Bella had no idea that the Harris family father and son were arguing over her, even dragging out old grievances.
After settling into the Harris family villa, she stood on the balcony, looking westward with a solemn expression.
That was the direction of Cloudmere.
Now that she had broken ties with the Cody family and been kicked out of her home, she no longer needed to worry about their safety. She could focus entirely on getting revenge on Deanna and Lance.
Why should she be ruined while those two could still be happy together?!
She wouldn't allow it!
...
That evening, when Deanna returned from the research institute, she saw Lance playing in the living room with their two children.
Her grandmother sat nearby, keeping them company.
Deanna wanted to ask about the Harris Group but swallowed her words to avoid worrying her grandmother.
So, she said nothing and accompanied her grandmother and the children through dinner. Once they all retired to their rooms, she followed Lance to the study.
As soon as they entered, before she could ask, Lance seemed to know what she wanted to inquire about and began talking about the Harris Group.
"Xavier found out that Trystan's fiancée is Bella."
"It's her?"
Deanna was stunned, unable to hide her disgust.
If Lance hadn't brought her up, she would have almost forgotten about Bella.
But she couldn't believe that even after leaving Cloudmere, Bella could still cause so much trouble. It was... it was beyond words.
Seeing the undisguised dislike on Deanna's face, Lance took her hand and gently advised, "There's no need to get upset over someone insignificant. I promise you, this person will never appear again."
Little did he know that this promise would soon be broken.
But that was a story for another time.
At present, Deanna felt reassured by Lance's words, knowing he must have done something. She stopped worrying about Bella and instead focused on the herbal supplier issue.
Lance noticed her concern and asked, "Are you worried about the supplier?"
"Yes, we have two days until the delivery deadline. Today, Mr. Grant and I couldn't find a suitable herbal supplier. If we don't find one by tomorrow, we'll have to pay a penalty, which will also affect the research institute's reputation."
Deanna nodded, voicing her concerns honestly.
She felt exhausted. All she wanted was to help her master run the research institute smoothly, but it seemed so difficult with constant challenges.
Lance didn't know exactly what Deanna was thinking but could guess from her expression. He softly comforted her, "If we can't find a supplier by tomorrow, don't worry too much. Just explain the situation to the client; it's not your fault."
"That's all we can do now."
Deanna sighed.
She didn't plan to let the Harris Group off easily for this issue.
The research institute's losses must be compensated by the Harris Group!
Otherwise, if they showed no reaction to being bullied like this, others in the industry might think they could take advantage too.
At the same time, Trystan returned to his solitary villa.
As soon as he entered the living room, he saw Bella's graceful figure sitting on the sofa. His stern features softened immediately.
"Bella, I'm back."
He spoke as he quickly walked over to her.
However, Bella only glanced at him coldly and then turned her gaze back to the TV, acting as if he didn't exist.
Seeing this, Trystan frowned deeply, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes before he suppressed it.
After all, Bella had always been indifferent to him. He had schemed to become her first man; it was good enough that she didn't hate him. Expecting a warm reception was out of the question.
Moreover, he had failed to accomplish what he had promised her before.
With that in mind, Trystan accepted Bella's attitude.
He walked over and gently embraced her, inhaling the fragrance from her neck deeply. "Bella, I'm sorry for what happened today. But don't worry; I'll make sure you get your revenge."
Bella's eyes flickered at his words.
She remained tense in his arms, making sure he felt her resistance.
"I told you, as long as I see Deanna suffer and unhappy, I will be yours," Bella said this deliberately.
She knew Trystan was infatuated with her and wanted to use this to provoke him. She didn't want him to back down from retaliating against Lance under pressure from her grandfather or father.
Trystan seemed unfazed by Bella's provocation and laughed confidently. "Don't worry; I'll keep my promise."
"Then I'll wait for your good news."
Bella said coldly as she pulled away from his embrace and headed upstairs.
Trystan watched her retreating figure with narrowed eyes before following her up.
Soon after, Bella's indignant voice echoed from upstairs but quickly faded into seductive sounds that made one's heart race.