn’t give him a chance to respond.
She reached for the door handle to get out.
The moment her toes touched the ground, Adrian’s questioning voice came from behind.
“After you get the medical book, will you divorce Mason Sinclair?”
“That’s none of your business,” Bella replied coldly, about to step away.
But Adrian leaned forward and grabbed her wrist.
Every word he spoke drew blood.
“Catching him cheating must have filled you with resentment, yet you can’t end your relationship with him because the medical book is in his hands.
That situation must be quite agonizing, isn’t it?”
Her dignity had been shattered in front of Adrian the moment she caught Mason cheating.
Embarrassment, humiliation, and anger intertwined in her heart, making her feel as if she were being subjected to a death by a thousand cuts.
Her heart convulsed with pain, but Bella looked up and offered an airy smile.
“What are you talking about, Mr.
Xavier?
Mason and I are husband and wife.
Why would we fall out with each other?”
With that, she forcefully swatted away his icy hand and pulled the car door shut.
SLAM!
She shut out that cold, handsome face along with it!
HONK, HONK.
Someone sounded their horn from ahead.
As Bella looked up, Hailey’s car had already stopped in front of her.
With unsteady steps, Bella opened the door and got into the car.
Seeing that something was wrong with her, Hailey glanced at the Rolls-Royce outside and asked with concern, “Did Adrian make things difficult for you?
Why do you look so awful?”
Bella suppressed the bitterness in her heart and shook her head.
“It’s nothing.
Let’s go.”
That evening, when Bella arrived home, Mason was already sitting on the living room sofa waiting for her.
Seeing her walk through the door, he attentively came over to help her with her bags.
“Why are you back so late?”
“Yeah, I stayed and chatted with a friend for a while.”
She had originally planned to go straight back to the research institute.
But then she remembered the one million he had given her—it would be a waste not to spend it—so she had dragged Hailey to the mall instead.
Mason casually opened a shopping bag, assuming she had bought things for him.
His tone couldn’t hide his smugness.
“Honey, I already have enough clothes.
You really didn’t need to…”
The next second, his hands froze.
That was because the bags were entirely filled with Bella’s skincare products and clothes; not a single item belonged to him.
Bella changed her shoes and walked in, offering him a smile.
“You do have a lot.
The tags on the shirts I bought last time haven’t even been removed yet, and your razor is still new.
Buying more would just be a waste.”
Her tone was as light as if nothing had ever happened.
Her smile was beautiful, the curve of her lips was just right, and even her brows were arched pleasantly.
Yet Mason couldn’t shake the feeling that she was different.
He just couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed.
He only thought about how, in the past, she would always bring back things exclusively for him whenever she went out shopping.
This time, there was absolutely nothing, which suddenly made him feel a bit uncomfortable.
“It’s fine.
It’s your money now.
Buy whatever you want, as long as you’re happy.” Treating this as a mere exception, he didn’t dwell on it and stepped forward to hug her.
“Honey, I have something to discuss with you.”
Bella knew exactly why he had come home so early.
Without exposing him, she started heading upstairs.
Suddenly, as he approached, she caught a whiff of perfume on him—the exact same scent Scarlett Sullivan wore.
Instinctively, she sidestepped to dodge his embrace.
“You smell.”
“Do I?” Mason lowered his head and sniffed his shirt, but he didn’t smell anything strange.
“Go take a shower first.
We can talk after you come out.” Suppressing her inner disgust, Bella continued to smile gently.
Mason sniffed a few more times, still finding nothing wrong, but he listened to her anyway and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
When he came out, he saw Bella reading on the balcony.
He quickly walked over and sat down right next to her.
Feeling the seat sink significantly beside her, Bella used the excuse of swapping her book to stand up.
She leaned against the balcony railing, feigning a look of anticipation.
“What did you want to discuss?”