Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Bella quickly covered the marks on her neck with her hand, facing Pearl's stunned expression. Bella hesitated before saying, "You know, about last night... my husband and I had an amazing night. Why do you look so surprised? It's not something unusual."

Both women, being mature adults, naturally knew the origin of the marks on Bella's neck. Bella's embarrassed expression and awkward demeanor made Pearl feel even more uncomfortable.

"Oh... it's nothing. I was just a bit surprised. You didn't usually show it before," Pearl reluctantly smiled and said.

Bella, intrigued by Pearl's unnatural demeanor, continued, "I didn't usually show it. Maybe it accidentally got revealed, and that's why you noticed. My husband and I have been married for three years, so, of course, these marks are expected. In fact, I like it when Max leaves passionate kisses on my body; it makes me feel how much he loves me intensely." Bella spoke nonchalantly, boasting about the affection between her and her husband.

Pearl's face turned even paler, but she forced a smile and said, "Well... your husband does love you indeed."

"Of course, my husband loves me very much; otherwise, he wouldn't intentionally leave such clear marks on my neck like this. Alright, remember to bring the documents for Max. I have to get back to work," Bella said cheerfully, leaving the room, ignoring Pearl standing there in shock.

Instead of going straight back to work, Bella entered the women's restroom, stood in front of the mirror, and took out the concealer she had prepared to cover the marks that Max had left on her neck. She deliberately chose not to hide them while at home, wanting to provoke Pearl and see her reaction.

Thinking about Pearl's stunned expression and her forced smile, Bella couldn't help but laugh. "I have many more tricks, Pearl." Only after removing all traces from her neck was Bella satisfied, putting away the concealer and calmly returning to her office.

In her office, Pearl was seething with anger, as if wanting to murder someone, glaring towards the door. Twice, Bella had managed to needle her to a point where she couldn't retaliate. Recalling the clear marks on Bella's neck and Bella's words, Pearl grew even more furious.

Max had promised her that he would never touch Bella, and Pearl wanted Max to be more captivated by her. She always took the initiative to invite and seduce Max. Bella used to have a backward and rustic style, and everyone thought she was poor. But now, Bella had changed drastically.

Pearl used to be confident that Max wouldn't touch Bella because, like Pearl, he despised Bella's outdated and unattractive appearance. However, Pearl's confidence was now shaken. She also noticed the change in Max's gaze towards Bella, especially last night when Bella wore a tight black dress with a high slit, making it impossible for Max to look away.

Although Max continued to pamper and fulfill all of Pearl's requests, even rushing to her side when she called, it wasn't enough for Pearl's confidence. Pearl bit her nails, pacing around the room. She didn't know what to do at this point—aside from anger, Pearl could only feel more anger.

"Should I ask Max directly?... No, he'll think I'm clueless, and he might get angry with me. That would only harm myself.... But it's also possible that nothing happened between Max and Bella, he came to me last night." Pearl suddenly realized that when she called Max last night, he had immediately come to her.

Many questions swirled in her mind, making it impossible for Pearl to focus on the documents in front of her. It took a while for Pearl to calm down and carefully ponder recent events.

Although she had become calmer, Pearl couldn't shake off Bella's recent words. It was a challenge for her to prevent herself from meeting Max and asking him about what happened last night. In the end, Pearl chose to believe that nothing happened between Max and Bella last night. Pearl organized the documents and brought them to Max; her main job was to arrange appointments, meetings, and necessary documents for him. Due to the nature of their relationship, Pearl didn't need to knock before entering Max's room.

"Max, I brought the documents for you," Pearl said with a bright smile as she approached, standing close to Max without hesitation.

Max didn't pay much attention to Pearl; he simply nodded and continued working. Despite Pearl standing next to him, he showed no interest.

Pearl furrowed her brow slightly. "What's wrong, Max?" She was displeased with his attitude. Clearly, they had shared an intense night together, but today Max seemed indifferent. Was he not satisfied with her from the previous night, or had she done something wrong?

Max stopped typing and turned to look at Pearl. He sighed before saying, "Pearl, do you remember the rules between us?"

Pearl didn't understand Max's point. "Why are you suddenly talking about the rules between us? What did I do to upset you?"

Max saw that Pearl was confused and decided to clarify, "Pearl, I've mentioned that when I'm at home, you're not supposed to call me. You're also not supposed to disturb me when I'm with Bella. Do you realize that your calls could create misunderstandings for Bella?"

"What are you talking about? You upset because I bothered you while you were with Bella?" Pearl seemed on the verge of exploding, not wanting Max to scold her because of Bella.

"I'm not angry, but I want you to understand the relationship between us and what we're aiming for. You can't be so selfish, Pearl. Your selfishness could ruin our plans. Do you want that?" Max sighed, having been careful with every word over the years for the sake of their plan and also because of Pearl.

Recently, Max felt that Pearl was becoming more and more unreasonable, intentionally showing off in front of Bella. Fortunately, Bella was a naive woman who didn't notice, but just because Bella didn't realize didn't mean the employees in the company were oblivious. Rumors about the ambiguous relationship between the two of them were not baseless.

Pearl remembered what Bella had said and the marks on Bella's neck. Now, Max was scolding her loudly, and she couldn't hold back her frustration. "How can you say I'm selfish? Are you trying to abandon me, Max? You're not allowed to abandon me. I'm the one who has been by your side until the end. Don't forget that Bella is just a pawn in our plan. You can't blame me because of her."

Max couldn't accept Pearl's stubbornness and her lack of awareness. Despite loving Pearl, he held a position as the company's director. Since Pearl joined the company, he had tolerated her many times, not only refraining from blaming her when she made mistakes but also helping her fix everything. However, he couldn't continue ignoring the dissatisfaction of the employees in the company.

"Why did you drag Bella into this? The problem is you, Pearl. Stop your arrogant and ignorant attitude, and try to understand a little. Whether at the company, at home, or anywhere else, you should know your place and behave appropriately." Max felt that Pearl had changed and was no longer the obedient Pearl he once knew.

Max's words hit Pearl hard, and she couldn't believe that Max was scolding her because of Bella. She placed all the blame on Bella, thinking that Bella had interfered in their love.

Max didn't want to argue about this absurd issue with Pearl. The more he spoke, the more Pearl would misinterpret things. Max sighed again, "Alright, go back to your room and think about it. I don't want us to continue arguing meaninglessly."

"MAX!" Pearl shouted, but Max remained indifferent, looking at the documents without paying attention to her. Max's cold attitude made Pearl cry on the spot, but she didn't leave because she knew that leaving now would only worsen the relationship between her and Max.