Chapter 68 When Hearts Forget
DAVID
I sat by Bella’s side, watching her chest rise and fall with the steady rhythm of her breathing. She looked so fragile, her face pale against the stark whiteness of the hospital sheets. My heart clenched. She was my Bella the woman I’d fought so hard to protect, and now the mother of my unborn child. The news of her pregnancy had hit me like a bolt of lightning.
I should have been elated, but instead, guilt gnawed at me. How could I expect her to be happy about this? She didn’t even want me near her. Every time I reached out, she recoiled as if I were a stranger or worse, a monster.
Desperate for answers, I grabbed my phone and scrolled through her contacts until I found Elowen’s number. Her best friend. Maybe she could help. I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the call button. Would she even pick up?
When the line connected, her voice came through soft but cautious. “Hello?”
“This is David Copperfield,” I said, my voice firm despite the tension in my chest. “I need to ask you something about Bella.”
There was a pause on the other end, long enough for me to picture her frowning. “Okay, sir,” she replied, her tone uncertain.
“How did Bella behave when she was younger?”
Elowen exhaled audibly, and I could almost hear her gathering her thoughts. “She was... spirited,” she said finally. “Smart, playful, always full of life. She followed Michael everywhere back then.”
Michael. The name struck me like a slap. I clenched my jaw, a sharp pang of jealousy flaring in my chest.
“That’s all I needed,” I said curtly, cutting the call before she could add anything else. The thought of Bella trailing after another man, even in her past, made my blood boil. Who was this Michael to her?
The name lingered like a bitter taste in my mouth as I turned my focus back to Bella. She stirred slightly, her eyelashes fluttering, and for a moment, hope bloomed in my chest. Maybe this time she’d recognize me.
BELLA
I woke up to the sterile smell of antiseptic and the faint hum of hospital machinery. The room felt cold, unfamiliar, and as my eyes adjusted to the harsh light, I realized I wasn’t alone.
That man. He was still here, sitting in the chair by my bed, his head bowed as he fiddled with his phone. The last time I saw him was on TV David Copperfield, the ruthless CEO known for making grown men tremble in their shoes. Now here he was, in the flesh, claiming to be my husband.
I stared at him, trying to reconcile the headlines with the man in front of me. His jaw was set in a way that spoke of authority, but there was something softer in his expression as he looked up and caught me watching.
“You’re awake,” he said, a small smile tugging at his lips.
I closed my eyes quickly, pretending to be asleep. Maybe if I ignored him, he’d leave.
“Are you done pretending?” he asked, his voice tinged with amusement.
My eyes flew open. How had he known? “What makes you think I was pretending?” I shot back, sitting up straighter.
“Because I know you,” he said simply. “You’re my wife.”
I snorted. “Your wife? That’s ridiculous. I’m eighteen years old! Why would I marry someone like you?”
His smirk deepened, and he leaned in, his blue eyes gleaming with mischief. “Because you begged me to.”
I froze, my heart pounding. “I don’t believe you,” I said, shaking my head.
“Suit yourself,” he said, leaning back casually. “But for the record, you’ve begged me for other things too.”
Heat flushed my face as his words sank in. “You’re lying,” I said, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and disbelief. “I’m a virgin!”
His laughter filled the room, deep and rich, as if he found my outburst genuinely amusing. He leaned closer, his face inches from mine, and I could feel the heat radiating off him.
“You’re my wife,” he murmured, his tone dropping to something softer, more intimate. “And you’ve never been shy about what you want.”
Before I could react, he leaned in, his lips brushing against mine. Fury erupted within me, and I bit down hard, my teeth sinking into his lower lip.
He yelped and pulled back, his hand flying to his mouth. “Damn it, Bella!”
“That’s what you get, you pervert!” I snapped, glaring at him.
He touched his lip gingerly, staring at me with a mixture of frustration and admiration. “You have changed a lot,” he muttered, shaking his head.