Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Bella couldn't tell how long she had been asleep, but as soon as she opened her eyes, she felt a sharp pain shooting through her lower back, causing her face to pale and emit a groan of agony. "It hurts so much... hmm... that damned bastard!"

"Just waking up to hear someone cursing at you isn't very pleasant, is it?" Levi chuckled, leaning against the wall and looking at Bella, causing her to sit up abruptly.

Observing Levi's alert demeanor, it was evident that he had been awake for quite sometime before her. Bella wondered how long he had been watching her sleep. She gently rubbed her temples; though she felt a bit dizzy, the discomfort wasn't unbearable.

As she became more lucid, Bella realized she was still at home, right in her own bedroom, and it was the morning of the next day. She immediately turned to look at Levi, the man was still smiling happily as if nothing happened and what was even more funny was that he was still as natural and casual as if this was his home.

"Why are you here? No, wait... why are you still here? You should've left last night, shouldn't you? If Max returns and finds—"

"He didn't come back home all night... seems like your husband spending the night outside is quite a common occurrence," Levi interrupted Bella, intentionally needling her.

What Levi said wasn't wrong. It's true that ever since she married Max, when she didn't know her husband was having an affair, she always believed that he stayed overnight at the company office for work, sometimes because of treated his business partners all night long.

At that time, apart from the frequent overnight stays outside, Max always treated her well and showed concern, though his inquiries and care were merely lip service with no real action. But Bella, foolishly, never noticed these as signs of her husband's betrayal.

Bella hated how this man seemed to see right through her; he always acted as if he knew everything about her while she knew nothing about him.

"That's none of your business; stop acting like you know me so well," Bella retorted uncomfortably, feeling humiliated and inferior as if she were portrayed as a fool and deceived by her husband for a long time without knowing it. Even if it weren't Levi saying it, but someone else, she would still feel the same.

Bella sneered sarcastically, recalling how Pearl had mocked her as foolish and worthless during that time.

Levi didn't get angry at her discomfort; he simply shrugged, asking, "What's wrong, my words poke at your sore spot? Furthermore, after last night, I took great care in tidying up everything after our affair; can't you at least thank me? I'm quite hurt, you know."

If Levi hadn't mentioned it, Bella wouldn't have noticed that her clothes had been changed, there were no clothes strewn on the floor, and there were no signs of dirt. Bella frowned at Levi, who was smiling as if expecting praise from her.

"Thank you for tidying up," Bella sighed, not understanding why she had to thank him.

Levi immediately brightened up, his smile even more radiant. "Your thanks don't sound sincere, but I'm generous enough to accept it."

"Yes... you're the most generous person I've ever met..." Bella said mockingly. "You should leave now; even if Max has gone to the office, you can't stay here any longer. I have to go to work now."

Bella sighed as she got out of bed. Although she had had a deep sleep after their intimacy, what had happened last night still weighed heavily on her, making her feel uneasy; every part of her body ached, especially that sensitive area.

But just as Bella set foot on the floor, she heard Levi say, "Why do you have to go to work now? Even if you go, it's already late."

"Huh?" Bella furrowed her brow, not yet grasping Levi's meaning when she saw the time displayed on her clock. "Ah! I'm late for work! Why didn't you wake me up earlier? Oh!"

Contrary to Bella's panic, Levi remained completely calm, lying back on the bed and saying, "Don't worry; I've already helped you request time off from your boss. And your boss has agreed."

Bella frowned at him, then looked at her phone. It turned out that while she was asleep, Levi had taken her phone and messaged Diana, asking for time off on her behalf, citing illness. Perhaps because Bella had never requested time off and often worked overtime at the company, Diana immediately approved Bella's leave and wished her a speedy recovery to return to work.

Bella sighed, feeling somewhat relieved, but she was still uncomfortable as she spoke to Levi, "Next time, don't just casually touch my phone."

Levi didn't reply, only shrugged as if agreeing to Bella's request.

Despite knowing that Max was at the company at the moment, Bella couldn't allow Levi to continue staying in the house.

"Why do you keep wanting to kick me out?" Levi complained.

Bella remained uncompromising, immediately pushing him towards the front door. "I don't care. No matter what, you have to leave my house right away. Don't you see how intrusive you're becoming?"

Pushed out by Bella, Levi was dissatisfied but complied with her request, speaking before the door closed, "Maybe I should buy this house from you."

"What?" Bella was surprised.

"Then I'll be the one kicking you out," Levi tilted his head, teasingly looking at Bella. But Bella just smirked contemptuously and promptly closed the door.

Before going to work, Bella used to spend a lot of time at home, but she never felt idle or wanted to do something for herself. Just over half a year into her job, she hadn't taken a single day off, including Sundays or holidays; Bella would either work at the company or bring work home.

"It's been a while since I felt this relaxed. Not a single message, huh?" Bella looked at her phone, aside from an email from Diana accepting her leave request, there was no message from Max.

Max didn't come home last night; he was probably working at the company now. Bella couldn't help but laugh; she and Pearl were the oldest and closest friends. Yet during all this time, Bella had completely failed to recognize Pearl as a cunning woman who knew how to keep a man interested and devoted to her.

Taking a sip of coffee, Bella mused, "Ha... I thought Max would start getting tired of Pearl's arrogance and domineering attitude by now, but apparently not enough to make him fed up." Before becoming a wife, Bella was also Max's only girlfriend and ultimately his last, so she understood Max very well. Max liked a woman who listened to him and complied with his every request.

Of course, Max wasn't someone who made ridiculous demands and forced her to do things. But perhaps Max understood that she held great value in advancing her career, so he both restrained and indulged her, making her always believe that Max loved her very much. Silly and sentimental reasons like these were why Bella could still believe.

But Bella wasn't in a rush; indeed, Pearl knew how to pamper and please Max, making him fond of her. But only she knew what Max needed and wanted. After all, the time they spent together, both before and after marriage, was not short, and during that time, Bella had constantly strived to understand Max better.

"It's okay... let her have her way for a while, and then..." Bella couldn't help but laugh. She and the two of them continued to be together because they deserved it, as a wife and as a close friend. Bella wanted the best for both of them.

Today, not having to go to work, Bella wanted to visit her father. Since she got married, she rarely visited her father. Partly because her father was still managing the company; although he was old, he was healthy and didn't want to retire yet. On the other hand, it was because in the past, her life seemed to revolve solely around Max and caring only about Max.

Bella drove straight to the company's headquarters, stepping out of the car with an air of arrogance and grandeur as she entered the reception area.

"...Good morning, how may I assist you?" The receptionist asked politely, her trademark beautiful smile instantly endearing her to anyone who looked at her.

Bella removed her sunglasses and smiled, saying, "I'm here to see my father."

Even in this main office, everyone recognized the chairman's daughter. Unlike at the subsidiary companies, here everyone knew she was the chairman's daughter.

"Please wait a moment while I inform his secretary," Bella lightly tapped her finger on the reception desk. Just a few seconds later, the receptionist smiled and said, "He's waiting for you in his office. Have a great day."

"You too." Bella smiled and quickly stepped into the elevator.

As soon as she entered the chairman's office, Bella was warmly welcomed by her father with a tight hug.