Chapter 23 James is Back
Bella was totally caught off guard by Sterling's kiss, and she shoved him away, hard.
Sterling shot her a look, clearly annoyed. "Why do you always do this? Do you hate kissing or just hate kissing me?"
Bella shook her head. To her, kissing was for couples, and she and Sterling were definitely not that.
Bella wanted to pay Sterling back for raising her with money someday, not like this. This made her feel like some kind of escort.
Sterling took a deep breath, fists clenched, and stepped closer to Bella.
Just when Bella was about to freak out, there was a knock on the door, and Owen's voice came through.
"Mr. Windsor, there's an urgent call from the overseas branch." Owen's voice was like a lifeline for Bella.
Bella darted around Sterling, yanked open the door, and bolted out.
Owen froze for a second, it looked like he'd just walked in on something he shouldn't have.
Sterling sighed and let Owen in; work was calling.
Bella rushed back to her room, locked the door, and leaned against it, breathing hard.
"God, if you're listening, please get Sterling out of here soon," Bella prayed, looking out the window.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Anna.
Bella picked up, and Anna's cheerful voice filled her ear.
"Bella, are you free tomorrow for Christmas? Let's hang out. I want you to meet my boyfriend," Anna said, all excited.
Bella hesitated. She knew Sterling would never let her go out.
But then Anna dropped a bombshell.
"By the way, did you hear? James is back in town." Anna's words left Bella stunned.
Bella's heart raced. Compared to Sterling, she had a soft spot for James, who was way gentler.
"I'd love to hang out, but my brother's super strict," Bella said, feeling trapped.
Just then, she heard Sterling and Owen talking outside her door. Bella pressed her ear to the door to eavesdrop.
"A bunch of idiots, can't even handle a simple task. I have to go there myself! Get a private jet ready; I need to leave ASAP." Sterling's work voice was harsh, and Owen quickly ran off to make arrangements.
Bella's heart soared. Sterling was leaving, which meant she could go to the gathering.
"Anna, count me in for tomorrow," Bella said, grinning.
The next day, Bella was buzzing with excitement.
With Anna leading the way, Bella finally met James and Anna's boyfriend.
"Bella, long time no see. You look even more stunning," James said, still as gentle as ever.
Bella greeted James, feeling a bit shy, and next to him was a guy.
"This is my boyfriend, Caleb Hayes," Anna introduced him.
Caleb just nodded at Bella, looking a bit full of himself.
Bella didn't give a damn about Caleb's attitude. She was there for James, and no other guy mattered.
The party was at a nightclub, and of course, there was booze everywhere.
Bella wasn't a drinker, so she eyed the drinks with a bit of worry.
"Try this; it's got barely any alcohol," James said, handing her a glass of purple-red wine with a smile.
Bella took a tiny sip. It barely tasted like alcohol, more like grape juice.
"Thanks, this is perfect," Bella said, smiling back at James.
As the night went on, everyone hit the dance floor, moving to the beat.
Bella started feeling hot, thinking it was from dancing. But her head got fuzzier and fuzzier until everything went black, and she collapsed into James' arms.
The next morning, Bella woke up in a strange room. She was wearing James' clothes, and James was next to her, shirtless.
Bella screamed, grabbed the blanket, and kicked James off the bed.
James scrambled up, looking shocked.
"Bella, let me explain. I drank too much and don't remember anything," James said, panicking, but Bella wasn't listening.
As she calmed down, fear gripped her. 'This is bad. Sterling can never find out, or James is toast.'
Meanwhile, across town in a magazine office, the editor-in-chief was buzzing with excitement over some new photos.
"Everyone, get moving and publish this bombshell!" he shouted, uploading the photos to his staff's computers.
Soon, a scandalous story about Sterling hit the web.
At the airport, Sterling was about to board his plane. Despite arranging a private jet, last night's snowstorm had kept him grounded.
Just as he was about to board, he noticed Ryan, his driver, looking uneasy.
"Ryan, what's up?" Sterling asked.
Ryan hesitated, holding his phone like he had something to say but was scared to.
Sterling's face darkened. "Spit it out!"
Ryan bit his lip and finally spoke up.
"Mr. Windsor, I just saw some news about Ms. Grey." He handed his phone to Sterling.
Sterling snatched the phone and scanned the news.
The article talked about the Windsor Family's private jet crash and how Sterling adopted Bella. Then it dove into Bella's supposed wild lifestyle, making Sterling's heart ache, especially with one photo.
The photo showed Bella and James in bed, Bella in James' clothes and James shirtless. Their lower bodies were covered by a blanket, leaving little to the imagination.
Sterling smashed the phone on the ground, then pulled out his own phone to call Bella.
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