In the dining room, Lilia patiently attended to Bella, who was enjoying her dinner. Without missing a beat, the woman served and ensured that every need of Bella was met.
"After this, you should have fruit pudding, Miss. Then, take your vitamins and medication, and get ready for rest."
Bella nodded. She couldn't argue, even if she wanted to. Despite a lifelong aversion to pudding, she had to comply with the orders while staying at Julia's house and learn to try the healthy snack.
"Has Mr. Edward not had dinner yet? I haven't seen him since earlier," Bella asked curiously. Usually, when it was time for dinner, she always crossed paths with the man. But tonight, Bella didn't see him at all.
"It seems Mr. Edward is working late. Perhaps he is having dinner outside as well."
Bella nodded. After all, she had no right to interfere with his activities. After finishing Lilia's pudding, Bella hurried to her room to rest.
"Here are your vitamins and medication, Miss."
Lilia then handed a glass of water and several pills and tablets Bella needed to consume. She waited, ensuring earnestly that Bella took everything without missing a single one.
"Finally, I've taken all my medication."
Lilia smiled at the expression Bella showed. Her facial expression was like that of someone relieved and happy as if she had just completed a mission.
"You seem very happy."
Bella smiled, too, nodding.
"Yes, the medications I've been taking lately make me uncomfortable. It's quite different from before."
Lilia blinked. She was slightly surprised to hear Bella's confession.
"Sorry if I'm intrusive. Are there medications that make you uncomfortable?"
Bella nodded again. Eating various medications and vitamins in large quantities made her uncomfortable. But what could Bella do? It was a necessity she couldn't refuse.
"Yes, Lilia. Fertility drugs are the ones in the largest form. Those always make me uncomfortable."
Lilia furrowed her brow, hearing what Bella had revealed. She took this statement seriously, especially since she was entirely responsible for anything that happened to Bella. That's why Lilia had to ensure her employer was in good condition.
"Uncomfortable, how? Is there any part of your body that feels pain?"
"Not pain," Bella countered, then explained, "It's just that every time I finish taking those drugs, I feel my breasts tighten. I'm uncomfortable with this."
"Perhaps it's a side effect of the medication, Miss."
Bella agreed with a nod. She thought the same way because she experienced this symptom every time she finished consuming the medication.
"Yes, I also agree with you."
"In that case, let's see tomorrow. If you still feel uncomfortable after not taking that medication anymore, tell me. I'll inform Mr. Edward to take you to the doctor."
Bella nodded. Then Lilia helped her to lie down. Even before sleeping, her assistant helped to massage both of her feet.
"You don't need to massage me like this, Lilia."
Even though it was part of her duties, and Lilia received a salary for what she did, Bella still felt uneasy about Lilia's service being so thorough, especially since her assistant was much older than her.
"No need to be shy, Miss. You should enjoy all the services and the best facilities Mr. and Mrs. Cullen provide you."
Bella smiled wryly. She didn't know if she should be grateful or ashamed of the achievements she felt at the moment.
"I'm sure you must think that I'm a money-hungry woman. Willing to rent out her womb to wealthy people for a lot of money."
Lilia chuckled. After finishing the massage, she helped pull the blanket to cover Bella's entire body.
"You're exaggerating. I never thought that way. Besides, I'm sure you have your reasons for doing all this. And most importantly, I have no right to judge your decision."
"Thank you for your understanding, Lilia."
Lilia nodded and then got up. Helping to dim the lights, she prepared to leave the room.
"Good night, Miss Bella. Have a restful sleep."
***
"Sir, it's already 8 PM. Don't you intend to go home soon?" Lucas Morgan spoke up as both an assistant and a trusted person to Edward. Since morning, even since his boss arrived at Proxima Enterprise, Lucas noticed that Edward seemed preoccupied as if he had a lot on his mind.
However, Lucas knew that the office workload was manageable, and there were no looming deadlines in the past few days. So, what was bothering his boss?
"Let me take over his work. You can go home now."
Edward sighed softly. Closing his laptop, he nodded in agreement.
"Please finish the Axon report as soon as possible. Once it's released, don't forget to send a copy to my email immediately."
Edward decided to leave the room immediately. Before leaving, he was seen taking out his phone and calling someone first. Instead of heading home, Edward directed his car to stop at the Balcony, a famous bar in downtown London.
"It's unusual for you to invite me to meet like this."
Just arriving and entering the bar, Edward was already greeted by Samuel. It was the man he had called and invited to meet.
"I need a drinking companion tonight."
Samuel laughed.
"Why not invite others?"
"Who do you mean?" Edward inquired. "Shawn and Matthew are not in London. Your brother Raphael is probably busy dating Elea. Kaivan? I would go crazy if I invited him for a drink. The two of us won't be going home, that's for sure."
This time, Samuel burst into laughter at Edward's seemingly desperate narrative.
"But I'm a doctor. I can't drink too much."
"That's exactly why I chose you. At least, if I get heavily drunk, you can safely take me home."
"You're so unlucky!" Samuel cursed, greeted by laughter from Edward.
"Actually, what's the problem with inviting me for a drink on a non-holiday?"
Edward smiled. He leaned his shoulder against the chair to relax a bit.
"I don't know, Sam. I'm also confused about what I'm thinking right now."
"I guess you're probably thinking about the failed IVF process from yesterday, right? I've told you, you don't need to worry. I'm sure Bella can conceive your child. Her uterus is in excellent condition and has no problems at all."
Edward laughed instead. Samuel wasn't joking or delivering a humorous line.
"Did you know, from the beginning, I wanted Julia to carry our child? Not borrow someone else's womb."
Samuel smiled, responding to Edward's statement casually.
"All normal couples want that too. I even wondered about the decision you two made. Although Julia is concerned about her body changing, medical technology is very advanced nowadays. Two weeks after giving birth, Julia's body could return to normal. If she wants, she could even be a virgin again. What can't be done in this day and age? Everything can be achieved if you have a lot of money."
This time, Edward smiled wryly. He was puzzled by the decision Julia had made. Initially, Edward disagreed right away. But, tired of arguing over the same issues, he had to give in.
"Sometimes, I think I'm too foolish and naive to comply with Julia's requests."
Samuel laughed. He admitted that his friend was indeed foolish when it came to women.
"If you were to share your woes with Kaivan, I guarantee he would mercilessly mock you. From the beginning, Kaivan was the most against you marrying Julia."
Edward nodded. He didn't deny this. He remembered how Kaivan had tried hard to persuade him not to marry Julia for various reasons. However, he ignored it once his friend showed him.
"Kaivan felt that Julia wasn't sincere towards me. But, because of love, I insisted on marrying her. And now, Kaivan's words were correct.
"In that case, just enjoy your decision. Why bother complaining?"
Edward sighed. He punched Samuel's arm and then invited the man to drink. He didn't know how many glasses of alcohol he finished that night. One thing for sure: because his awareness was slightly diminished, Samuel, who ended up being troubled, had to take Edward home reluctantly.
Arriving at his residence, with a slightly unsteady walk, Edward entered the house. Unfortunately, Edward lost his balance on the second floor and almost reached his room. His body collapsed, and he fell to the floor.
At the same time, Bella, who had just taken a drink in the dining room, saw Edward's figure on the floor. She quickly approached, mustering the courage to help.
"Mr. Edward!"
Bella struggled to assist. Exerting all her strength, she tried to lift the semi-conscious Edward to stand. It was a bit difficult initially, as Edward's body was much larger than hers.
With persistent effort, Bella managed to get Edward up. Slowly, she supported the man to enter the room and guided him to the bed.
"Oh my, this man must be heavily intoxicated."
The sharp scent of alcohol made Bella conclude immediately. After helping Edward lie on the bed, she kindly helped remove his shoes. Believing there was nothing else to worry about, Bella intended to leave.
However, Edward unexpectedly grabbed Bella's wrist as she was about to turn around. Turning, Bella quickly asked, fearing that Edward might need something.
"Mr. Edward... I apologize for intruding into your room. Do you need something?"
Edward still needs to respond. Instead of answering, he pulled Bella until she fell directly onto his body.
"Mr... Mr. Edward, what do you want to do?"
Edward didn't loosen his embrace at all. With half-closed eyes, he whispered right into Bella's ear.
"Are you not interested in having sex with me?"
Bella remembered well that she fell asleep shortly after Clara left her room that night.Several hours later, she woke up feeling thirsty. Slowly getting up, Bella immediately glanced around. Squinting at the nightstand, she believed it was only two in the morning.However, Bella felt like she had been sleeping for a long time. But, upon closer inspection, she realized she had only been asleep for about four hours.For some reason, that night she really wanted to drink cold water. Walking quietly, Bella decided to go to the dining room and get a glass of cold water.However, after finishing and heading back to her room, Bella was surprised. She found Edward, who had apparently fallen, sprawled on the floor.Bella took the initiative to help. She approached and helped Edward by taking him to his room. But, an unexpected event occurred. As she was about to leave, Edward suddenly grabbed Bella's wrist, preventing her from going anywhere."Mr. Edward? Do you need something?"Edward didn't
"Where are you going?"Bella's steps abruptly halted. She had already prepared to hurriedly leave the dining room. Truly, Bella wanted to play it safe. She was afraid Edward might call her to discuss last night's incident."I'm going back to my room, Sir.""Back?" Edward's eyes nAaroned reflexively. He gazed at Bella, who at that moment looked down as if afraid to meet his gaze. "Didn't you finish your food?"Bella immediately looked up. In her heart, she cursed her own foolishness for not being able to give a convincing answer. After all, if she wanted to play it safe, why not just say she had a stomach ache or urgently needed to use the restroom? Surely Edward wouldn't ask or give a lengthy response."Y-yes. I, uh---""What's wrong? Is there something important that made you stop eating?"Furthermore, Edward wasn't blind. He could clearly see that there was still a lot of food left on Bella's plate. Even if she was full, why take an excessive portion from the beginning only to end u
"Miss Bella, what are you doing?"Clara sounded concerned. Her face looked worried upon seeing Bella entering the kitchen and searching for some ingredients in the fridge."I'm bored and I feel like cooking dinner for myself tonight."Clara's brow immediately furrowed."Cooking? What do you want to eat? Just tell me. Let me prepare it for you."Bella smiled. Instead of listening, she continued to search for something in the fridge. Shortly after, she took out some frozen meat from the freezer and various types of vegetables and fruits."No, Clara. Please allow me to cook it myself. I miss eating my own Lancashire and Roast Meat.""But, Miss....""Just this once."Bella looked at Clara pleadingly, hoping she would allow her to cook and prepare her dinner herself just this once."Please," Bella said again."Alright. But just this once. If Miss Julia finds out, she'll be angry."Bella smiled happily. After getting permission, she quickly started preparing the ingredients she had taken fr
Edward just parked his Jeep Mercy G Wagon in the shooting arena's parking lot at Picadelli Shooting Arena. As he entered, he was greeted by Shawn, Samuel, Kairos, and Raphael, who had arrived earlier and were already playing.After being away for a while due to his busy schedule, Edward rejoined his friends today for shooting practice. Besides, he also had some matters to discuss with Samuel immediately."Goodness, Edward. You took forever. I've been bored without a decent opponent all this time."Kairos Maxweel grumbled. Among the five of them, they all shared the same hobbies: horseback riding, archery, and shooting. However, it was Kairos and Edward who had above-average skills in using firearms.Edward himself had a strong interest in shooting sports since he was a child. Moreover, his father, Eduardo Darkwood, fully supported his hobby. He even went as far as enrolling him in Kairos's father's shooting school."There were many things I had to take care of. Besides, you could spar
"What? Pregnant?"Still lying on the patient's bed, Bella shook her head in disbelief. She tried to keep herself composed and calm."Could the doctor have made a mistake in the examination?"Yes, who knows, maybe Doctor Samuel misdiagnosed. Even though Bella had previously engaged in inappropriate activities with Edward, she was sure it wouldn't have led to pregnancy right away.Just imagine, Edward only slept with her once. Even that night's incident happened unintentionally and was over quickly. Or, let's just consider it a passing fancy. So, it seemed absurd to Bella that she could be pregnant."I am very sure that you are pregnant right now."Bella blinked. She seemed awkward, continuously trying to deny what Samuel was telling her."I don't even feel nauseous, vomit, or any of the common symptoms pregnant women experience. My appetite is still very normal."Samuel didn't deny that."Not all pregnant women experience the same symptoms, Bella. In fact, some only start feeling nause
For the past few days, Bella has been having trouble sleeping. Even though Doctor Samuel had agreed to her request to keep her pregnancy status hidden, Bella still feels anxious.Up to this moment, Bella still hasn't suspected that there's a fetus growing in her belly. Let alone being pregnant, the thought of being intimate with a wealthy man has never crossed Bella's mind."You should know, I even had to risk my status as a doctor to help you hide the truth about this pregnancy. You need to remember, Bella. Like it or not, Edward has to take responsibility for what he's done to you. However it may be, you are the biological mother of the baby in your belly."Bella remembers Doctor Samuel's words clearly from the other day at the hospital. The man insisted that Bella should tell Edward the truth about what happened.God. If only Edward were single, Bella wouldn't hesitate to tell him and demand accountability for impregnating her.But what she's experiencing is quite different. Edward
"For God Shake, can't you stay longer?"Edward grumbled in frustration. In their bedroom, as they were about to sleep, he complained to Julia, who had just asked for permission to travel again.Edward thought Julia had intentionally returned early to make up for her long absence. But, who would have thought that now his wife was asking for permission to travel abroad again, citing the need to fulfill her professional work schedule."You've only been back for a week. And now? You're asking for permission to go back to Paris for two months? You're really pushing it."Julia sighed. Rising from her seat, she picked up her tablet from the nightstand. Opening the calendar feature, she then showed it to Edward."I'm not bragging. You can see the schedule Dior has issued. There are workshops, photoshoots, and fashion shows I have to attend for the next month."Edward sighed. His frustration hadn't subsided. He suddenly missed the times when Julia wasn't as famous as she was now. At the beginn
At the outset of his arrival in Paris, Edward admitted that he thoroughly enjoyed every moment he spent with Julia. Like a couple on their honeymoon, they spent a lot of time together.Every day, Julia took Edward around, visiting several romantic places they had visited at the beginning of their marriage to foster intimacy and rekindle their relationship.Edward admitted he was happy. Delighted to be able to enjoy quality time and be affectionate with the woman he loved so much. So happy, in fact, Edward even planned to extend his vacation time.However, the intimacy Edward felt didn't last long. On the sixth day in Paris, Julia received news that the workshop she was supposed to attend the following week was rescheduled to start two days earlier."Don't be mad, Darling. This wasn't my decision."Julia snuggled close to Edward, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. She squeezed his arm while occasionally giving him sweet kisses."You're the one who asked me to take a two-week break