Chapter 47: What If
After Jake left, Bella decided to go spend the rest of the day with Chloe before they go home since the time was still far from closing hours.
Bella stood outside Chloe’s office, clutching her bag, thoughts of Jake filling her mind even though that was far from what she wanted to think.
Where could he have gone? Was it because of Helena? What had they discussed for him to be that tensed?
She sighed, and shook her head, herself it wasn’t her business. She shouldn’t be thinking about him. Not now.
Finally, Bella pushed the door open gently, and found Chloe hunched over her desk, her brows furrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line.
She was scribbling something on a sketch pad, but the way she pressed her pencil into the page made it clear she was furious.
She chuckled when she saw Chloe’s expression.
Bella stepped inside and raised a brow. "What’s with the murder-face?" she teased softly, though her voice carried concern.
Chloe dropped her pencil with a clatter and leaned back in her chair, exhaling sharply. "Bella, don’t even start. I’m pissed. Completely, utterly pissed. I just don’t understand why she’d do this!"
Bella tilted her head, walking further in, her brows furrowing. "She? Who’s she and what did she do? Tell me, what happened?" she asked, her concern evident in her voice.
Chloe’s brown eyes flashed. "Evelyn. That’s what happened. She thinks it’s a brilliant idea to chain me to Damian Cross for the annual fashion event. Can you imagine? Him of all people! Just tell me why she’d do that and still think it’s what’s good for the company?"
Bella blinked, processing all Chloe had just said. "Damian? The director who’s always criticizing your work? The one we saw at the store the other day?"
"The very one," Chloe snapped. She pushed her sketch pad aside and crossed her arms. "She said it’s final. No arguments. Apparently, my designs need his ’discipline’ and his ideas need my ’freshness.’ What nonsense. I can’t do this."
Bella tried to hide a smile at Chloe’s dramatics. "Chloe... you can’t go against her orders. She’s your superior. The Chief Creative Officer."
"Oh, I can. I can go against her and this time I’m going to do just that," Chloe shot back, her chin tilting stubbornly. "I’ll pretend to go along with it, nod and smile when she’s watching, then quietly do my own thing. There’s no way I’m working with that man. Not after the way he’s treated me."
"Really? What if she finds out? Don’t you think it’ll tell badly on you? What if she decides to tell Jake and they fire you or something?" Bella asked in concern.
"I’m sure it won’t get to that," Chloe said stubbornly.
Bella sighed, leaning against the edge of the desk. Chloe’s fire was something she admired, even if it sometimes scared her. She opened her mouth to reply, but Chloe suddenly narrowed her eyes.
"Wait a minute... what are you doing here at this time? Shouldn’t you still be babysitting Mr. Stone’s schedule?"
Bella smirked, a playful spark lighting her expression. "You finally remembered to ask. I thought you’d never ask," she said with an eye roll.
Chloe raised a brow, curiosity instantly overtaking her anger. "Well? Spill."
"Well, Jake cancelled all his appointments this afternoon," Bella said, keeping her tone light. "And then somehow tricked me into having lunch with him."
Chloe’s mouth fell open slightly, then curved into a grin. "You’re kidding. Lunch? With him? So when you said you were getting lunch outside, you were with him?" Chloe asked with her eyes wide.
Bella rolled her eyes. "Don’t make it sound like it was anything special. It really wasn’t."
Chloe leaned forward across her desk, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Are you sure that man doesn’t like you? Because honestly, Bella, it sounds like he’s interested in you."
"Interested, my foot," Bella scoffed, waving a hand. "He’s not interested in me at all. He’s interested in the past. He wants to know what happened five years ago."
The grin slid off Chloe’s face. "Five years ago?" she echoed, her voice dropping. "Does he..." Chloe let her words trail off.
Bella nodded slowly. "Yes. He knows."
Chloe’s eyes widened. "Wait—what? How do you know he knows? And why hasn’t he said anything until now?"
"I know because he asked me," Bella replied quietly. She picked at the strap of her bag, her expression unreadable.
Chloe stared, stunned into silence. "So... what did you say?"
"I told him nothing interesting," Bella said with a shrug. "That it was just one night, nothing more. I needed him to let it go, and I think he bought it. Now he’s saying he wants to be my friend."
"Friend?" she asked curiously, and Bella nodded.
"To him, we’re friends but to me, we can never be friends," Bella said in a determined tone.
Chloe’s brows knitted together. "But Bella... what about Timmy?"
Bella’s face hardened, though her voice stayed calm. "He can never know about Timmy. Never."
For a moment, Chloe just looked at her, then nodded firmly. "You’re right. You have to be careful. Especially now that Jake’s trying to edge closer to you. Friendship or not, he’s not the type to stop once he sets his sights on something."
Bella let out a shaky sigh, her lips pressing together. Chloe’s words only echoed the fear she already carried deep inside.
They sat in silence for a few beats before Chloe asked softly, "But Bella... what if you’re wrong? What if Jake actually does like you, not just the past, not just the mystery—you? What if he wants more than just the answers you gave him today?"
Bella froze, her heart thudding louder than she wanted to admit. Slowly, she shook her head. "If it gets to that point... then I’ll have no choice but to disappear."
Chloe inhaled sharply. "Bella—"
"I mean it," Bella cut in, her tone quiet but resolute. "I won’t risk Timothy’s peace or my own heart. If Jake pushes too far, I’ll leave."
The conviction in her voice left Chloe unsettled. She wanted to argue, to shake sense into her best friend, to tell her it wouldn’t be such a bad idea if she let him into his son’s life but Chloe could see the pain behind Bella’s eyes and knew this wasn’t the time. So instead, she reached over, squeezing Bella’s hand gently.
"Then promise me something," Chloe whispered. "Promise me you’ll be careful. I really don’t want you getting hurt in anyway."
Bella squeezed her hand back, offering a faint smile. "I promise."
No matter what it was going to take, she’d protect herself and her son.