Bella was not in the mood to go to the hotel, so she changed her route and drove home.
Steven was silent for a long time. Finally, he could not help but ask, âMs. Bella, does Justin not know
that youâre the heiress of KS Group?â
âYeah,â Bella responded in a low voice. She looked tired.
Steven finally understood. No wonder Bella had to find a substitute for herself the last time Justin came
unannounced to the office.
âSteve, I didnât mean to hide it from youâ¦â
âI understand.â
Bella raised her eyes in shock.
âNo one wants to relive bad memories, so itâs natural that youâll want to keep them locked up in the
deepest depths of your heart. Iâm just worried about you and how your father will react when he finds
out about this. Heâll be distressed and heartbroken for you.â Stevenâs hand that was holding the
steering wheel was clenched so tightly that his veins were bulging. His eyes were also watery.
Everyone in the Thompson family loved Bella. Yet Justin ruined her.
If Wyatt found out, he would probably chop Justin to pieces.
âIâll hide it as long as I can. Now that I have experienced a failed marriage, I just want to be single
forever!â
Bella closed her eyes. Her mind kept replaying those hurtful words that Justin said. She smiled wryly
and said, âMarriage is really boring.â
âIf you donât get married, I wonât either.â Steven pledged his allegiance.
âNo, donât do that! You should get married. Youâre my secretary, not a priest! If word of this spreads,
people will think that I will only hire celibates. Youâll ruin my reputation!â Bella quickly waved in a panic.
Steven laughed awkwardly, feeling bitter in his heart.
He knew that he was not good enough for her, but he was willing to stay by her side and support her
silently.
âMs. Bella, why did you want to marry Justin?â
Bella squinted her eyes. She looked dejected as a flurry of emotions surged in her heart.
âIâm sorry. I shouldnât pryâ¦â
âWhen I was 11 years old, I went hiking with my class as a school activity. That was when I lost the
sapphire pendant that my mother left me. I didnât care about the teacherâs obstruction and went up
the mountains alone to look for the pendant in the dark. I went through all the paths I took, but I still
couldnât find it. In the end, I got lost. There was a hurricane that night, and I was trapped in the
mountains with no signal on my phone. I was quite certain I would die there. At that time, Justin
happened to be working as a ranger in the National Forest Park during his summer vacation. He led his
team to search for me in the mountains despite the extreme weather. Finally, he found me behind a
rock, almost frozenâ¦â
With a soothing voice, Bella narrated her past that occupied her entire youth.
âI opened my eyes and saw Justin in mountaineering gear. He looked so handsome even when
drenched. His eyes were shining brighter than the stars, and they were so captivatingâ¦â
âWow! Youâre doing great, little girl! Donât be afraid. Iâll carry you down the mountain!â
That was the first time Bella met Justin, and it was love at first sight.
âJustin carried me down the mountain. He was afraid that I would fall asleep on the way back, so he
kept telling me jokes that werenât funny. Heâs really bad at telling jokes.â Bella recalled the past, looking
calm with a slight smile.
ââWhatâs your name, little girl?â
ââWell, if you donât tell me, Iâll just call you little girl since youâre so small anywayâ¦â
âIâm not small! Iâm growing faster than the other girls!â
-âWell, you shouldnât go around telling other boys about this.â
ââWhy not?â
ââBecause some bad boys will take advantage of you, silly.â
Bellaâs breathing became unsteady, and her heart was pounding.
Justin was 17 years old at that time. He was not as tall or strong as he was now, but she already felt an
irreplaceable sense of security with him.
Later, they almost fell off a cliff, but Justin held onto her tightly and saved her life.
Then Justin disappeared from her life for three years. The next time she saw him was on TV. He was
attending a charity event with the Salvador family.
From then on, Bella started chasing him wherever he went.
When she heard that Justin was on the battlefield, she decided to join Doctors Without Borders just so
she could silently accompany him.
She used to love him despite all odds, but now, she was so disheartened that she could no longer love
him again.
Bella smiled bitterly. It turned out that thirteen years of infatuated love would one day end so tragically.
Steven listened quietly and felt shocked and regretful.
âBut Steve, I really canât bring myself to hate him.â
Bella stretched out her hand and felt the wind passing between her fingers, just like the love that she
could never grasp.
âI willingly loved Justin, so I donât regret the things I have done. Iâve paid my debt to him.â
Justin was in a trance until he returned to Tideview Manor. His mind was buzzing, as if a thousand
flies were in his head.
He felt suffocated like a huge boulder was pressing down on his chest.