Chapter 25 The Marriage Agreement
Bella stared at the marriage agreement in her hand, totally baffled by Sterling's move. Marrying a woman who'd dragged their family name through the mud? Not exactly a genius plan.
"If you want Anna and James to stay safe, you better sign it," Sterling's voice was as icy as the wind whipping outside.
Bella had no choice; she knew Sterling was given her a last chance.
She scribbled her name and pressed her fingerprint on the paper.
A flicker of pain flashed in Sterling's eyes. He wished Bella would sign out of love, not because of some twisted deal.
"James and Anna gotta go abroad and never come back," Sterling said, snatching the agreement from Bella and storming out.
"No, you can't do this, it's not fair!" Bella yelled, chasing after him. But Sterling was quick, and in her panic, she tumbled down the stairs. Sterling paused and looked at her.
"You should be grateful I let them live," he said before walking out the door.
Bella watched as Sterling got into his car and sped off. She had a gut feeling she wouldn't see him for a long time.
And she was right. That evening, Zoey brought dinner and spilled the beans: Sterling was heading abroad to start a new company, and he'd be gone for at least three years.
Before, Bella would've been over the moon knowing Sterling wouldn't be around for three years. But now, she felt a gnawing sense of loss and guilt that kept her up all night.
The only thing that brought her some comfort was Anna's call.
Anna rang Bella before boarding the plane. "Bella, I'm about to get on the plane. Don't worry about me. My parents are sending me abroad, but Caleb's coming with me. We might even get hitched over there. If you can, I hope you can visit."
Bella agreed, but she knew it was a long shot. She might never go abroad or see Anna again. That was the deal she made with Sterling.
James didn't call, probably because Sterling had scared his parents into keeping him quiet.
But that was fine; she didn't know how to face James anyway.
In Romanda, Sterling had just arrived at the branch office. He'd be sticking around this country for a while.
Ryan had tagged along too.
Last time, Sterling had smashed his phone, but he quickly got a new one. Ryan didn't mind; he was just worried about Sterling and Bella's relationship.
"Mr. Windsor, are you really planning to stay away for three years? This whole thing with Ms. Grey smells like a setup," Ryan said.
Sterling took a deep breath in the back of the car. "I know. From the assassination attempt to this mess, someone's gunning for me. But I've got people on it. Staying away from Bella is also keeping her safe."
Ryan felt a bit better; at least Sterling's feelings for Bella hadn't changed.
Three years flew by, Bella had graduated and started working.
One day after work, Bella got a call from Anna, who was all excited and told her she was getting married.
Bella's first reaction was to be happy for her. But then, reality hit her—Sterling would never let her go abroad.
"Bella, can you ask Mr. Windsor to let me come back? I want to have the wedding at home," Anna's voice had a pleading tone.
Bella was taken aback; she didn't expect Anna to ask for such a big favor. Sterling had made it clear Anna could never come back, and it had only been three years.
Bella hesitated. "I'll ask him for you. It's been three years; maybe he's cooled off."
She didn't give a definite answer because she wasn't sure if Sterling would agree. She didn't want to get Anna's hopes up.
"Thank you so much, Bella." Anna was still happy with the response and hung up, waiting for Bella's good news.
Bella found Sterling's number in her contacts. She hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to call.
Sterling was in a meeting when his phone suddenly rang. He frowned, but when he saw the caller ID, he immediately walked out of the conference room.
The execs in the meeting room exchanged curious glances. Someone close to Sterling saw the caller ID and whispered to the others that it was Sterling's wife calling.
"I didn't know Mr. Windsor was married. This is the first time I've heard of it," someone asked around, intrigued.
Sterling had no clue his subordinates were gossiping about his marital status. He walked to a quiet spot and answered Bella's call.
"What's up?" Sterling asked, his voice as cold and clear as it was three years ago.
Bella told Sterling about Anna's request, hoping he'd agree.
A flash of disappointment crossed Sterling's eyes. Bella rarely called him, and when she did, it was for something like this.
Sterling looked out the window. He had been in Romanda for three years. It was time to go back.
"If you want me to agree, it depends on what you do," Sterling said coldly over the phone.
Bella didn't get it at first, but then it clicked.
"Are you coming back?" Bella asked, surprised.
Sterling didn't hear any excitement in Bella's voice. He took a deep breath and responded faintly, then hung up.
Even though Sterling's attitude was cold, Bella finally saw a glimmer of hope.
Bella immediately ran downstairs to tell Zoey that Sterling was coming back. Zoey then led the villa staff in a thorough cleaning.
Bella went back to her room to organize the messy drafts on her desk. She had found a job in fashion design, and her designs often covered the entire room, making it super messy. She knew Sterling liked it clean and tidy. To make sure Anna could come back for her wedding, she had to do everything perfectly.
Finally, after everything was tidied up, Bella waited for Sterling to return.
On the day of Sterling's return, Bella, led by Owen, arrived at the airport early to wait.
As Sterling's private jet landed, two people, a man and a woman, walked out.
Bella's expression changed because the man was Sterling, and the woman was someone she didn't know. More importantly, they were holding hands intimately.
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