She felt secure with his familiar embrace, but it couldn’t erase the desolation in her heart. Kevin could not wait to embed her into his body, his voice trembled, and said, “Bella, it’s great that you’re fine. I almost went crazy when I got the news. I can’t imagine what I’d do if you had an accident. My heart almost stopped beating in the five hours since I learned the news at 4 a. m. Bella, if I couldn’t protect you, I would like to die, Bella, Bella …”
Kevin was gibbering with terror because of excessive worry. Bella was held tightly by him and almost choked. She did not say anything but just listened to Kevin’s words beside her. Gradually, Kevin felt something wrong, released her, pressed her shoulders, and asked with concern, “Bella, what’s wrong with you? Why are you so pale?”
Bella still didn’t speak and was still immersed in the shock as if she still heard Richard’s unbearable abuse. Her body was colder, and she suddenly could no longer hold back, threw herself into Kevin’s arms, and cried sorrowfully, “What should I do, Kevin? Braxton is dead. What should I do …”
Kevin was also extremely shocked at the sudden news, and he was depressed and comforted her, “Don’t cry. Don’t cry, tell me what’s going on.”
Bella was sobbing. She couldn’t forget many years ago when she was first brought to the Cotton family, squatted at the door and refused to go in, a little younger boy came up to her, cocked his head and asked her, “Are you hungry? I’m going to steal apples for you.”
At that time, Braxton was only ten years old, simple, honest and very cute, but much duller than children of the same age. That day he handed the big red apple to Bella, and she had never treated him as a fool again.
For nearly ten years, she treated Braxton as her own brother, even if she hated his parents, she had never been angry at him. When she almost got screwed due to Richard and his wife, she still hadn’t revealed this matter to Kevin for the sake of Braxton. She just hoped that that poor child could have a complete family, but now, that child left the world because of her …
Bella was much sadder as she thought about it. Kevin placed her in the car, and then went into the police station to get the picture. She is now so depressed, so he could not get any information from her.
Twenty or so minutes later, Kevin went out gloomily. He knew everything, sat in the car, hugged Bella, and said sadly, “This is not your fault, but an accident. You shouldn’t blame yourself excessively. Perhaps for his parents’ evil, God accidentally punished the wrong person …”.
Bella cried hard and finally fell into Kevin’s arms. She had not slept for a whole day and night, and the sudden blow tormented her physically and mentally.
When she woke up, it was already the early morning of the next day, and she had a nightmare, with cold sweat soaking the hair on her forehead.
She looked around and saw a completely unfamiliar environment. She should be in the hotel. She opened the door to go out. She didn’t know whether Kevin had already gotten up or had not slept all night, and now he is sitting in the living room on the sofa, busy working on the laptop.
When he heard the sound of footsteps behind him, he slowly turned back, and saw that it was Bella, quickly got up and went to her, “How did you wake up so early?”
Bella replied weakly, “I’ve been sleeping for a long time.”
She looked askance at his laptop, “If you’re busy with work, go back. I’m fine now. I’m going to visit Quintin in the hospital later.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Kevin looked firm, and after breakfast, they went to the hospital together.
Quintin was lucky or Richard was too nervous at the time of the crime. Richard only stabbed on his shoulder blade, and after timely rescue and recuperation, Quintin was already able to sit up and talk like a normal person.
Bella stood in front of him and her eyes were red and swollen like walnuts. Quintin stared at her for a while and suddenly laughed, “I’m not dead. Why did you cry like this?”
He still didn’t know that Bella had another reason besides feeling sorry for himself because of his injury.
Kevin took a step forward and said to Quintin solemnly, “Thank you for blocking the knife for Bella. I will remember your kindness to my heart.”
Quintin looked askance at him and mockingly asked, “I was blocking the knife for Bella, but why do you stand for her to remember my kindness?” The implication was that Bella should remember it herself.
“I’m her husband.”
Kevin replied with a calm expression, not angry with Quintin’s sarcasm.
“Aren’t you guys divorced?”
“I wasn’t present when she signed it, and I’ve torn up that agreement afterwards, so she’s still my wife legally.”
Quintin’s eyes flickered with gloom, “Then how do you plan to repay me for saving your wife’s life?”
“As long as it’s within my power, you can feel free to mention it.”
Quintin said to Bella, “Haley, please excuse me, I want to have a man-to-man conversation with Mr. Jones-Sharp.”
Bella didn’t ask any questions and silently left the ward.
As soon as she left, Quintin cut to the chase, “I’ll let Bella stay in Gold Group for three years, after which I’ll let her back to you.”
Kevin refused without even thinking about it, “Sorry, I can’t agree to that.”
“Why can’t you say yes? I’m just asking she should stay here for three years but not forever. You’ve been apart for two years anyway, so why should you care about parting with her for a few more years?”
“We’ve been apart for two years, so I don’t want to be apart from her for a minute.”
Quintin looked a little unhappy, his eyes cold, “You should know clearly that if I don’t forgive her for her previous deceit, she will never be with you, and now that I have saved her life, she owes me even more. You and I both know that she is a kind woman who will not base her own happiness on the suffering of others.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Well, since you refuse to agree to my proposal just now, I’ll give you two choices. Firstly, you get stabbed like me, but I can’t guarantee whether you will be lucky enough to survive. If you die, I will take good care of Bella for you.”
“Secondly, if you transfer all the shares of the LoveBella Group to my name, all grudges between you and me will be wiped out. You can take her away with you, but you will have nothing.”
Kevin gazed at him with a blank expression, “Do I have to do this?”
“This is what you owe me. In order to help you through the career crisis, she actually deceived me and concealed your relationship. If I prosecute her, she completely has the suspicion of fraud. You carefully consider it carefully before answering. I can’t lose both her and money.”
Kevin turned out of the ward. In the long corridor, Bella stood quietly in front of the window., her mind wandering, so she didn’t find Kevin standing beside her.
“Bella.”
He called her softly.
“Yes?”
She turned around and waited for him to continue.
“Is it that if you can’t get Quintin’s forgiveness, you won’t be with me?”
Bella was startled and nodded blankly, “Yes.”
“Okay, I got it.”
She wanted to say something else, but he turned around and went back to the ward.
He frankly told Quintin, “Take the shares of LoveBella Group if you want. From now on, we don’t owe each other.”
He turned to leave, and Quintin shouted sternly, “Wait a minute.”
“What else?”
“Have you thought this through? Your father’s company is now a shell, and all of your recapitalization funds of LoveBella Group have been invested in, and now the new product launch is the only hope to bring it back from death. Are you really going to just give up?”
“Money will come and go. What is the point of having money if you don’t have anyone around you who can prove that you are still alive?”
Quintin suddenly smiled, and he waved his hand, “Please let Haley in.”
Bella followed Kevin to the ward. Quintin held her hand, and then, slowly handed it over to Kevin’s hand.
“Please treat her well. She deserves to be cherished by you.”
He also said to Bella, “Please take good care of him. He deserves your undivided attention.”
He was a bit confused, not knowing why his attitude changed totally, but Bella, her eyes glistening with tears, nodded without any confusion on her face.
Quintin sighed with regret, “I just give up the woman I have been loving in for two years. I’m really not reconciled, but I’m willing to let her go, not to prove my magnanimity, but because I see your mutual sincerity.”
After leaving the hospital, Kevin said with emotion, “If Quintin isn’t my rival, I would really want to be friends with him. He’s a very sincere person.”
Bella helplessly contradicted him, “He has already let me go.”
“He just threatened me.”
Kevin recounted the conversation between them in the ward just now, and Bella raised a bitter smile helplessly, “He was testing your sincerity.”
“I really didn’t think about it at first.”
They arrived at Armand’s home, and as soon as they entered the house, her uncle gloomily asked, “Why don’t you accompany Quintin at the hospital but come here?”
Bella timidly replied, “Quintin has his family accompanied him. I’m here to tell you…” She paused for a moment, knowing what to say next would surely let uncle and aunt get angry, “I’m ready to go back to Kevin.”
“Are you crazy?”
As expected, her aunt was first mad with her, “Quintin would even give up her life for you, but you gave up on him. Are you crazy?”