Crushed Affections (Dominic and Bella)

Bella took a quick glance at the money and raised a finger. "About this much, right?"

Dominic rubbed his temple while feeling exasperated. "There's a card in there too. You're so shortsighted."

Bella's face flushed with a hint of panic. "I don't need the card. Just the cash is enough."

He scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. Everybody gets one, not just you."

With that, Bella stopped fighting back and tucked the envelope away. She then turned her attention back to dinner and ate with a ravenous speed.

She picked up this habit from working in the emergency department, where every meal had to be quick due to the busy schedule. Her eating style was almost voracious like a storm blowing through. Dominic watched her with a frown as his gaze lingered. "You eat so much, yet you've gotten thinner."

Bella paused to catch her breath. "The ER is crazy busy. If I don't eat fast, I don't get to eat at all. Losing weight is a bonus. It saves me the trouble of dieting."

Dominic's voice took on a bitter edge. "You'd rather suffer out there than stay here with me. You're something else."

Bella smiled playfully at him. "Staying with you is its own kind of suffering."

He was taken aback and shoved a dish closer to her. "Fine. Eat. Maybe if you stuff your face enough, you'll finally shut up."

After dinner, Bella took Pudding out for a walk. Passing by the garage, she saw her old car was still parked there, spotless and dust-free. Someone must have been taking good care of it.

She didn't want to think about it too much. It was better to keep things simple and live her life. With Dominic, all she could manage was not to love, not to hate, and to keep her distance.

When she returned to the courtyard, she had no intention of going back inside. She spotted Sylvia sweeping up and called out, "Sylvia, I'm leaving now. Could you let Dominic know? It's getting late." Sylvia looked slightly panicked as she dropped whatever she was doing. "Aren't you going to tell him yourself?"

Bella shook her head. "There's no need for that."

Unexpectedly, Dominic's voice echoed from the second-floor window. "No need? You think you can just leave like that?"

Bella glanced at the bodyguards

posted by the gates and knew she had no choice but to head back inside. She went into Dominic's room

d saw him sitting by thi net

window, casually sipping a glass of wine. "You're not working tomorrow. Stay the night."

Bella glanced at his bed and felt her face grow inexplicably warm. "Thanks for inviting me over for the holidays. I appreciate not having to spend it alone, but I should get going."

She said politely, though in her heart, she was regretting the decision. If it weren't for him, she would be out having fun with Lia and Felix by now.

Dominic didn't push the issue and poured her a glass of wine instead. "Sit down for a bit. It's still early. I'll drive you home later."

Seeing that Dominic gave a little

ground, Bella had no choice but to

match his pace. She picked up the

glass, catching a whiff of the fruity aroma. It didn't smell like the strong stuff he usually drank.

She took a large gulp as she was fooled by the scent. The alcohol kicked in a second later, making her cough hard.

Dominic chuckled at her reaction. "It's a gift from someone. I don't know if it's any good."

Bella gave him a disgruntled look. It wasn't bad, just stronger than she had expected. She was then attracted by Dominic's laugh. When he laughed, it was like a ray of sunlight breaking through winter

clouds, warm but with a hint of chill.

For a moment, she was caught off guard, her heart skipping. She quickly looked away, flustered, and poured herself another glass to hide her emotions.

The snow began to fall and covered the ground in a gentle white. She wondered how many more times it would snow before spring finally arrived.

When she felt a bit light-headed, Bella finally suggested that it was time to go. However, Dominic just gave her a teasing smile. "We both had wine, remember? Neither of us can drive."