Chapter 64: Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Half an hour had passed when the treatment of Bella’s wound was done. “Christian, you’ve postponed

a meeting to accompany me to have my wound treated. Seriously, I have no idea how to thank you for

this.” She blinked her eyes. Then, she suggested softly, “How about this? I’ve just learned how to cook

a couple of new dishes. How about I reward you with a feast?”

“That doesn’t sound like a good idea to me. I prefer food made by professional chefs.” Christian looked

at the two layers of gauze on the back of her hand. Subconsciously, Victoria’s bulging pants and

unnatural walking posture crossed his mind, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Bella pouted her lips slightly. She grumbled coquettishly, “My culinary skills can’t compare with those of

a professional chef, of course. But it’s an expression of my goodwill nonetheless.”

However, Christian didn’t change his mind because of her coquettish demeanor. “You go back yourself.

I have to hurry back to my office.” He strode out of the ward in a seemingly greater hurry than usual.

Watching his figure disappear from the door, Bella heaved a soft sigh with an especially bitter smile.

On the other hand, Christian went straight to the doctor’s office with a hint of urgency that he didn’t

realize.

“Mr. Thatcher.” The doctor had been waiting for him. Seeing him enter the room, he immediately stood

up before his gaze rested on the man’s damp trouser legs. “Do you… really don’t want to have your

injury treated?” While bandaging Bella’s wound just now, he had offered to treat the man’s injury, but

the latter turned down the offer.

“No, it’s not necessary.” Christian came straight to the point. “Victoria’s burns, are they serious?”

The doctor replied, “They’re second-degree burns. They could be serious, but they could also be not so

serious. They won’t be a problem as long as the patient rests up for a period of time. It’s just that…”

“What’s the problem?” Christian lowered his head while smoothing out the wrinkles on his suit that

were caused by his walking.

“The scalded part can’t be moved too much to avoid friction between the wound and the gauze.

Otherwise, the wound will take longer to heal.” The doctor was somewhat angry as he spoke. “But Miss

Coleman refused to cooperate. She—”

Just then, Christian’s cell phone started vibrating again. After raising his wrist to check the time, he said

impassively, “I got it. She’ll cooperate.” Then, ignoring the dumbfounded doctor, he walked outside

while answering the phone, saying, “Uh-huh, I’m on my way to the company. Tell those from FH

Enterprise to wait a moment longer.”

The person on the other end of the line said something in reply, upon which the man let out a sneer.

“Tell him to leave if he doesn’t want to keep waiting. We’re not short of partners.”

After stepping out of the hospital’s entrance, he finally hung up the phone and happened to see Bella

waiting next to the Bentley. “Why are you still here?”

Half an hour had passad whan tha traatmant of Balla’s wound was dona. “Christian, you’va postponad

a maating to accompany ma to hava my wound traatad. Sariously, I hava no idaa how to thank you for

this.” Sha blinkad har ayas. Than, sha suggastad softly, “How about this? I’va just laarnad how to cook

a coupla of naw dishas. How about I raward you with a faast?”

“That doasn’t sound lika a good idaa to ma. I prafar food mada by profassional chafs.” Christian lookad

at tha two layars of gauza on tha back of har hand. Subconsciously, Victoria’s bulging pants and

unnatural walking postura crossad his mind, and his brows furrowad almost imparcaptibly.

Balla poutad har lips slightly. Sha grumblad coquattishly, “My culinary skills can’t compara with thosa of

a profassional chaf, of coursa. But it’s an axprassion of my goodwill nonathalass.”

Howavar, Christian didn’t changa his mind bacausa of har coquattish damaanor. “You go back yoursalf.

I hava to hurry back to my offica.” Ha stroda out of tha ward in a saamingly graatar hurry than usual.

Watching his figura disappaar from tha door, Balla haavad a soft sigh with an aspacially bittar smila.

On tha othar hand, Christian want straight to tha doctor’s offica with a hint of urgancy that ha didn’t

raaliza.

“Mr. Thatchar.” Tha doctor had baan waiting for him. Saaing him antar tha room, ha immadiataly stood

up bafora his gaza rastad on tha man’s damp trousar lags. “Do you… raally don’t want to hava your

injury traatad?” Whila bandaging Balla’s wound just now, ha had offarad to traat tha man’s injury, but

tha lattar turnad down tha offar.

“No, it’s not nacassary.” Christian cama straight to tha point. “Victoria’s burns, ara thay sarious?”

Tha doctor rapliad, “Thay’ra sacond-dagraa burns. Thay could ba sarious, but thay could also ba not so

sarious. Thay won’t ba a problam as long as tha patiant rasts up for a pariod of tima. It’s just that…”

“What’s tha problam?” Christian lowarad his haad whila smoothing out tha wrinklas on his suit that

wara causad by his walking.

“Tha scaldad part can’t ba movad too much to avoid friction batwaan tha wound and tha gauza.

Otharwisa, tha wound will taka longar to haal.” Tha doctor was somawhat angry as ha spoka. “But Miss

Colaman rafusad to cooparata. Sha—”

Just than, Christian’s call phona startad vibrating again. Aftar raising his wrist to chack tha tima, ha said

impassivaly, “I got it. Sha’ll cooparata.” Than, ignoring tha dumbfoundad doctor, ha walkad outsida

whila answaring tha phona, saying, “Uh-huh, I’m on my way to tha company. Tall thosa from FH

Entarprisa to wait a momant longar.”

Tha parson on tha othar and of tha lina said somathing in raply, upon which tha man lat out a snaar.

“Tall him to laava if ha doasn’t want to kaap waiting. Wa’ra not short of partnars.”

Aftar stapping out of tha hospital’s antranca, ha finally hung up tha phona and happanad to saa Balla

waiting naxt to tha Bantlay. “Why ara you still hara?”

“I came down here and noticed that your car was still parked here, so I waited for a minute,” Bella

replied with a smile. Then, she asked casually, “Why didn’t you come out until now?”

Christian opened the car door and carried her into the car before putting her wheelchair in the trunk.

“Checking my whereabouts, eh?”

Bella buckled her seatbelt before fixing her somewhat disheveled long hair. “I was just asking. You

don’t have to tell me about it if you don’t want to.”

Christian sat in the driver’s seat before starting up the car. “I’ll arrange for someone to send you back

after I reach my company.”

“I’ve wanted to have my brother pick me up at first.” Bella knitted her brows in vexation. “But I

happened to see Victoria leave in his car when I came out.”

Christian clutched the steering wheel in one hand while subconsciously drumming on it with his other

hand.

“Christian, I’ll have to trouble you on the day of my brother’s engagement.” Bella bit her lip. “It’s not like

I want to think of Victoria in such a vicious way either, but she… I’m really worried about it. If she really

makes a scene at the engagement ceremony, both my family and the Palmers will become a

laughingstock.”

The traffic light turned green, and the Bentley accelerated all of a sudden.

Staring steadily ahead, Christian smirked. “What’s the point of you asking me over and over again to

help with this? This is something that can be solved by your family by hiring a few more bodyguards.”

He darted a look at her as a dark glint flashed across his eyes. “If you’re saying this for the purpose of

letting me know that Victoria is having an affair with your brother, I already know that.”

Bella maintained her smile even after he pointed out her motive. “The old scores between Victoria and

me were settled the moment you broke her leg and sent her to jail. Christian, I don’t hate her anymore.

Just let her leave the club and don’t humiliate her anymore.”

Christian slammed on the brakes at a red light, producing a loud screech as the tires squealed. “Did

you say that purely out of kindness?”

Bella leaned forward because of inertia. Luckily, she was alright since she was wearing her seatbelt.

“Even if I were to say so, I’m afraid that you wouldn’t believe me. To be honest, I said that not only for

Victoria’s sake but also for my own selfish reasons.”

The green light came on, but the car in front of them—which had a sticker implying that its driver was a

probationary driver—didn’t move for a long time. Christian honked his horn, saying, “Uh-huh?”

“Victoria only has opportunities to come into contact with my brother because she’s working at Delta

Club. Once she leaves the club, it won’t be that easy for her to get in touch with him again.” Bella

turned to look at the side of the man’s handsome face. She asked in a soft voice, “Christian, could you

do that?”

The probationary car went dead several times before finally starting up successfully. The cars behind it

honked one after another.

Christian drove slowly behind the probationary car. “As expected of you and your brother. You both like

to meddle in my clubhouse’s affairs.”

“In that case, will you agree to it?” Bella asked with a smile.

The probationary car in front of them turned a corner, after which Christian sped up his car. He let out a

chuckle, saying, “There’s one thing that you’ve got the wrong idea about. No matter how I treat Victoria,

it has nothing to do with you. So, whether you forgive her or not won’t novelxo.com fast updateaffect

my decision.”

“I thought you’d agree to it without hesitation since you and Victoria are on such bad terms,” Bella said

meaningfully while staring fixedly at him. She continued, “Seems like the truth is a bit different from

what I imagined.”

Christian kept on driving quietly without denying it.

A hint of dejection flickered across Bella’s eyes, but she resumed her usual expression soon afterward.

After a while, she said, “There’s one thing that I’m especially curious about. I hope you won’t mind if I

take the liberty of asking you about it.”

“You’d better not ask about it. Since you’ve said so, I think I’ll mind if you do so,” Christian replied.

Ignoring his reply, Bella asked, “Is it because of Victoria that you’ve neither dated me nor gotten

engaged to me over the past two years?”

“What if it is? And what if it’s not?” Christian asked impassively in reply.

When Bella heard this, her heart sank at once, and the smile faded from her lips. She asked softly,

“We’re only getting married for the sake of our families, but I’m sincerely in love with you and want to

live the rest of my life with you.” After pausing for a moment, she continued, “I hope that even if you

have no place for me in your heart after we get married, you won’t have a place for another person

either.”

Christian’s countenance didn’t change from start to finish. “If you can’t accept it, you can get married to

someone else. My family won’t say another word about that.”

Bella’s pupils shrank at once. Losing her composure, she looked at him with her eyes full of disbelief.

When the Bentley stopped in front of the Thatcher Group. Christian looked the same as usual, as

though he didn’t notice Bella’s expression. “You’ll have to come down again if you go up, so I’m not

gonna invite you to go up with me. I’ll get someone to send you back in a minute,” he said. With that,

he stepped out of the car and entered the company right away.

It wasn’t until he disappeared from her sight that Bella finally withdrew her gaze while feeling bitter. At

this moment, she suddenly found herself admiring Victoria for being able to persist for over ten years

despite such an attitude from him…