The guests filed into another hall in preparation to take part in the auction.
Bella withdrew from the media, getting away from the spotlight to take a breather in the hallway.
âMs. Bella!â Steven rushed to her side worriedly. âAre you alright?â
âItâs just a few bothersome reporters. What could have happened? How much could they have done?â
Bella was calm, but she frowned slightly. âYou shouldnât be by my side right now. You should be in the
hall, taking care of things.â
âBut⦠I was worried about you.â
Stevenâs voice was anxious and hoarse. âThose reporters clearly came prepared. They were
deliberately sent to make things difficult for you! They kept harping on our mistakes to make you look
bad!â
âIsnât that pretty normal? Do reporters have to come over to sing your praises and exalt you just
because youâre hosting a charity event?â
Bella crossed her arms, still looking calm. âAnd anyway, what they asked wasnât wrong, was it? Itâs true
that there was an oversight in my management, which was taken advantage of by certain flamboyant
fowls. I canât blame others for that.â
Flamboyant fowls.
An image of Shannon and Bethany rose to the front of Stevenâs mind.
âBut you said something I donât agree with. Those reporters were sent by someone not to ruin me, but
to help me.â
Bella leaned against the wall as she tapped her shoulder. âJust let Bethany Salvador enjoy herself and
make a scene. Iâm best at making my opponent fall from their pedestal and defeating them completely
just when they think they have the world in the palm of their hands. Haha! How interesting.â
Steven watched Ms. Bellaâs gaze slowly darken. When she got vicious, she was just like Asher, and
Steven could not help but shiver in fear.
This rose was indeed beautiful, but it had thorns and was poisonous!
Steven, as the general managerâs secretary, was needed inside the hall to ensure things ran smoothly,
so he quickly ran back inside.
Bella had been working hard the whole day for this auction and had only had a simple breakfast. She
had not eaten lunch or dinner and had not even had a sip of water.
Her stomach growled as she collapsed weakly onto the sofa and kicked off her heels, revealing her
pale feet.
She curled up pitifully. She was so hungry that her stomach was twinging.
âIâm starvingâ¦â
Bella murmured weakly as she slowly closed her eyes. Suddenly, she could faintly smell the mellow
aroma of chocolate.
She thought she was having hallucinations because she was so hungry. Her nose twitched as she
sniffed the air like a cute little puppy.
âAre you just going to smell it and not eat it?â
A pleasant, baritone voice spoke, though the tone was cold.
Bellaâs heart trembled, and she suddenly opened her eyes.
Her stunned, widened eyes met Justinâs beautiful, dark eyes that hid multitudes.
It was hard to deny that this beautiful and shocking pair of eyes were indescribably lethal to her, no
matter when or where.
At that moment, Bella was lying on her side on the sofa, watching Justin, who was kneeling on one
knee in front of her, holding at chocolate cupcake in his hand.
The hands that were holding her empty stomach could not help but clench.
They had been married for three years, but Justin had never bent himself or lowered his head once.
Even during that period of time when she loved only him and ran toward his light like a moth to a flame,
she was the one who would humble herself and cry in grievance.
As her thoughts drifted through her mind, her eyes reddened quietly, and her breathing started to
become erratic.
Justin maintained his posture of kneeling on one knee, but he frowned slightly when she did not
respond. âWerenât you complaining you were hungry? Why arenât you eating? This is your favorite-
chocolate-flavored. Donât worry, itâs not poisoned.â
âIâm not eating it.â
Bellaâs throat choked with unexplainable emotions. She felt bitter and sad.
âI heard from Wilma that you have stomach issues. Itâs not good for you to stay hungry too long.â
âI said, Iâm not eating it!â
Smack-!
Bella suddenly waved her hand with red eyes, and the cupcake in Justinâs hand was instantly sent
flying.
âBella! You-!â
That cupcake dropped to the ground, some distance away, and crumbled thoroughly.
Justinâs dark eyes stared at her fixedly. The fire burning in his heart rushed to his head even as
disappointment spread from the top of his head to the tips of his toes like a bowl of cold water had been
poured over his head. A bone-chilling coldness spread through him.
It was not just the cupcake that had crumbled-his heart had too.
âWhatâs wrong with you, Bella Thompson? Donât you know.whatâs good for you?!â
Bella slowly sat up, no longer feeling hungry, as she was filled with a mess of emotions and
resentment. âI hate you, and I hate you event more for being attentive to me out of the blue! Justin, do
you know. that the way youâre treating me now is no different from insulting me?â