Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Thirty-Nine

In the luxurious and opulent room, the cityscape unfolded during the day like a vibrant painting, displaying a vast and lively panorama. Soft sunlight bathed everything, highlighting the details of the tall buildings and creating beautiful shadows on the streets and squares. The sky was clear and pristine, adorned with fluffy white clouds, creating a beautiful and serene sky scene.

Levi gently swirled the wine glass in his hand, reclining and leisurely admiring the scenery before him. As soon as Bella left, he was no longer in the mood to stay at home and came here to meet some friends.

The city scene before the eyes, no matter what the weather, whether it is day or night, creates a very unique beauty and is worth seeing. However, when reminiscing about the scenes from the previous night, Levi couldn't help but express his amusement, saying, "The night scene is still much more beautiful and interesting."

What made that woman different from those he had encountered before? Why did images of that woman incessantly appear in his mind? Levi couldn't help but wonder. Although not the type to socialize at large parties, he had encountered various types of women with different personalities. But no one can make him excited like Bella.

"Is it because she is Max's wife?" Levi said softly, maybe he wasn't really interested in Bella's beauty and personality but because of her story and this secret relationship.

It's not really like that, because thinking back, the first time they met they had intense lovemaking all night long even though they didn't know each other at all before that. Because at that time, Bella didn't know him, so she treated him like a gigolo and treated him like that, even paying him.

"Thinking back... I felt offended at that time. How could she consider me a gigolo and still pay me?" Levi gazed at the ceiling, continuously muttering to himself, pondering seriously about his first encounter with Bella. He couldn't understand why his appearance led Bella to misunderstand him as a gigolo.

...

Bella focused on her work at the company, not wanting to bring any of it home. After graduating, she chose not to work and became a devoted housewife, waiting for her husband to come home every evening and bidding him farewell every morning. Her life revolved around Max, so even though she had plenty of time and no children, Bella paid little attention to her own appearance.

Since starting to work until now, a considerable amount of time has passed, and she has not fully mastered her job despite her excellent learning abilities. Perhaps spending the past three years revolving around the house had made her mind dull.

"If I had known, I would have worked instead of being a housewife for the past three years..." Bella murmured softly. It sounded simple, but at the time of the boom, she had to prove her capabilities like everyone else. Yet, she chose to marry and become a housewife. Blaming herself now only makes her regret more about the past time.

"As luck would have it, I found out... even though it took three years..." Despite self-reminders not to dwell on the past too much, Bella couldn't help but regret and resent what she had sacrificed to receive bitterness and be stabbed in the back.

As usual, after finishing work, Bella returned home. She didn't know when she and Max had created a distance between them—whether it was because Max was busy with Pearl or Bella's feelings for Max had started to cool after what she had seen.

Regardless of the reason, Bella no longer wanted to continue this fake marriage. Standing in front of the house she had shared with her husband for the past three years, Bella's heart felt frozen. Before, as a housewife, she often stayed at home, keeping the lights on to welcome Max back. Now it's not much different than before, she comes home earlier than Max so she's the one who prepares dinner for both of them.

As soon as Bella stepped into the house, right behind her she heard the sound of a car entering the garage. Max walked out wearing an elegant suit and smiled when he saw her. “Bella, what a perfect time. We go home at the same time.”

In reality, there was nothing surprising about it. Bella knew very well that they could come home together, but every time Max stayed a little longer at the office to confide in Pearl.

"Oh, I thought you'd be working overtime at the office." Bella switched to performance mode, welcoming him home as she used to, with a gentle and affectionate smile.

Externally, they appeared like a newlywed couple, deeply in love and tender with each other. This sweetness made the neighbors envy them.

Max stood in front of the door, looking at the woman before him. She was wearing a slightly above-the-knee office dress paired with a simple white shirt, and her long flowing hair looked incredibly alluring.

"Max? What's wrong? Come inside quickly, don't stand there staring at me like that," Bella gently called to him as she noticed Max lingering outside.

Only now did Max realize that his gaze was somewhat revealing, so he entered the house but embraced Bella from behind. Before Max's unexpected move, Bella stiffened, trying to force a smile as she asked, "What's wrong with you today? Is everything okay?"

Previously, whether he was in a good or bad mood, Max had never taken the initiative to hug her or share with her any frustrations he faced at work.

"Nothing. Let me hug you for a moment... Bella, do you love me?" Max asked.

Bella's smile froze on her face, fortunately, Max hugged her from behind, so he couldn't see her current expression. Seeing that she didn't answer immediately and remained silent, he asked again.

"Bella... do you love me?"

Bella reluctantly smiled and said, "Of course, I love you. If I didn't love you, how could I stay with you for so long?" Just when Bella thought that Max was in a bad mood and asked such questions, she believed that by casually responding to please him, the matter would be over.

But Bella immediately felt something hard poking her buttocks, making her shudder. She immediately understood what Max wanted.

"We've been married for three years... we've been through a lot together. Bella, don't you think it's time for us to have a child?" Max whispered in her ear.

Max wanted to have a child with her? Bella's head immediately started spinning, her whole body shivered not out of joy but disgust and aversion.

After all the deceitful things Max had done, he now wanted to have a child with her? Max thinks she was unaware of anything about his plans with Pearl? Max still believes she loves him as she did before? Or was Max trying to strengthen his position in her father's eyes?

Regardless, having been married for three years, those who didn't know might think they had just gotten married, so they hadn't planned on having a child yet. But those who knew might think differently; three years of marriage and Bella not getting pregnant surely indicated a problem in their marriage.

Bella laughed bitterly, mocking in her heart. In Max's eyes, she was just a pawn on the chessboard, a stepping stone for him to get what he wanted. If she really had a child with Max, wouldn't her child become a tool for manipulation?

Bella found Max's touches extremely uncomfortable and repulsive. She reluctantly smiled to get through it and gently pushed him away, "Max... we just came back from work... a day's work is exhausting. I want to rest and take a shower first."

Max could clearly see the fatigue on Bella's face, so he didn't insist. However, as she took a few steps away, he spoke.

"Let's go out for dinner. To celebrate, I've just bought a piece of land in the suburbs, and the upcoming project has been launched."

Bella felt that refusing at this moment would worsen the atmosphere, so she agreed, "Alright, I want to shower and change first."

"I wait for you," Max said with a smile.

Though Bella didn't know what Max's ulterior motives were in actively inviting her to dinner, for other couples, it might be normal. But for Bella, it was strange because Max always used work as an excuse to avoid being at home often, or sometimes he would say he had dinner with business partners, so he didn't have to have dinner with her. Bella knew very well that among the countless reasons Max told her, only about thirty percent were true, the rest were lies to give him time with Pearl without arousing suspicion.