Belle's POV"Trouble in paradise?" Bernard asked, turning to walk back into the shop as if he was disappointed to see me."Were you expecting someone else?" I asked him when we were inside."Yeah? A customer?" He replied harshly."Well, I'm not a customer, deal with it." I said. "Or if buying flowers will give me an audience with you, then pack up ten bouquet already. Afterall I do have dead parents to visit."Bernard shook his head at me. "Of course, you can get ten bouquet, you're rich aren't you?"This really wasn't going to be easy, but exchanging words with him would not get me anywhere. He was my friend and I needed to shut this whole fight down before going back to Arizona. Christian was right anyway, when Arizona ends, Bernard would be the only family I have left."Can we just talk?" I asked him, taking a seat in his office."We are talking Belle." He replied. "I thought we were no longer friends?""How will you say that to me? Of course we are friends"."And you didn't care t

Christian's POVI stared at Belle's door on my way to work, genuinely worried about her. Today was the third day since she locked herself inside the room without coming out to see me or anything else for that matter. The only indication I got that she was still alive was the light in her room which went on during the day and off at night.She wasn't speaking to me. According to the maids, she only asked for a laptop and accepted food and drinks from them when she needed to eat.They said sometimes, she spent time on her room veranda to receive air and that was the only time they were able to see her.Christian, what the hell have you done?The Belle I knew, wouldn't throw a glass at me, she was too composed to do that. Inside the car, I dialled Gabrielle's number and she answered on the third ring."Christian?""Have you tried calling her?" I asked immediately.''Her phone is switched off, Christian. What the hell did you do?" Gabrielle asked."Why do you even think I did something

Christian's POVI strolled out of the house ignoring my mother's plea for me to relax and have dinner. But dinner was the least of my worries right now. I wanted to get to Belle and have my hand around her neck for the betrayal she just committed. Of course she was the one, she had to be. The silence, the anger she felt would make her do something this wicked to me. A part of me desperately needed to be wrong but one part needed to have something against her so bad. To keep her for some more time."Will you slow down?" It was Gabrielle's voice that I heard and her footsteps as she tried to get to me. "Slow down, Christian.""God damn it." I said when I got to the front of the house. Where were the valet and the car when you desperately needed them?"What is wrong with you?'' Gabrielle asked, stopping beside me to catch her breath. "Where are you going to?""To Belle. She's the only one who would do this to me.""Really?" She asked and I could sense anger in her voice. "You really bel

Belle's POV The words coming out of his mouth made it hard for me to stand and walk out like I wanted to. One part of me believed him and the other part was still in denial. He couldn't possibly need me after what he had put me through. The lack of trust, the spying, the humiliation. It was all too hard to forget. But he was Christian, the love of my life. The only man I had ever loved even after dating two others after him. Here he was, in his vulnerable state, saying he needed me. "I know I'm close to getting the company and I promised to let you go after that, but don't leave me yet." It was hard to look into his eyes when he said that, making me forget that I was angry with him and wasn't supposed to be touching him. "I'm not leaving yet, remember? I still have some days on the contract even after the takeover." I reminded him, blinking my eyes and trying not to give his words too many thoughts. "The deal was that you take over and show them that you can lead the company and

Christian's POVThis is not happening. It was really not happening. Everything was crumbling and it was doing so very fast. We were still trying to figure out who had leaked my secret to the media and now my mum's face was also splashed in the news. Not everyone knew about her drinking habits excluding close family members. She was always one to behave herself in public, so how did it manage to get to the news?I turned my head to look at Belle and surprisingly she had no look of shock on her face. She just stared at the screen holding a glass of water in her hand."What the hell is going on?" She asked me.Don't go there Christian. I said to myself. I had already accused her enough and showing any hint of doubt that I still didn't trust her was going to get her more angry and maybe this time around, she wouldn't speak to me ever again.But my mother was more important. I could handle being talked about, but I didn't think having her face the same fate would sit right with me."How di