Chapter 78
Bella could feel her irritation rise as she continued listening to the man..
“Listen…” he was about to continue when, at that very moment, the door swung open and Ethan stood there. Bella ripped the phone from her ear immediately, her head snapping to the open door where Ethan stood, a questioning look etched on his face.
He stepped into the room, and Bella stood, attempting to appear composed, the phone clutched tightly in her hands.
“You’re home early,” she stated almost breathlessly, her words carrying a hint of surprise attempting to deflect any suspicion that might arise from the abrupt end to her secretive conversation.
“Yes,” he replied, his eyes searching her features with a discerning intensity.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, his brows furrowing suspiciously, as if sensing a disturbance in the atmosphere.
“Huh?” she asked, looking up with wide, innocent eyes, a practiced guise of normalcy.
“No nothing,” she denied immediately, attempting to deflect any scrutiny.
You sure? You sounded like you were having an issue.” he queried, his gaze briefly flickering towards her phone, catching the subtle unease in her demeanor as her grip around it tightened even more.
“It’s nothing, just one of the artists. He’s demanding to be paid more for the exhibition where we’re displaying his paintings,” she explained,her attempt at casualness at odds with the tight grip on the phone, casting shadows of secrecy in the room.
Ethan’s features relaxed as he processed her explanation.
“You should arrive at a decision before starting; that’s not legal. Do you need my help? Need me to step in?” he offered, displaying a genuine concern for her predicament.
“It sounds serious,” he observed, his attention fully on her.
“No!” she replied immediately, her denial quick and almost defensive.
“What’s his name, the name of this artist?” Ethan probed, seeking more information to assess the situation.
“No, don’t worry. I’ll handle it myself. It’s nothing,” she laughed anxiously, attempting to downplay the severity of the issue. Ethan, however, continued to stare at her, a lingering doubt apparent in his
in his gaze.
“It’s nothing serious, really,” she assured, maintaining her stance, knowing she had to sound. convincing to dissuade Ethan from delving further into the matter.
“It’s nothing I can’t handle. I’ll take care of this myself,” she insisted, her words laced with determination as she tried to redirect Ethan’s attention away from the potentially troublesome situation.
She shifted uncomfortably under his piercing gaze, the room hanging heavy with unspoken tension, as he studied her for what felt like an eternity.
“Okay, he replied finally, breaking the silence, his lingering gaze leaving a trail of unanswered questions. With that, he turned and headed towards their bedroom, the atmosphere still carrying the weight of his scrutinizing stare.
Bella walked across the room, shutting the door he had left ajar. The click of the closing
door resonated, sealing the room off from prying eyes and curious ears. The call remained connected, a lingering thread connecting her to the shadows of her clandestine dealings. “Oh, was that Mr. Wild?” Gabriel sneered through the phone, his malicious tone cutting through the silence as he cackled, reveling in Bella’s discomfort and dilemma.
“He does sound like a dutiful husband, too bad.” he added, his words dripping with sarcasm. “Stop it, Bella said, her patience waning as she struggled to endure his mocking tone.
“Why did you lie? I thought you said you were done?” he sneered, reveling in the apparent contradiction of her actions.
“You should have just told him, he continued, breaking into laughter that echoed through the phone.
“Enough!” she yelled angrily, the frustration evident in her voice as she tried to silence his
taunts.
He chuckled, seemingly finding amusement in her discomfort.
“I really thought for a moment, you were done with all the lies and tired of our little transactions and wanted to come clean,” he chuckled more then broke into full laughter. Suddenly, he stopped laughing, his tone turning cold and serious.
“Fifty thousand,” he ordered, his demand cutting through the remnants of their previous exchange.
“I can’t right now. I can’t use my regular accounts; I’ll use the company’s own, so it doesn’t arouse suspicion. But it has to be tomorrow,” she explained, attempting to reach an agreement and compliance.
“Fine, due to the delay, seventy thousand by tomorrow. Nothing less than that,” he ordered, his words carrying an uncompromising weight. With that, he abruptly hung up, leaving Bella to deal with the thoughts of how to have the amount wired to his account. She flung her phone away in frustration, releasing an angry hiss. Then the realization dawned on her, she swiftly grabbed her phone and dialed his number.
“Why seventy? You said fifty before!” she thundered the moment he picked up, her irritation evident in every word.
“Well, you couldn’t give me the money today, so I borrowed it to you today, with an interest, of course, twenty thousand,” he stated gleefully, his tone indicating a twisted satisfaction at the complications of their arrangement.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” she asked, struggling to comprehend the audacity of his demands.
“Well, this is how business works. I need the money you owe me, so what else do I do? I borrow. So now you’ve got to pay me with interest,” he explained.
She didn’t even have the energy to argue. With a frustrated sigh, she hung up the phone, tossing it away as if trying to distance herself from the infuriating conversation.
Stupid mutt, she muttered under her breath. The anger simmered within her, a turbulent brew threatening to spill over. She felt an overwhelming urge to rip out her hair, to release the pent–up frustration that coiled within.
Bella bir her lips, her pacing around the room mirroring the turmoil in her mind.
This cannot continue.” She breathed angrily.
“I’m going to have to deal with this thing once and for all. She stated.
Ethan stood for a moment, deep in thought. Bella’s recent discussions didn’t carry the usual air of business; instead, they hinted at a sense of coercion, like she was being forced to
comply
The anxious way she had abruptly ended the call upon his entrance raised suspicion. He realized he hadn’t been paying enough attention, but now it seemed Bella was becoming increasingly sneaky.
This behavior had begun the previous night when the pack was intruded upon.
He sat in his study, lost in contemplation. Beyond the fact that she was his mate and wife, Ethan realized he knew remarkably little about Bella.
She said she had been orphaned, with every other family member deceased. His inquiries about her past were met with vague responses. She claimed to have scant recollection of events after an accident she was involved in shortly before he found her. This explained,
The she said, why some of the details she shared had loopholes and didn’t quite add up. shroud of mystery around her past:
to deepen with every conversation they had on the topic now he thought about it.
He had never thought of delving into Bella’s past until Chris, his beta, raised suspicions. about her promising to look into her. However, the night before their planned discussion, tragedy struck, and Chris was murdered.
Ethan sighed. It seemed Bella held secrets. He he had ignored it long enough, maybe it was time to look into her past. Who was Bella before she became Mrs Wild?”
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