Chapter Sixty-Three

Chapter Sixty-Three

Bella lay on the bed, her mind consumed with thoughts of her husband's relationship with Pearl. She couldn't understand why, but she found herself wanting them to be together more and more. When Max wasn't home, Bella felt much more at ease. She didn't have to play the role of the obedient and loving wife, nor did she have to pretend ignorance about her husband's infidelity.

Initially, Bella felt anger and resentment, but now she and Levi were also in a secretive relationship, much like Max and Pearl. Perhaps that's why Bella no longer felt resentment. Although she didn't want to harbor any special feelings for Levi, over time, she found herself involuntarily comparing him to her husband.

"If I compare them like this, the difference is too great," Bella muttered softly. If she were to weigh the two men, Levi would triumph in every aspect, from appearance to social status, and even in terms of his wealth, which far exceeded Max's.

If Max and Levi hadn't been high school classmates, these two men would have been no different from two parallel lines, for Max lacked the ability to approach or become a partner or rival to Levi.

But if it weren't for Max, Bella might not have met Levi. Regardless, the circumstances of their encounter and the reasons for their current relationship were nothing to celebrate.

Bella wasn't sure what Max and Levi had discussed, but while asleep, Bella heard a gentle knocking at the door, along with her husband's voice. However, upon recognizing it was her husband, Bella pretended to be sound asleep, pulling the covers closer.

Max thought that his wife was fast asleep and didn't hear him calling, so he returned to his room dejectedly. Max began to regret agreeing with Bella's previous decision to separate bedrooms. He and she are husband and wife, have been married for more than three years but have been sleeping separately for more than half a year.

If this were to be known to outsiders, especially Bella's father, Max didn't know how to explain. But if he were to talk to Bella, she would use work as an excuse, claiming fatigue and not wanting to share a bed with him.

Max didn't pursue the matter further, feeling somewhat guilty for not considering Bella's feelings before. Nevertheless, in his eyes, Bella loved him deeply and would always comply with his requests.

During this time, Max silently pondered how to become closer to his wife. He wanted to have a child with Bella. This desire wasn't solely his but also that of Bella's father. Furthermore, if he and Bella had a child, there was a possibility her father would trust him more and pass the company down to him. Since Mr. James only had Bella, he doted on her greatly, and inheriting his vast business empire, which he had built over the years, would surely be bestowed upon his beloved daughter.

Bella had only taken one day off, yet upon her return to work, her colleagues greeted her with smiles, making her feel expectedly touched and warm.

"Why did you take a day off yesterday? Diana said you were sick. Have you been to the hospital? Health comes first, we're only human, don't overwork yourself," Lauriel assumed Bella was truly ill and expressed her concern.

Bella also just smiled and thanked her because she couldn't tell the truth that she had made love so much that she was exhausted and couldn't wake up on time to go to work.

Being the center of attention made Bella feel somewhat awkward and unaccustomed. She never really had friends; rather, her former classmates viewed her as a bad person who stole everything from Pearl. Thus, Pearl naturally became Bella's only friend until now. Although Bella knew about Pearl's clandestine relationship with her husband, she never wanted to sever their friendship.

This feeling was somewhat strange but made Bella appreciate it nonetheless.

Work wasn't anything new, and Bella often worked overtime not because she aimed for a quick promotion but because work was the only thing that distracted her from thoughts of her husband's betrayal and her best friend's betrayal. Her colleagues and superiors assumed Bella was striving for a promotion or earning more money, but neither was true.

However, it wasn't entirely wrong to say she worked hard to earn more money. Besides her current job, she also worked as an exclusive model for a famous designer. Although the designer didn't always need her, whenever she did, she paid Bella generously.

If in the past, Bella only lived on her husband, she certainly would not have dared to spend such a large amount of money just to spite her best friend Pearl by buying an expensive dress.

By evening, Bella had just arrived home to find the lights on inside, which made her slightly suspicious. As soon as she opened the door, Max stepped forward to greet her, wearing a cheerful apron. "Bella, you're back late. Are you working overtime again tonight?"

"What are you doing? Why..." Married for almost four years, this was the first time Bella had seen Max wearing an apron and actively cooking dinner.

Max pulled out a chair for her, in front of a table full of delicious and visually appealing food, leaving Bella pleasantly surprised and speechless.

"This... This is... Max, did you really cook all of this?" Bella looked at the beautifully arranged and romantic meal before her, finding it hard to believe.

In addition to the impressive spread of hot and visually appealing dishes, there were candles in the middle of the table to add a romantic touch to the atmosphere. Max took off his apron; even though they were at home, he still dressed neatly and elegantly to enhance the romantic and luxurious ambiance.

"Max, what's the special occasion tonight?" Bella inquired, unable to understand what Max was up to.

Max chuckled at Bella's skeptical expression. "Don't be so surprised; there doesn't need to be any special occasion. I just want my wife to be happy. How do you feel? I did all this myself."

As Max spoke, he looked at Bella expectantly. Bella didn't disappoint him, expressing surprise and gratitude.

"I didn't think you were so thoughtful and romantic. I'm genuinely surprised, Max."

Although Max claimed he did everything just to bring joy and surprise to her, only Bella knew that the dishes on the table weren't made by him. Since Max didn't know how to cook, it was impossible for him to prepare such beautiful dishes in such a short time.

Max took out a bottle of expensive wine from the wine cabinet, bottles that he usually wouldn't touch. However, tonight, Max generously picked one to enjoy with his wife in this romantic dinner. He happily poured a glass for Bella and said, "A romantic dinner without wine would be a major oversight."

Bella smiled at the red liquid in the glass. "We're already married; you don't have to do this. Isn't this your favorite bottle of wine?"

Her husband wasn't a wine collector or a big drinker, yet he purchased expensive bottles, all displayed in that glass cabinet. Normally, Max wouldn't touch them, but tonight he voluntarily selected one to share with her, leaving Bella feeling a bit puzzled and suspicious.

"Indeed, but it's worthy of tonight," Max said.

Bella appeared cheerful as she dined. Her delicate hands moved gracefully and elegantly, touching the utensils with calm assurance.

She ate delicately and tastefully, making hardly any significant noise. Her movements with the knife, lifting the glass, or maneuvering the chopsticks turned each action into a small artistic performance, full of style and grace.

No matter how delicious the food was, Bella didn't show much enthusiasm on her face, just a slight smile. "I didn't expect your cooking skills to be this good."

Praised, Max smiled happily, his eyes constantly fixed on Bella's every move. He had never noticed before how beautifully and elegantly she ate, making him more fascinated with each glance.

"Bella, let's go on a trip tomorrow, where would you like to go? I remember you mentioned wanting to go to Hawaii before, shall we go there... Unless you've changed your mind-"

"Hold on, Max. Why do you suddenly want to travel with me?" Bella immediately interrupted Max's words, the romantic dinner laid out before her when she returned from work already sparked suspicion in her heart.

Now Max was suggesting a trip tomorrow without any prior notice. What exactly was he planning?

"Have you forgotten already? A few months ago, I mentioned that once the commercial center construction project was successful, I would make time for us to travel together. Now that the commercial center has been operational for a few weeks." Max explained.

It was only now that Bella remembered Max saying so, but at the time, she thought he was just casually saying it and had no intention of actually traveling with her. Because Max had broken promises too many times before, Bella thought he just said things casually when he was in a good mood and would quickly forget about it.

"Is that... too hasty? Besides, it's just a successful project. I think you're still busy with work..." Bella wasn't mentally prepared for a situation like this, so she didn't know how to refuse.

Max shook his head gently. "This time is different; it's not just an ordinary small project. Thanks to it, your father recognizes my abilities more than before, and moreover, getting that piece of suburban land also owes a lot to you. If it weren't for you agreeing to be the exclusive model for Levi's cousin, who is a designer I'm not sure if Levi has considered that land for me."