Some of the visitors had already left when Tristan came back. A few more minutes later, everyone else started bidding him and his grandfather farewell too.
The old De Clarion kept glancing at him inquisitively. “I’ll tell you about it later,” he told him, but Frederick just snorted in response.
Seeing him with Agnes was really an eyesore. When Agnes left, Tristan disappeared as well. That is why the old man can’t help but imagine things.
When he saw his grandson looking grumpy when he came back, he dismissed his undesirable thoughts. ‘It’s probably not what I was thinking.’
Once everyone had left, Tristan asked Frederick to go with him to the VIP suite. Along the way, he told his grandfather what had happened.
Frederic was also furious at Agnes. “How can she do that when she’s not even a welcome guest?!” he spat.
“How is she?” he asked Jacob as soon as they stepped inside the suite. Looking at the empty couch, he creased his forehead at his assistant.
Jacob gestured towards the bedroom. “She went in to rest. She got 3 stitches on her head,” he informed his boss.
Tristan rushed towards the bedroom after hearing this, and Jacob followed after him. Frederick, on the other hand, was left sitting on the couch.
As soon as the two gentlemen got in, they were startled by the sight. Belle was sprawled on the bed as if she had been thrown there.
The blanket was on the floor and her dress was slightly lifted, revealing parts of her upper legs. Her hair was a mess and her cheek and arm were still red from the slap she got earlier.
Tristan instantly turned around to look at Jacob, only to see his assistant facing the wall, stiffened. “I swear I didn’t see anything,” he said, right after feeling a tingling sensation at the back of his neck.
“Out!” Tristan ordered. He picked up the blanket to cover Belle from head to toe. Feeling satisfied with what he had done, he went back to the living room.
Frederick saw the smug look on his grandson’s face as he walked toward the couch. He cleared his throat and asked, “How is she?”
“She’s sleeping,” Tristan answered.
The old man nodded before leaning on the couch. “Can you please order food for me?” he asked of Jacob.
He wasn’t able to eat at the banquet as he was too busy worrying about where his grandson had disappeared. Now, his stomach is grumbling, he is starving.
Jacob bowed to the old man and turned on his heel. He wanted to ask Tristan if he wanted anything for himself or Belle, but seeing the look on his face, he dismissed the thought.
‘I’ll just order for everyone,’ he decided on his own.
“What are you planning to do with Agnes? That woman needs to be taught a lesson!” Frederick proposed when Jacob left.
Tristan was about to answer when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Belle rubbing her eyes while walking towards them.
Belle, on the other hand, was startled when she saw the old man. She stood up straight, like a soldier, and bowed to him.
“Hi, Sir, sorry I didn’t know someone else was here,” her face was flushed.
Frederick chuckled at her reaction, then he motioned for her to sit down. Belle quickly followed after fixing her dress and combing her hair with her fingers.
“I’m Tristan’s grandfather, you’re Belle, right?” he asked, smiling at her.
Belle’s eyes widened in shock. She immediately moved closer to him and grabbed his hand. “You’re Frederick De Clarion?” she asked to confirm and when the old man nodded, she jumped to hug him.
“I’m your fan!” Belle exclaimed. “I’ve read so much about you! You’re my role model, especially when it comes to dealing with Black Jacks,” she spilled with a broad smile pasted on her face.
Tristan creased his forehead, ‘What is she talking about? What are Black Jacks?’ He turned his attention to his grandfather and saw him grinning at the woman in front of her. He was holding her head up high as if he were proud of something.
“Are you a White Jack?” Frederick asked and Belle nodded eagerly. “How long since you joined?”
“I joined as soon as I got into college.”
“You were seventeen?” again, Belle nodded in response. Frederick was surprised and amazed at the same time. It was rare for the organization to accept someone as young as seventeen to become a member. “And you are?” asking for her code name.
“I’m Sweet Sue,” she answered, grinning.
Tristan was looking at them, back and forth. He is hearing everything they are talking about, but he can’t understand anything.
As he is feeling disconnected, he feels irritated. ‘Is he flirting with her?’, he asked himself quietly, but he finds the idea ridiculous.
“Ohh! You’re the famous Sweet Sue!” Frederick was surprised. He has heard of Sweet Sue’s works and how he helped the biggest corporation in Dale against a Black Jack attack.
He was impressed. It happened a few years ago, meaning Belle was still young at that time. Indeed, she was amazing.
Before they could continue with their conversation, Jacob came in with a waiter behind him. They were pushing a cart filled with different dishes.
Frederick’s mouth watered and so did Belle’s. They even looked at each other and laughed out loud as their stomachs growled at the same time.
When they started eating, Belle and Frederick restarted their conversation again as well. “Where in Bree did you grow up?” the old man asked, glancing at Belle while eating.
Belle chewed and swallowed her food before answering. “I was from Dale originally. I just moved here three months ago,” she grinned.
Frederick nodded slowly. He is starting to become fond of her and he is enjoying their conversation. The old man keeps asking her random questions, and Belle would always answer her with a smile. Tristan and Jacob would butt in now and then, but most of the time, they were just listening.
Based on their conversation, Tristan and Jacob learned that, just like Vernice, Belle is an only daughter. She was living with both her parents in Dale but she left them when she moved to Bree. It was her childhood friend, Nathalie, who helped her find an apartment she could rent after she was hired at De Clarion Empire.
“So you’ve never been to Bree ever?” Jacob asked.
Belle nodded while wiping her mouth. “Actually, when I first arrived, I felt like I’d been here before, the city seemed so familiar. It was weird! I feel like I’ve been here when I was young, but my parents said I never left Dale,” she sighed, then pouted.
“Besides, I’ve no memories of my younger years. I can’t remember anything about my past after I woke up from my coma,” she continued to tell them and after hearing that, everyone turned their heads at her.
“What do you mean?” Belle’s story piqued Tristan’s curiosity. He suddenly remembered something but he chose to set it aside in the meantime.
Placing her utensils down, Belle sat up straight to tell them the story. “I was seven when I woke up from a coma. My parents told me I fell into the sea and almost drowned. I was confined after I was saved. I stayed in the hospital for almost two months before I woke up. They thought I was dead because it took days before they found me.”
The creases on Tristan’s forehead deepen. He looked at Jacob only to see that his assistant was already looking at him.
Something popped into his mind while listening to Belle’s story, but he needed to do further investigation to confirm everything. It seems that Jacob is thinking the same.