"Claire and Jake have known each other since childhood; theyre good friends," Bella responded coolly, turning away from her.
Jake wouldnt deceive her. If he had liked Missus Shaw, he wouldnt have bothered to court her, not when she had so little to offer, including her disfigured face.
"You really do love him," Claire scoffed with a hint of disdain, throwing off her thin blanket and getting out of bed.
Bella turned back, regarding her with confusion. "Are you feeling unwell, or are you hungry?"
Claire was dressed in a very provocative, black silk nightgown with nothing underneath, her seductive appearance enough to make Bella swallow hard. Any man who saw her would likely go mad.
"Too stuffy in here, Im going downstairs to cool off. Go to sleep early and dont wait up for me," Claire said, brandishing her phone as she left the room.
Bella blinked, biting back the words that rose to her lips. Was it necessary to dress so provocatively just to cool off? Moreover, Claire seemed a bit too interested in Jake, mentioning him several times throughout the evening. Did she really think Bella was oblivious?
The sound of footsteps outside the door gradually faded away, and Bella looked at her phone, shrugged, and turned off the light to sleep. Although the headmistresss surgery fees were resolved, she was still worried; she felt the man wouldnt give her such a large sum without a reason.
She exhaled, closed her eyes, and eventually fell asleep.
Outside the staff building of the orphanage.
Claire slipped through the quiet path, stealthily made her way to the back door, took out a key, and opened it to leave.
The night was thick, and a Bentley was parked under the streetlight, its prestigious and refined body reflecting a few hints of luxurious light.
Behind the car window, a figure was faintly visible, with the occasional red light flickering on and off.
Claire stood in the shadows, made sure no one was around, and then rushed over, pulling open the car door and sitting in the back seat.
"Thought you werent coming out," the man chuckled, pulling her onto his lap and inhaling the fragrance of her body deeply. "Is Bella asleep?"
"Why do you care so much about her?" Claire pouted in discontent. "Dont hold me in your arms while thinking of her."
"What are you talking about? Youre the only one I care about," Jake Ryan murmured with a smile, sealing her lips with a kiss...
The air was too stuffy, and the room didnt have an air conditioner, causing Bella to wake up before dawn due to the heat.
It was Sunday, and she had nothing planned for the day, but she didnt expect it to be this hot.
After taking a shower, she saw Claire still sleeping and tiptoed out, going downstairs to help in the cafeteria.
The orphanage was not doing well financially, and with the headmistresss illness, several aunts were considering resigning.
Bella didnt know how to persuade them, so she just tried her best to help out.
After taking care of the other children at the orphanage and having breakfast, she turned to go back to the staff building when she accidentally saw the vice principal leading a group of people, looking worried, coming from the main gate.
The sun had just risen, and the heat was already starting to rise, but the man walking behind the vice principal seemed to be covered in a layer of frost, and one could feel the cold from a distance.
He was quite tall, at least 6 feet 3 inches, wearing a retro, round-collared white shirt with all the buttons fastened meticulously. Below were black trousers, the color as dark as ink, making his legs look particularly straight and long.
Her gaze moved upward, landing on his face, which was as sculpted and well-defined as a carving. She blinked subconsciously, her mind thunderstruck, and a layer of sweat broke out on her back.
Why did he find the orphanage, and was it for her to repay the money? She was puzzled when she heard the vice principal weakly call her over. "Bella, come here."
"Vice Principal," Bella responded, taking off her apron, smoothing her lips, and trying to walk over as calmly as possible. "Whats the matter?"
"This is Mr. Edward from Darcy Enterprises. Youre the headmistresss daughter; you should also listen to the discussion about the acquisition of the orphanage," the vice principals voice was hoarse, clearly affected by the situation.
Bella caught the key point in her words and was taken aback, instinctively looking at Mr. Edward. "Acquisition? What does that mean?"
He had given her money and now was here to discuss the acquisition. There was indeed no such thing as a free lunch; the man was extremely generous when giving money, but it turned out he had ulterior motives.
The vice principal briefly explained the situation, leading the group to the reception room of the orphanage with a dispirited expression. The financial situation of the orphanage was worse than Bella had imagined; it had reached a point where expenses exceeded income.
Due to the headmistresss illness and the inability to raise medical fees, they were preparing to sell the orphanage. Bellas mind was in turmoil, feeling both angry and resentful as she followed the vice principal. She would have preferred to ask Jake for help if she had known this mans intentions.
The reception room was very shabby. Bella expressionlessly poured tea for them and stood quietly to one side.
He had given her fifty million the other day and now came to discuss the acquisition in person. The coincidence was too obvious. Otherwise, how could he have appeared at the hospital lobby in the middle of the night with his people carrying blank checks?
These real estate developers were still so disgusting; they used any means to achieve their goals. She had naively thought she had encountered a good person.
"The headmistress has just had surgery and hasnt woken up yet. Mr. Edward, could we postpone the discussion about the acquisition for a few days?" The vice principal tried to appeal to his emotions, her eyes reddening as she spoke. "Its also not easy to relocate the children in the institution all at once; we hope Mr. Edward could be accommodating."
Edwards eyes slightly lifted, seemingly not hearing her words, his gaze directly on Bella, with an inscrutable expression.
She really didnt remember him, looking at him as if he were a stranger, with a hint of hatred in her eyes. It was the same expression she had when he hid her toys as a child, and she couldnt find them.
The silence in the reception room became eerie, and the atmosphere noticeably dropped.
The vice principal, feeling parched, spoke at length only to find that the other party wasnt listening at all, causing her face to flush with embarrassment. "Mr. Edward?"
"Ill talk to her," Edward said with a thin, cold tone, pointing to Bella as he spoke indifferently.
"Ah..." The vice principal let out an involuntary exclamation, shocked to see Edwards face darken, and an unexplained chill ran down her spine.
She wasnt familiar with the business world but knew how significant Darcy Enterprises was.
The Mr. Edward in front of her didnt seem to be over 30 years old, yet he exuded an innately noble temperament, and his aura was incredibly powerful.
"Vice Principal, you go out first," Bella also noticed Edwards odd expression and quickly tried to smooth things over. "Everything will be fine; the orphanage will not be sold no matter what."
The vice principal let out a bitter smile, reluctantly leaving the room.
As soon as she left, the several people who came with Edward retreated like robots, silently and seamlessly, and considerately closed the door behind them.
The old wooden door made a loud noise, causing Bellas back to stiffen for a moment, but she quickly calmed down and looked at the man on the sofa with poise.
His refined attire contrasted sharply with the worn, chipped sofa, yet there was no sense of disharmony. It was as if he was in a place where the surroundings could not affect him at all.
"What does Mr. Edward want to discuss?" Bella tried to maintain her composure, her hands unconsciously clutching the hem of her shirt.
The cotton plaid shirt quickly gathered large wrinkles from her grip.
"Edward," Edward noted her small actions, a pleasure arc barely lifting at the corners of his lips. His little wife had grown up, yet her habit of bluffing hadnt changed.