“Miss Bella, your cake and vitamins are on the table. Don’t forget to eat them after showering, and you have to finish everything.”
Clara spoke from behind the bedroom door. Making sure Bella heard what she said, Clara decided to return to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Bella, who had just finished showering and dressing, decided to go to the dining room. Seeing several cups of cheesecake already prepared for her, she pulled out a chair and calmly began to eat them all.
One bite at a time, Bella put the cake into her mouth. Enjoying it so much that she didn’t notice Edward entering the dining room.
“You finished my cake?”
Edward’s reprimand startled Bella. Turning around, she made sure she heard what Edward had just said.
“Your cake?”
Edward nodded and pointed his finger.
“Yes. That’s the cheesecake I bought after work. And you finished it all without leaving any?”
Bella immediately put on a puzzled face. Trying to stay calm, she clarified what Edward accused her of.
“Just a moment, Sir. It seems you’re mistaken. Clara prepared this cake for me. Earlier, before I showered, Clara reminded me to finish the snacks and vitamins. That’s why I just ate what was already on the table.”
Fortunately, Clara entered the dining room. Bella waved at her, asking her assistant to come closer.
“Clara, is the cheesecake neatly arranged on the table mine to eat?”
Clara shook her head.
“No, Miss. Your cake is on the table on the second floor. I prepared it along with the vitamins and some fruits for you to eat.”
“W-what? So, the cake on the dining table isn’t mine?”
Clara shook her head again.
“Of course not.”
Bella swallowed hard. Counting how many mistakes she had made.
“Oh God, I’m sorry, Mr. Edward. I really didn’t know that the cake was yours. I—”
“Forget it,” Edward interrupted. “Next time, make it a habit to check first.”
With a blank expression, Edward left Bella standing embarrassed in the dining room. Judging by his expression, he seemed upset with Bella.
“Clara… what should I do? Oh God, I didn’t know that the cake I ate belonged to Mr. Edward. I even finished it.”
Clara couldn’t help but laugh. Finding Bella’s expression amusing.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Mr. Edward isn’t really angry.”
“But, you saw his face turned sour. What should I do? Should I buy a replacement?”
Clara shook her head.
“No need. It’s better if you just bring him the coffee he asked for earlier. Don’t forget to apologize again for making a mistake.”
“Ah, right.” Bella nodded repeatedly. Following Clara’s advice, she made a cup of coffee and brought it to Edward’s room.
Bella felt nervous. She was afraid that Edward wouldn’t accept the coffee she brought. But, if she didn’t apologize again, she felt very guilty.
“Excuse me.”
After knocking on the door and being allowed to enter, Bella slowly walked towards the sofa where Edward was sitting. A little nervous, she spoke again.
“Mr. Edward. I apologize if I’m disturbing you.”
“What is it?” Edward asked coldly. His eyes didn’t shift from the papers he was reading.
“I came here to bring coffee and apologize.”
“No need to extend it, and no need to apologize.”
“But, I feel uncomfortable. I really didn’t know that was your cake. In return, I’ll make you a cheesecake later.”
Edward looked up. He stared at Bella for a moment before responding, “Just put the coffee you brought on the table. Then, you can leave.”
Bella didn’t say much anymore. Following Edward’s order, she moved the cup of coffee from the tray and carefully placed it on the table.
Seeing several scattered papers on the table, Bella paused for a moment. She seemed familiar with what was written there.
“If I may ask, are you checking someone’s financial report?”
Edward nodded.
“Yes, you’re right. How did you know about that?”
“I’m an accountant, Sir. Of course, I know. I can even check the finances of someone who is suspected of embezzlement. And I’m sure you’ve been trying to find out about this, haven’t you?”
Edward then seemed interested. Sitting up straight, he stared intently at Bella.
“Are you sure you can do that?”
“Sure. Do you want me to help?”
“Alright then, please help me check. Is there anything wrong with this report?”
Bella nodded in agreement. Intentionally sitting in front of Edward, she began to check each sheet of paper he handed over, one by one.
For nearly an hour, Bella conducted the examination. She checked and matched each piece of data one by one until finally, she found the answer that Edward had been unable to discover.
“The owner of this report can be considered very cunning, Sir. They manipulated by slipping expenditure costs from various large projects.”
Bella pointed out discrepancies she found on the chart. Then, she compared it with other data displayed on Edward’s laptop.
“Compare here, it looks the same. However, there’s a tiny gap that’s almost unreadable. And this repeats in every project.”
Edward snapped his fingers. He finally found what he had been looking for.
“Oh my… how could I have missed this.”
“It seems like there’s a lot you need to double-check. If you want it done quickly, let’s divide the tasks. I’ll check and tally the latest sections attached to the papers. Later, you just need to match them with the incoming data at the company.”
Edward nodded in agreement. He let Bella handle her part while he finished what he needed to do.
For a total of two hours, Edward and Bella worked together. So focused on rechecking, Edward didn’t realize that Bella had slumped in her chair and fallen asleep.
Edward stood up and walked around the table, trying to gently wake her so she could return to her room.
“Bella… wake up quickly.”
Perhaps because she was too tired, Bella didn’t respond at all. Even when Edward tried to shake her shoulder, instead of waking up, her body shifted as if about to fall.
Luckily, Edward quickly caught Bella’s body. Not wanting the pregnant woman to sleep on the couch, which could cause discomfort, Edward decided to gently carry Bella. He moved her, then carefully laid her down on her bed.
Edward pulled up the blanket and wrapped it around Bella’s entire body. Sitting at the edge of the bed for a moment, he looked at Bella’s face, shaking his head. “Sleeping beauty, indeed.”