Crushed Affections (Dominic and Bella)

Dominic froze at that instant. His expression appeared extremely cold under the dim lights.

"Bella, you're asking for trouble!"

Indeed, Bella knew she was asking for trouble. Back then, when her mother, Dorothy Jones, brought her to the Miller family, she called out his name for the first time.

Yet, he rejected her brutally. "You disgust me, just like your mom," he said.

The still air once filled with intimacy was replaced by hostility. Dominic was squeezing Bella's wrist so hard that she felt it might snap at any minute. Finally, he got up and left after slamming the door behind him. The world went quiet instantly. Bella lay on the bed like a soulless puppet, where the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional pain she was going through.

Some people were buried in obscurity from the very start. It felt as if they were trapped in an endless dark tunnel, and each step was a struggle for them.

Bella took some time to get up. She walked toward the bathroom and washed all the exhaustion away.

In the year that Dorothy was terminally ill, the both of them had no choice but to turn to the Miller family for help. Dorothy could only think of her childhood friend, Richard Miller, as Bella's father had abandoned them. However, this situation eventually led to the divorce of Dominic's parents.

Dominic's mother, Margaret Reed, left him when he was eight and disappeared without a trace.

In the following year, Dorothy passed away. Shortly after, they received the shocking news that Margaret had also died of illness in a foreign place. Dominic and Margaret didn't get to see each other one last time. Dominic blamed all of this on Dorothy and Bella. The Miller family was compelled to take Bella in as she was left with no one.

In the blink of an eye, 19 years had passed. Three years ago, Richard passed away, and Dominic left the country. Yet, everything still seemed far from over.

She rummaged under her bed for the ledger before curling up in bed to examine it closely. Ever since Dominic went abroad three years ago, she had been cutting back on her expenses and seizing every opportunity to make money. She recorded all the money saved in the ledger over the past three years.

Soon, with just another 100 thousand dollars, she'd be able to repay the money that the Millers had spent raising her over the years.

Besides money, she couldn't repay Dominic and the Miller family in any other way. She could only try her very best to clear off the debts before leaving this place and starting anew.

This should be a relief to both Bella and Dominic. He could regain his peace once she was gone.

The next day, Bella was jolted awake by the alarm. After gathering herself, she quickly got out of bed, washed up, and prepared breakfast.

The maids in Miller Manor had resigned when Dominic left. All this while, Bella was the only one taking care of the huge manor. Since Dominic was back, someone had to cook for him.

She spent some time in the kitchen and got the table ready in the dining room. However, Dominic didn't show up for breakfast on time.

It only occurred to her that he might be dealing with jet lag since he had just returned from abroad. The food was getting cold, so Bella gathered her courage and went upstairs to knock on his door. "Breakfast is served," she said, but there was no answer.

Bella had no choice but to knock again, and he finally responded, "Go away!"

She had gotten used to his bad attitude. She shrugged it off and returned to the dining table. While eating, she considered the possible part-time jobs she could take on during her weekend off.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming from the stairs. When she looked up, she saw Dominic with an irritable look on his face. He must've woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

Dominic seemed ready to head out. He was dressed in a well-tailored suit with his hair neatly combed. His perfect facial features had never failed to attract attention, as if they were sculpted meticulously.

Bella could never get enough of his face, to the point where even the coldness in his gaze had become a charming quality.

She had come to believe that men truly looked their best in a suit because of him. Three years later, she still had a crush on him.

To avoid any unwanted conflicts, she put down her fork and stood up. "I'm going to be late for work. Leave the dishes, and I'll take care of them when I come home."

Catching a glimpse of his messy tie, she instinctively stepped forward to straighten it for him. All of a sudden, Dominic grabbed her wrist before pulling her toward him. They were so close that they could feel each other's breath.