Chapter 196: Unexpected

Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Unexpected

Bella Thorne lay listlessly on the bed, so sullen and lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice someone pushing the door open.

It wasn’t until a tall figure quietly drew near, pressing gently against her back from behind, that she was aware of anything. Warm, firm arms then slid around her, pulling her completely into an embrace.

"Why so glum? Did you miss me these past few days?"

The man’s deep, magnetic voice, tinged with a lazy huskiness, murmured next to her ear. A steady, scorching heat radiated from his body through her clothes, enveloping her securely.

Bella Thorne’s body stiffened. She snapped her head up, her gaze crashing straight into the man’s deep, dark eyes.

Her heart clenched, and for some reason, her eyes began to sting. They instantly reddened as she pursed her lips and muttered sullenly.

"I didn’t."

Tristan Forrester chuckled softly, the vibration of his chest rumbling against her back. His voice was husky and alluring.

"You really didn’t? Hmm?"

Nestled in his arms, Bella said in a muffled voice, "You didn’t miss me, so why should I miss you?"

Tristan Forrester raised an eyebrow, tightening his arm around her. His tone was laced with casual playfulness.

"How do you know I didn’t miss you?"

Bella immediately turned around, puffing out her cheeks to glare at him, her eyes tinged with jealousy.

"I saw a certain someone living it up in Portclyde, a beauty by his side day after day. How could you possibly remember little old me, uncared for and unloved?"

Tristan Forrester reached out and held her chin, the calloused pad of his thumb slowly caressing her delicate skin. His eyes held a hint of resignation.

"Getting jealous, little one?"

Bella immediately turned her face away, stubbornly denying it.

"Of course not."

He looked down at her, his tone steady and serious as he patiently explained.

"All that stuff online is just baseless rumors. You can’t take it seriously, so don’t let it get to you."

"She doesn’t really have any family in Portclyde, and on top of that, she’s sick. I was the only one she could turn to for help."

Bella stared at him blankly, ripples spreading through her heart.

’He’s... Is he actually explaining things to me?’

Seeing her staring blankly, Tristan Forrester gently squeezed her chin.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Say something."

Bella sniffled, her voice still a bit nasal as she asked softly, "What kind of sickness does she have? Is it serious?"

Tristan’s tone was flat. "Breast cancer. She needs surgery."

Bella’s heart tightened, and she immediately pressed, "Is it very serious?"

"The situation is still manageable. Surgery should be enough."

Hearing this, Bella quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

’Justine Hughes absolutely cannot have something happen to her. Tristan already has a place for her in his heart. If she were really gone, he’d never be able to forget her.’

’You can slowly grow distant from the living and forget them, but once someone dies, they become an eternal regret, a memory etched into your heart that you can never forget.’

Bella hesitated. "Then... do you still have feelings for her?"

"Why would you think that? I married you, and I will be responsible for you to the very end. She and I are in the past. There’s no future for us."

’He had indeed had feelings for Justine Hughes, but those feelings ended the moment she gave up the chance to marry him!’

’As a man, and especially as her husband, he had to shoulder his responsibilities.’

’At first, he had been unhappy with his grandfather’s meddlesome matchmaking. He’d only ever seen Bella Thorne as a little sister to be looked after, never imagining he would marry her.’

’But after two years of living together day in and day out, he had slowly come to see her true nature: she was well-behaved, innocent, and simple. He didn’t mind living with her.’

Bella looked up at him, her voice soft and sweet, tinged with an inexplicable joy.

"Really? You’re not lying, are you? If you still have feelings for her, I can..."

Before she could finish, Tristan Forrester suddenly dipped his head and covered her lips with his, silencing her chatter.

The forceful, possessive kiss instantly swallowed all her unfinished words. It was both domineering and tender, catching her so off guard that she had no way to resist.

Bella was pulled completely into his arms, the kiss leaving her dazed and her head spinning. All her anxieties and worries were crushed amidst the warm, lingering passion, leaving no room for further thought.

The man’s crisp, light scent filled her nostrils. Bella’s heart pounded like a drum, THUMP-THUMP, so frantically it felt like it would leap out of her chest.

Even though they had been married for two years, her heart still raced uncontrollably every time they were intimate.

When the long kiss finally ended, she leaned limply in his arms, panting softly. Her face was flushed, like a ripe red apple ready to be picked.

Tristan Forrester rubbed her reddened cheek. "Don’t let your imagination run wild."

"There’s something I need to tell you. Justine Hughes will be staying here for a while. After Jared’s wedding, she’ll return to Portclyde with us."

At his words, the color instantly drained from Bella’s face. Her heart felt as if it had plunged into an ice cellar, chilled to the core. She leaned against him in a daze, the warmth of his body unable to dispel the sudden, bitter cold that seized her.

’He actually brought Justine Hughes to White Horse Estate!’

’Then again, he had always been domineering, always acting first and asking for permission later, never once considering her wishes.’

She didn’t know if he truly didn’t care about Justine Hughes, or if he was so concerned simply because he couldn’t let go of his feelings for her.

In an instant, the calm that had just settled over her was shattered. An unbearable tightness constricted her chest again, and she sank into a state of indescribable gloom.

Seeing her purse her lips in silence, Tristan said in a low voice, "She’s sick, and she doesn’t know this place or anyone in it. I wouldn’t be able to rest easy if she were living somewhere else all alone."

"Bella, you’ve always been so sensible and understanding. You can understand my position, right?"

Bella forced a smile. "As long as Grandpa doesn’t object, I have no opinion."

’She was certain that Grandpa would never allow Justine Hughes to stay here.’

"Grandpa has already agreed."

’How could that be? How could Grandpa have agreed?’

’But on second thought, Tristan had no reason to lie to her about this.’

Since it had come to this, and even Grandpa had given his approval, she had no choice but to accept it, no matter how upset or uncomfortable she felt.

"Okay, I understand," she replied softly.

...

A maid led Justine Hughes to a guest room, the one farthest from Tristan Forrester and Bella Thorne’s room.

Although it was far, the room was clean and spacious.

Justine Hughes smiled but said nothing. She understood this was Grandpa’s doing.

’Grandpa still disliked her, just as he always had.’

Six months ago, her grandfather passed away. Her second uncle seized the Hughes Family fortune, leaving her without support, essentially an orphan.

She had secretly returned to Portclyde for her grandfather’s funeral and had stolen a glance at Tristan Forrester. He was as handsome and composed as ever, but now he had another woman by his side.

In that moment, she’d felt a pang of regret. She regretted not coming back to marry him.

But her pride wouldn’t allow her to show herself to him. She didn’t want to admit she regretted her decision! So she left as quietly as she had come, as if she’d never been back at all.

Who could have known that over the next six months, she would feel a persistent, dull ache in her chest? She hadn’t paid it any mind, just taking painkillers to manage it. But then the pain became unbearable during a dance performance, and she was rushed to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Fortunately, it hadn’t metastasized. However, the tumor was in a terrible location, and the only reliable solution the doctors could offer was a full mastectomy of one breast.

She had been born beautiful. As a dancer who spent her life on stage, her figure, her face, and her form were her livelihood. To be asked to accept the removal of a breast, to live with a disfigured body and an ugly scar, to never again be able to stand on stage without inhibition—how could she possibly be resigned to that? How could she ever calmly accept it?

Anyone in her shoes would feel the same.

She knew Tristan Forrester knew authoritative surgeons, which was why she had returned to the country to ask for his help.

"Miss Hughes, if you need anything at all, please just let me know!"

The maid’s words pulled her back from her wandering thoughts.