Crushed Affections (Dominic and Bella)

Bella gave Ethan an apologetic smile. "He's probably here to pick up Pudding. I don't think I can have dinner today anymore. You should go home and get some rest since you don't have to work late for once." Ethan glanced toward Dominic's car, and disappointment clouded his expression. "Okay... Sure."

After watching Ethan leave, Bella turned and walked over to Dominic's car.

He rolled down the window, his face already showing signs of irritation. "Didn't waste much time, huh? You're already going out with someone else. You're making it seem like this ex of yours never meant much to you." Bella's tone was filled with sarcasm. "You said it yourself. You're my ex. So, why are you still clinging to the past?"

She then pulled open the car door and got in. "Are you here for Pudding?" Besides that, she couldn't think of any other reason for Dominic to show up out of the blue.

Dominic stayed quiet and drove them toward her apartment. The place had tight security, and non-residential cars weren't allowed in. He parked at the gate, and they continued on foot.

Dominic walked in front of Bella. They looked like they had nothing to do with one another. Dominic's long strides made Bella trail behind. She walked casually as her gaze lingered on his familiar, distant silhouette like old times. When they reached her door, she gathered Pudding's things and handed them over. "Here. Everything's in there."

She almost suggested that if he was ever too busy, he could always leave Pudding with her again. However, that would mean keeping some sort of relationship with Dominic. Hence, she got rid of the thought.

With Pudding's leash in hand, Dominic didn't leave right away. His dark gaze locked onto her. "So, you seem to be living a good life without me."

Bella's laugh was light, but it carried no warmth. "I'm the type to accept reality and move on quickly. There's no point in holding on to things that won't work out."

Dominic gritted his teeth. "You had the guts to go after me first, didn't you? Now that you've had your fun, you're done? Real nice."

He rarely spoke so harshly, and it caught Bella off guard. However, she wasn't going to take the blame. "You think I'm the one who walked away? You had no problem tearing me With your words. But it's over Let's move forward and let

things go."

His brows furrowed together slightly. "You left... because of the things I said?"

Bella didn't answer him. It was one of the reasons, but then again, it wasn't really the only reason. She knew they wouldn't have lasted anyway. She had prepared herself for that from the start.

She stared down at her hands and absentmindedly picked her nails. She felt a pang of sadness. No matter how hard she tried to stay calm around him, meeting Dominic would always stir something inside her. Suddenly, Dominic's low and rough voice dropped. "What if I apologized... for what I said that day?"

Bella's body stiffened, but she tried her best to keep her composure. She refused to meet his gaze and said "I'll accept the apology. But I wasn't without fault either. I didn't tell you why went to the Quinn residence.

"But there's something I need to know. You and Gloriana... Was there ever anything between you two? I'm not asking to start a fight. I just need to know if I was ever betrayed. I have the right to know." His response was quick. "No."

Bella smiled. "Good. If that's the

case, let's call it a clean break. If we

run into each other again, I hope we can be civil. It would be a shame to end things as enemies after

swravel

spending 20 years together, wouldn't it?

Dominic shut his eyes, his tone tinged with helplessness as he asked, "So, that's it? We've already talked things through, and it's still over? Damn, you're cold."

Bella told the biggest lie of her life, "I'm over you. I don't feel the same anymore."