Chapter 90 Xander’s POV

Chapter 90 Xander’s POV
Chapter Ninety

Xander's POV

The moment I walked out of her office, I knew I wasn’t thinking straight.

I stepped into the elevator, loosened my tie, and pressed the button harder than necessary.

Why did she go pale when I said I’d find out?

The doors opened and I walked out onto the executive floor. Peterson and two other interns froze when they saw me.

“Mr. Knight—sir—should we resume the meeting?” Peterson stammered.

“No.”
My voice was sharp.

He shut up immediately.

I walked straight past them and into my private office, slamming the door behind me.

I rested both hands on the edge of my desk and stared down at the polished wood, breathing hard.

Bella was hiding something

And she refused to tell me.

I dragged a hand down my face.

Every part of me screamed to go back to her office, lift her chin, and demand she look me in the eye and tell me the truth.

I sat down, grabbed my phone, and dialed Leo, a private investigator.

He picked up immediately.

“What’s up?”

“I need information,” I said, keeping my voice low.

Leo paused. “About what?”

“About the gala night.”

Leo cleared his throat. “What exactly do you want to know?”

“I want to know where Bella went right in the middle of the gala.”

“You want me to start now?” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “I wanted you to start five minutes ago.”

“Got it. I’ll call when I have something.”

I hung up.

But I didn’t calm down.

I stood and walked to the window overlooking the city, trying to steady my breathing.

“Bella… What the hell are you keeping from me?” I murmured under my breath.

There was a knock on the door.
It was Grace.

She froze when she saw my face.

“S…sir? I… everyone is asking if the meeting will be rescheduled.”

“No,” I said sharply.

She nodded quickly, but then hesitated. “Should I inform Bella?”

“No,” I said immediately. “Don’t involve her.”

Grace’s brows furrowed like she wanted to ask why, but she didn’t dare.

“Okay, sir.”

She left quietly.

I sat back down, ran my tongue across my teeth, and exhaled slowly.

I needed answers before I confronted Bella again.

I walked back to my chair and sat down. I had just leaned back when I heard a knock on the door.

It was Leo.

He stood nervously at the edge of my desk.

“Speak up.”

“Sir… about the gala night,” Leo said finally.

My eyes lifted. “What about it?”

He hesitated. “You asked me to look into why Ms. Bella left early.”

“Yes. And?”

Leo took a breath. “She didn’t leave because she was avoiding work or anyone. She left because Noah fainted at the hospital.”

Everything in me went still.

My eyes widened.
“What?” My voice came out low

He nodded quickly. “We managed to trace the car plate to a hospital and we hacked into their security footage”

My fingers tightened around the pen in my hand.

He continued, “She went with Mr. Daniel Knight to Memorial Hospital. That’s why she disappeared from the event.”

The pen snapped.

“Hospital?” I repeated.

Leo swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

I stood, the chair scraping behind me. “Show me.”

We walked to the surveillance room. The tech pulled up the footage, and there it was.

Bella was kneeling beside Noah and her hands were shaking.

Timestamp: 11:36 p.m.

It was at the same moment I’d thought she’d run off to flirt or “wander around” without permission.

I stared at the screen with my chest burning.

“Why wasn’t I informed of this?” I asked quietly.

Leo looked away. “You were already in a meeting with the investors. Maybe they didn’t want to interrupt.”

I closed my eyes for a second, trying to breathe past the tightness in my ribs.

She rushed to the hospital because of Noah.

And I… I had accused her and belittled her.

Because I didn’t know.

Because she didn’t tell me.

The world around me blurred.

I closed my eyes and tried to force air into my lungs.

The next thing I knew, I was walking towards Bella's office.

I didn’t knock.

I pushed it open.

Bella flinched and looked up from her desk, startled. Her pen froze mid-air. “Sir?”

I closed the door behind me and leaned back against it as if the weight of everything was pressing down on me.

She frowned. “Did something happen?”

I couldn’t speak at first.

I just looked at her.
The same woman I’d accused, doubted… while she was taking a sick boy to the hospital.

Her eyebrows furrowed together. “Xander?”

My mouth felt ashy. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She blinked. “Tell you what?”

I forced the words out. “About Noah.”

Bella’s breath hitched. Her eyes widened. She held the edge of her desk like she needed to ground herself. “How did you…”

“I know,” I said quietly. “Everything. I saw the footage.”

Her lips parted in disbelief..

“But… but how?”

I ignored her question and took a step toward her. “You went to the hospital because Noah fainted.”

She swallowed hard. “Yes.”

“And you didn’t tell me.”

“I didn't want to bother you,” she whispered. “Noah needed help. And… I wasn’t thinking right… I just reacted.”

I exhaled slowly. “I accused you.”

“Yes,” she said. “You did.”

I stepped closer again. “And I was wrong.”

When I reached her chair, I lowered myself to her level and did something I had not done in a very long time.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “For all of it. For assuming the worst. For not asking. For hurting you when you were going through a lot.”

Bella’s breath shook and tears welled up in her eyes.

“It… it's okay. I never held it against you. I knew you were acting in ignorance.”

I shook my head. “But still, it doesn't erase the hurt I've caused.”

She blinked the tears away from her eyes. “I forgive you, Xander.”