Chapter 80: Even Jealous of Bella

James was a bit surprised but shook his head, "Nah, I'm good. Thanks, but no thanks."

"Come on, your leg needs some TLC to get the blood flowing," Emily insisted, squatting down and starting to massage his leg without waiting for his okay.

James stiffened up, trying to pull away awkwardly, but Emily held him in place. "Don't move, just relax."

Her technique was a little rough, but her hands were warm and soft, making the massage surprisingly nice.

James's tense body slowly relaxed, but as Emily kept going, a weird sensation spread from his leg to the rest of his body, making his heart race and mouth go dry.

"How's it feel?" Emily asked, looking up with concern.

"Pretty good," James replied awkwardly, avoiding her eyes.

Emily didn't notice anything unusual and kept massaging with focus.

"James, have you seen a doctor about this? Medicine's come a long way; maybe there's a way to fix your leg," Emily said while working on his leg.

James was quiet for a moment before saying softly, "I've seen a lot of doctors; they all say the chances are slim."

"That doesn't mean you should give up! We can keep searching for top doctors. If we can't find a solution here, we'll look abroad. I refuse to believe there's no doctor who can help you!" Emily said firmly, her eyes full of determination.

Seeing Emily so determined for his sake, James felt a warm surge in his heart.

He knew Emily genuinely wanted him to get better.

"Alright, I'll do as you say," James replied with a slight smile, looking at Emily with gentle eyes, trying to remember this moment.

"That's the spirit!" Emily laughed happily when James agreed.

As night fell, the garden grew quiet, with only the sound of crickets softly chirping.

James looked at Emily, busy for his sake, and felt a sudden warmth in his heart.

A clear bell sound approached, and Bella's furry figure joyfully rushed into the garden, followed by Preston's exasperated voice, "Bella, why are you running around again? Mr. Smith and Ms. Johnson are still here."

Emily remembered asking James why he gave her the dog.

James said he hoped Bella would keep Emily company every day and make her happy.

As soon as Bella entered the garden, she ran straight to Emily, affectionately rubbing her head against Emily's leg. She wagged her fluffy tail, making soft whining sounds as if she wanted to play with Emily.

Emily was amused and laughed, bending down to pet Bella's head, "Bella, did you miss me?"

Bella seemed to understand and rubbed Emily's hand even harder, trying to put her front paws on Emily's leg to get closer.

Seeing Bella's adorable behavior, James's face darkened.

He reached out to pull Emily up, his tone carrying a hint of jealousy. "Alright, stop it. She's dirty; don't get your clothes messed up."

Emily, however, didn't seem to get the hint and kept playing with Bella, all smiles.

She gently grabbed the bell on Bella's neck and chuckled, "Bella, you know you're acting like a little attention seeker, right?"

Bella tilted her head, her big, innocent eyes looking up at Emily as if to ask, "What's attention seeker?"

James watched Emily's smile and listened to her laughter, and any annoyance he felt melted away.

He shook his head, feeling a bit helpless. Emily was just too kind, even to Bella.

Suddenly, Bella barked and bit Emily's skirt, tugging lightly as if wanting her to play.

Emily looked down at Bella and laughed, "What are you doing, Bella?"

Bella seemed to think it was a fun game, tugging harder and spinning in circles, trying to get Emily to dance.

"Bella, stop it!" James's face darkened, and he scolded in a low voice.

Bella was startled by his sudden scolding, letting go of the skirt and hiding behind Emily, peeking out with a scared look as if to say, "What did I do wrong?"

"Why are you scolding her?" Emily glared at James, then pulled Bella out from behind her, gently stroking Bella's head to soothe her, "Don't be afraid, Bella, he didn't mean it."

Seeing Emily's protective stance, James felt even more jealous.

He snorted, his tone sour, "Are you feeling sorry for her? She got your skirt dirty."

Emily looked down and saw some of Bella's saliva and dirt on her skirt. She smiled helplessly; Bella was really naughty.

"It's just a skirt; I'll change it later," Emily said nonchalantly, then continued to play with Bella, "It's no big deal, Bella."

Bella seemed to understand her words, barked happily, and licked Emily's cheek affectionately.

"Bella!" Emily laughed and dodged as Bella's licking tickled her.

Watching this scene, James felt a sudden surge of inexplicable jealousy, "Alright, stop playing. It's getting late; we should go back."

Emily looked at James in confusion and asked, "What's wrong? You seem unhappy. Are you jealous?"

James didn't respond, just gave her a cold look and turned to leave.

"Hey, James, wait for me!" Emily quickly got up and chased after him, "Why are you so petty, even jealous of Bella?"

James ignored her.

Bella followed closely behind Emily, tilting her head with big, puzzled eyes, not understanding why the good vibes had suddenly changed.

As night fell, the garden lights cast long shadows of them, creating an indescribable harmony.

A few days later, Ryan arranged to meet James at Nightfall Bar.

Nightfall Bar had changed owners. After Jasper was taken away by the police for investigation, Isabella, fearing the police would find more incriminating evidence, quickly sold the bar to a new owner.

James wheeled into the bar and saw Ryan sitting at the bar, holding a glass of whiskey, looking as carefree as ever.