Bellas heart plummeted at the sight of Claire Randall and Jake Ryan standing hand in hand beside Jakes car. The warmth and joy that had enveloped her moments before seemed to seep away, replaced by a chill that crept up her spine.
"Bella, are you almost done?" Her colleagues voice carried over, jolting not only her but also the pair by the car. They turned around simultaneously, and upon seeing Bella, their expressions shifted.
Jake quickly released Claires hand and strode towards Bella with a calm gait. Claire, left behind, could only glare at his retreating figure, her anger barely contained. The words men spoke were indeed unreliable; he had claimed that Bella was his true love, yet one glance at her and he seemed to forget everything else.
"Bella, your sister mentioned you were here, so I came to see you," Jake said, pulling her into a warm embrace. His voice was hoarse with suppressed emotion as he whispered into her ear, "I missed you."
"Really...?" Bella stood stiffly, allowing him to hold her, her gaze flicking towards Claire, who was a few steps away. There was no guilt in Claires stance, no sign of deceit. Their clasped hands seemed innocent, and Bella found no reason to suspect an affair. Yet, a seed of doubt had been planted in her heart.
"Silly girl," Jake affirmed with a smile, his eyes darting towards Claire before returning to Bella. He reached into his pocket and produced a delicate jewelry box, placing it in her palm. "Happy birthday, my little bride."
Bellas heart raced, her cheeks flushing with heat. "How did you...?"
She wanted to ask how he knew to bring the gift here, but he cut her off, his warm voice filled with affection. "Ill be gone for a long time and I cant bear to be away from you."
Bellas cheeks burned even more, her ears turning a deep red. He called her his little bride—a term hed never used before.
"I have to go. Be good and wait for me, and remember to miss me," Jake said, ruffling her hair and placing a tender kiss on her forehead before turning and walking away.
Bella clutched the jewelry box tightly, feeling as if she were on fire. She watched him get into his car, her gaze following until he disappeared from sight.
"He went out of his way to pick me up from the orphanage and asked me to bring him to you," Claire said with a hint of mockery, her eyes lingering on the jewelry box in Bellas hand with a venomous glare before forcing herself to look away. That gift was meant for her!
"Thank you, sister," Bella said, tucking the box safely into her bag with a blissful smile, not noticing Claires foul expression.
"Im meeting up with friends," Claire huffed, leaving with a storm of anger in her steps.
Bella stood there, smiling foolishly for a moment, then unconsciously turned to watch Claires retreating figure. Her hurried pace was the same as when she was upset. The sweet feelings faded, and the seed of doubt that had been planted began to sprout.
Claire had known Jake longer, and their relationship was more like close friends. There had been few moments of such intimacy. Yet, they were both so composed, making it hard for Bella to suspect Jake of cheating or Claire of stealing her boyfriend.
She remembered how she met Jake so unexpectedly. In her first year of junior high, she was cornered by school bullies who warned her not to score first in exams and even hit her. Jake, who was in college at the time, and Claire, who was in high school, had come to her rescue. Jake not only saved her but also used his influence to force the bullies to apologize.
As they got to know each other, Jake began to pursue her, never minding the scar on her face, and he wouldnt allow anyone to gossip about her appearance. With his protection, she was never bullied again during her high school years.
After graduating from high school, she finally agreed to be his girlfriend. It had been less than half a year since they started dating. If Claire and Jake had anything going on, it would have happened already...
Across the street, a Rolls-Royce that had been parked for a while slowly pulled away. Inside the car, Simon awkwardly touched his nose, not daring to look at Edward Cullens expression.
The person who was supposed to have died years ago was now alive and right in front of them, but she belonged to another man.
The car was silent, the air filled with a sense of suppression.
Edward leaned back, his long fingers covering his eyes, his thin lips pressed tightly together.
His little wife had fallen in love with another man, allowing this man to hold and kiss her. Thinking of the scene he had just witnessed, his eyes, as bright as stars, dimmed inexplicably.
"Mr. Edward, shall we head back to the company or to Garden District?" Simon asked, keeping his voice low.
Edward didnt speak, his hand slowly moving away from his eyes as he sat up thoughtfully.
No matter how she had changed, in his heart, she would always be the little girl who liked to hold onto his clothes, looking up at him with bright, big eyes, meekly asking for his embrace.
His memory was correct, and he had found the right person.
The current strangeness was only temporary; sooner or later, she would remember who he was.
"Should I remind Mrs. Edward?" Simon asked, seeing Edwards silence and instinctively sighing.
His voice wasnt loud, but Edward heard it clearly.
"Remind her of what?" Edward asked, taking a sip of water in a slow and deliberate manner, his dark eyebrows slightly furrowed.
The game had just begun, and it would be no fun to rush to reveal the answers.
His thin lips pressed together, he took out his phone and flipped through his photo album in a light tone. "How is the wedding preparation going?"
"Everything is going smoothly," Simon replied, looking back with a probing tone. "Should we inform the elder Mr. Edward?"
Edwards eyes lifted, his eyes emitting a cold, sharp light as he stared straight at Simon.
Simon realized he had spoken out of turn and immediately fell silent.
Bella finished her part-time job and changed back into her clothes at the bridal shop. She took the bus back to school directly.
Mondays class was very important, and she must not be absent.
She made it into the dormitory building just before it was locked, not unexpectedly hearing the resident aunts nagging again. She smiled stealthily, holding her bag tightly, and ran upstairs with light steps.
Regarding her birthday, she didnt have much of an impression; she had always celebrated the date on her ID.
Receiving a gift was an unexpected surprise, especially when it was from Jake. In fact, he had prepared a gift every year, but this time, she was his girlfriend, not just his little sister.
He was the eldest grandson of the Ryan family in Boston, having graduated from college for only a year. As expected, he would go abroad to continue his finance masters degree at the end of the year. Speaking of which, whether it was his appearance or background, he was more than excellent.
The line of girls who wanted to pursue him could circle the city of Boston once. Among them, she was not only inconspicuous but might also be the ugliest.
Yet, he liked her, and every time she saw his smile, she felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.
With a sweet expression, she entered the dormitory, and her classmates were already asleep.
Bella stuck her tongue out, made her movements as quiet as possible as she climbed onto her bed, covered herself with an air-conditioned quilt, turned on the flashlight of her phone, and carefully opened the jewelry box.
It was a thin platinum necklace.
Jake had once said that her skin was very fair, and her neck was especially beautiful. If she were to wear jewelry, platinum would be the most suitable, like a little princess...
With a curved eyebrow and eye, she carefully put the necklace away, turned off the flashlight, and lay down carefully.
She had a dreamless sleep, and she woke up before 6 a.m., not making a sound as she went to wash up, changed into her exercise clothes, and went for a morning run.
After running for a circle, she found that there were more people running that day, especially pretty girls with long legs.
Bella took off her headphones and followed one of the students, asking in a low voice what was going on.
"You dont know what youre running for?" The classmate glanced at her, a hint of mockery in the smile on her lips. "But even if you knew, you wouldnt have a chance to be chosen."
Bella was not bothered by the taunt; such comments had become numbingly familiar to her. She matched the pace of the speaker and inquired again, learning that the Economics Department had hired a visiting professor. It was amusing to her; she had thought a president or some dignitary had arrived, causing such a commotion among the universitys female students.
Since the start of term, she had jogged every morning and never encountered this throng of girls. It occurred to her that the new professor must be quite handsome, as appearances did matter in this superficial world.
She put her headphones back on and