CHAPTER 81: PERSONAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS

The drive to work that morning felt longer than usual.

Jake’s head still throbbed faintly from the night before, and every red light on the way to StoneTech seemed to last an eternity. His thoughts swirled in circles — fragments of memory, flashes of Helena’s smug expression, and Bella’s unanswered calls.

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, jaw set. No matter how hard he thought about it, he knew that something was off. He could feel it.

And whatever had happened, whatever blank space lay between his meeting with Raymond and waking up in his bed was something he couldn’t sweep off. Especially since it concerned how Helena had ended up in his house and bed.

No matter how long it’d take, he needed to find out what happened.

When he arrived at the company, the building’s glass facade reflected the morning sun — crisp and bright, mocking the heaviness in his chest.

Jake parked and stepped out, trying to steady himself. He moved briskly through the lobby, ignoring the usual greetings from staff. All he could think of was seeing Bella.

Maybe she’d answer him face-to-face. Maybe she was just upset that he didn’t show up last night. He could fix that. He had to fix that.

He reached her office — the small but elegant workspace right outside his own. The blinds were half drawn, sunlight spilling across her neat desk. But the chair was empty. She wasn’t there.

He frowned. He wasn’t even early.

Jake checked his watch. 8:52 a.m. Although he was usually early himself, Bella was never late. She always arrived in time. Why was she late today?

His heart sank. Maybe she was running late. Maybe she didn’t even want to come in. But she hadn’t called. Was she even okay? Perhaps, something happened and that’s why she wasn’t taking his calls?

Should he go to her house? That way, he’d know what’s going on with her.

With a sigh, he sat down in her chair, rubbing his face tiredly. The faint scent of her perfume — soft vanilla and something floral — still lingered. It hurt more than he expected it to. Was she very mad at him? He kept wondering as he waited.

Minutes ticked by. Then, around 9:15, he heard the faint sound of heels in the hallway. His heart leaped.

Bella appeared at the door, composed as ever, her hair neatly packed in a ponytail, the curls flowing down her back, and a cream blouse tucked into a navy skirt. She looked beautiful and distant. Jake could see it even at a first glance.

Her eyes flicked to him sitting in her chair, and she froze for half a second before masking it with cool professionalism.

"Good morning, Mr. Stone," she said quietly, walking past him toward her desk.

"Bella," Jake began, standing quickly. "You’re late. I mean—" He stopped himself. He didn’t want to sound like her boss right now. He wanted to sound like himself.

"I’m sorry for my tardiness. I promise it won’t repeat itself," she said coldly.

When Jake didn’t respond and just shook his head, she gave him a curt nod and went ahead to not just sit down, but to open her laptop, and began sorting through documents with deliberate focus.

"Bella," he tried again, softer this time. "About last night..."

Her hand paused over the keyboard. She looked up slowly, her green eyes unreadable. "Last night?" she repeated.

Jake exhaled. "I’m sorry. I—" he ran a hand through his hair. "I was supposed to meet you, and I didn’t show. Something happened, I swear I didn’t mean to—"

Her gaze darkened, though her face remained calm.

Inside, her heart twisted painfully. He’s pretending? She thought bitterly. After everything I saw? How could he say he didn’t show up when he asked her to his house to see unholy things?

Her pulse quickened with the memory — the open door, the sight of Helena in his bed, the way Jake had been holding her. The disbelief, the way her heart had shattered in her chest. She hadn’t slept. She hadn’t even been able to eat despite her sister’s and friend’s effort. And now he stood there, talking about standing her up as if that was the worst part. He definitely had to be kidding.

She forced a small, cold smile. "It’s fine," she said, her tone clipped.

Jake blinked, frowning. "No, it’s not. I didn’t mean to stand you up, Bella. I swear, I wouldn’t—"

"Mr. Stone," she interrupted, her voice polite but firm. "I said it’s fine. You don’t need to apologize."

He froze at the shift in tone, and the wall he could see in her voice. "Mr. Stone?" he echoed quietly.

"Yes," she said, looking back at her computer. "We should keep things professional, don’t you think? Whatever personal misunderstandings happened, it’s best to leave them outside of work."

Jake frowned, stepping closer. "Personal misunderstandings?"

Bella didn’t look up. Her voice was steady, but her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. "You’re my boss. I’m your assistant. That’s all there is."

He stared at her, stunned. "But, Bella, that’s not all there is," he said softly. "You know that."

She finally looked up at him, eyes glistening but cold. "No, Mr. Stone. That’s all there should ever be."

The formality in her tone hit him harder than he expected. He could hear the hurt behind it, could feel the distance widening between them like a canyon.

He swallowed, taking another step forward. "Bella, please. I don’t know what you think happened last night, but I—"

She stood abruptly, cutting him off. "Mr. Stone, you should go to your office. I’ll bring your coffee shortly and read your schedule for the day."

Jake hesitated. "Bella—"

"Please." Her tone softened slightly, but it carried finality.

For a long, tense moment, they just stared at each other, the air between them thick with everything unsaid. Then Jake nodded slowly, and defeated. She didn’t seem like she wanted to talk to him.

"Alright," he murmured. "If that’s what you want."

When she didn’t answer, he turned and walked out, the weight in his chest almost unbearable. He didn’t understand it. None of it made sense. Why was she suddenly acting like this? What exactly had happened?