Chapter 93 Who Is That Hoodie Man
DAVID
The boardroom doors swung shut behind me, my steps echoing in the marble hallway as Janet struggled to match my pace. Her brow furrowed as she glanced up at me, her smaller frame dwarfed by my towering presence. I barely noticed her; my thoughts were consumed by the incessant buzzing of my phone in my pocket.
Pulling it out, I saw my assistant’s name flashing on the screen. My gut tightened as I pressed the phone to my ear.
“Sir,” his voice came through, tight and hurried, “you were right. It wasn’t an accident. It was planned.”
I stopped mid-step, the weight of his words hitting me like a freight train. My jaw clenched as my mind raced.
Who would go to such lengths? Who would want Bella dead?
Janet, catching up to me, placed a cautious hand on my arm. “David, what’s going on?” Her voice was soft but insistent, her eyes searching mine for an answer.
I shook my head, stepping into the elevator without a word. Janet followed silently, sensing the storm brewing inside me.
“How do you know it was planned?” I demanded, my tone sharper than I intended.
“I checked the filming site,” my assistant explained. “Before the shoot, I made sure everything was in order, just as you instructed. But after I left, the tree that caused the accident… Sir, it was already cut halfway through. It wasn’t a clean break from the storm it was sabotage.”
My grip on the phone tightened. “And there’s no evidence? Nothing that points to who did it?”
“No, Sir. But I reviewed the CCTV footage. There was a man in a black hoodie lingering near the site. He was there the day I inspected everything, and he was there again on the day of the accident. Same build, same clothes. He looked… calculated.”
“Send me the footage,” I barked, my hand slamming against the elevator wall as a wave of fury surged through me.
As the elevator doors opened, Janet grabbed my arm. “David, you’re scaring me. What is this about?”
I took a steadying breath and gestured for her to follow me into my office. “The accident at the filming site… It wasn’t an accident,” I said, collapsing into my chair.
“What do you mean?” she asked, lowering herself into the seat opposite mine, her concern etched deeply into her features.
“Bella told me that night right after I pulled her out of the wreckage. She said it felt planned. I thought she was just panicked, traumatized. But she was right. Someone wants her dead.”
Janet’s eyes widened. “Who could possibly….”
“I don’t know,” I cut in, rubbing a hand over my face. “I’ve neutralized every threat, taken every precaution… but this?” I trailed off as a notification popped up on my computer.
The video.
Janet moved to my side, her presence a steady anchor as I clicked the file. The footage was grainy but clear enough. The man in the black hoodie lingered at the edge of the frame, his movements slow and deliberate. My chest tightened as I watched him stare directly at Bella during the shoot. Her shoulders stiffened, and she glanced at her phone. When she looked up again, her face was pale, her lips trembling.
I froze the video.
“What is it?” Janet asked, leaning closer.
“He’s watching her,” I muttered, my voice barely audible.
Janet’s sharp intake of breath broke my trance. “Look at his hoodie,” she said, pointing at a small emblem near the pocket. She zoomed in, revealing a symbol etched into the fabric.
“It’s familiar,” she said, her brows furrowing. “Isn’t that the logo of the ice cream shop you and Bella used to go to?”
My heart skipped a beat. “The ice cream shop? That’s ridiculous. Why would someone from there”
“Or maybe it’s someone pretending to be him,” Janet suggested, her voice tinged with urgency.
I stood abruptly, pacing the length of the room. My mind raced with fragmented images Bella’s frightened expression, the symbol on the hoodie, the man’s deliberate movements.
“Something doesn’t add up,” I muttered, more to myself than to Janet. “And Bella’s reaction… What did she see on her phone that made her so scared?”
I turned to Janet, my decision already made. “We’re going to the hospital.”
Janet blinked. “The hospital? Why?”
“To get answers,” I said, grabbing my keys.
The drive to the hospital was a blur. My Lamborghini roared through the streets, Janet’s silence thick with unspoken questions. By the time we reached Bella’s room, my nerves were frayed.
I pushed the door open to find her sitting up in bed, her father by her side. They were playing a game, her laughter filling the air until she saw me.
Her smile faltered, replaced by a guarded expression. “Hi,” she said softly.
“Hi,” I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. Her father excused himself, leaving us alone.
“May I sit?” I asked, gesturing to the chair by her bed.
She nodded, her eyes wary. “My dad said you saved me,” she added, her tone tentative.
“It’s my job to protect you,” I said, offering a small smile. “Even if you hate me for it.”
Her eyes softened, and for a moment, the tension between us dissolved. But then she reached for my hand, her touch both a comfort and an accusation.
“Why, David?” she whispered. “Why did you hurt me? Why did you sleep with Lizzy?”
Her words cut through me like a knife. I swallowed hard, the weight of my mistakes crushing down on me.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Bella,” I said, my voice breaking. “I never meant for any of this to happen. Lizzy drugged me that night. I was on the third floor, clearing out her pictures, trying to make that space ours. I asked for a drink, and the next thing I knew… I woke up in bed with her. I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t been so careless, you wouldn’t have had that accident. You wouldn’t have lost your memories.”
Tears streamed down her face, but she didn’t look away. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I tried,” I admitted. “But you wouldn’t let me. And after a while, I convinced myself it was better to stay silent.”
Her lips trembled as she fought to speak. “You used me, David. You used me to draw her out.”
“I know,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I made a mistake. But Bella, I never stopped loving you. I thought I’d lost you forever.”
Before I could say more, Janet cleared her throat loudly. “Ahem. Still here, you know.”
Bella and I broke into reluctant smiles, the tension easing just slightly.
“Why are you here?” Bella asked, glancing between Janet and me.
I leaned forward, my expression serious once more. “The day of the accident, you looked at your phone just before it happened. I need to know what did you see?”
Bella's fingers tightened around the edge of the blanket, her face paling. She opened her mouth as if to speak but hesitated, her eyes darting to the window.
“What did you see?” I pressed, my voice low and urgent.
Her lips parted, trembling with unspoken words. Finally, she whispered, “It wasn’t a text. It was... a warning.”