Crushed Affections

Dominic said nothing. His demeanor was far from cheerful about the news.

Victor's expression darkened. He knew every detail about what his son, Sean Morse, had done, and some truths were better left unspoken. It was already kind of Dominic not to blame Victor.

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That night, Bella sat on the couch, absorbed in a parenting book. A sudden clap of thunder broke the calm, followed by the steady patter of rain.

Cara hurried to gather the clothes from the balcony. Just then, the wind howled, bringing in the cold.

Bella shivered at the sound of thunder and instinctively covered her belly. Suddenly, she felt a gentle flutter inside, as if a little fish was swimming. Moved by the sensation of her baby's first movements, she forgot her unease and irritation. Her phone rang. It was Dominic calling.

As she answered, her excitement bubbled over. "The baby just moved! Do you think they can hear the thunder? If they're scared, they must be a girl!"

When Dominic heard her unmistakable delight, his tone softened. "It's raining and getting chilly. Make sure you stay warm."

Bella suddenly realized. "Is that why you called? Just to say that? Aren't you busy with your trip?"

"Yeah, I'm busy. I'll hang up now. You take care," he replied.

As the line went dead, Bella felt a twinge of disappointment. Another rumble of thunder outside made her think of something. Did he call because he knew it was going to storm in Joville tonight?

Just as she felt a flutter of hope, she

squashed it down. His kindness in the past had been a means of revenge. Now, it was for the sake of the child she carried. If she misinterpreted his actions, it would only be her own delusion.

With the storm raging outside, sleep eluded her. She decided to call Lia for some company.

When she reached her, the noise on the other end was chaotic. "Bella, can I call you back? I'm having dinner outside."

Bella felt a pang of confusion. It was unusual for Lia to be dining alone. She almost never went out without inviting her. Was there something going on?

Later that night, around 9:00 pm, Lia arrived at Bella's place.

Cuddled up under the covers, Bella noticed the bright glow on Lia's face. She immediately had a guess. "So, who did you have dinner with? Was it—"

Before she could say "Leonard", Lia beamed. "It was a blind date my dad arranged. He introduced me to a soldier who's super hot with a buzz cut! I bet he has eight-pack abs Thank goodness he's not tanned, which I usually try to avoid. If he can stay fair in the army, his genes must be really good!"

Bella's words caught in her throat. As her best friend, she understood Lia's preferences well-fair skin and abs were a must. It seemed like Lia was falling for this hot soldier.

Lia rambled on about their date. She

was thrilled with every detail, only lamenting that he was on leave fora short time. He had to return to the army in two days. If they wanted to continue meeting, it would depend on his schedule.

The next morning, Lia got up early, all dolled up for her date. She declared she would make the relationship official today and told Bella to wait for her good news at home.

In the afternoon, Lia sent Bella a message with the exciting update-she had succeeded. The relationship was official, and she would be back later after having dinner with her new boyfriend.