Chapter 285 Entering the Bar Again
Bella never expected Sterling's reaction to be even more intense than before, making her feel a bit scared and overwhelmed.
With a shaky voice and a hint of panic, she asked, "Sterling, what's going on?"
Sterling didn't respond, just stared at Bella with a mix of emotions in his eyes.
At that moment, he wished time could stop so she wouldn't leave him. She was right there, completely his, but the thought of Caleb's letter filled him with fear and unease.
Half an hour later, things finally settled down. Bella quickly took a shower and got herself ready, looking at Sterling with anticipation. She was worried about Anna and almost forgot about Sterling's current mood.
Sterling got up and walked over to Bella, gently tapping her nose with a rare affectionate gesture. "Hang tight, I'll be ready soon. I just can't say no to you."
His voice carried a hint of helplessness but was mostly filled with affection.
Bella was much less shy than before. She gave him a sweet smile, still a bit embarrassed to see him walking around without clothes, but she turned and went downstairs to wait for him.
About ten minutes later, Sterling came downstairs, dressed simply but with a touch of warmth that softened his usually stern image.
Sterling naturally bent his arm slightly, signaling Bella to take it.
Bella's cheeks flushed slightly, and with a bit of shyness, she gently took his arm.
Once in the car, Bella immediately called Anna. "Anna, where are you? Send me your location, I'm coming to get you."
Anna, tired from walking, had been sitting by the roadside for a while.
After receiving the location, Sterling hit the gas, and the car smoothly headed towards Anna's location.
Sterling's focused driving made it hard for Bella to look away. She never thought they could be so in sync, without any barriers.
The feeling of her heart racing made her wonder if this was what liking someone felt like.
"If you keep looking at me like that, I'm going to have to pull over," Sterling suddenly said, his tone teasing and affectionate.
Bella's cheeks turned even redder, and she quickly looked away, pretending to be serious as she gazed out the window. "You're annoying."
Despite her words, her heart felt sweet.
"Annoying for real or just pretending?" Sterling asked seriously, his eyes filled with warmth and anticipation.
"Just pretending," Bella answered without hesitation, her voice carrying a hint of shyness and determination. She knew she could no longer deceive her own heart.
When they found Anna, Bella was surprised to see her face streaked with tears, crying her heart out.
The two women immediately hugged in the back seat, one pouring out her pain, the other gently comforting her, completely ignoring Sterling as if he were an invisible chauffeur.
Sterling was already annoyed by women crying, especially since Bella was usually strong and rarely shed tears.
Hearing Anna's sobs made him even more irritable. He furrowed his brows, opened the window, and lit a cigarette.
Anna noticed and reached out her hand. "Give me one."
Sterling hesitated but ended up tossing her the half-full pack. He had quit smoking with great difficulty, but occasionally, especially when feeling agitated, he would have one.
After finishing her cigarette, Anna's emotions calmed down a bit. She wiped her tears and looked at Bella. "Bella, I don't want to go home. I want to go to a bar."
Bella glanced at Sterling, feeling conflicted. She knew she couldn't leave Anna alone right now. As long as Sterling agreed, they could go to the bar together.
Sterling took a deep breath, looked at Bella and Anna, and shook his head with a sigh. "Alright, alright, I'll call and book a table."
He pulled out his phone and started dialing the nightclub.
Hearing Sterling's words, Bella felt a mix of emotions.
She suddenly remembered that Sterling used to be a regular at nightclubs and even had their numbers saved in his phone.
Bella couldn't help but wonder if there was a beautiful hostess behind that number.
But then she thought about how much Sterling had changed for her and decided not to let her imagination run wild. She put her thoughts aside and prepared to help Anna relax.
At the largest bar in Harborvale's city center, Sterling led the way to the VIP section on the second floor, with Bella and Anna following closely.
Anna seemed unimpressed by the luxurious environment, clearly a regular, while Bella couldn't help but look around, finding everything new and exciting.
"The second floor is all VIP booths. Just booking one costs at least ten grand, and they throw in some drinks and fruit platters. Of course, VIPs usually spend way more than that in a night. Your man is really generous," Anna said to Bella, her tone teasing.
Bella didn't respond, just glanced at Sterling's back with a hint of jealousy.
She noticed that each booth had a pretty waitress dressed in black and white bunny outfits, complete with bunny ears, which were quite eye-catching.
She couldn't help but think that Sterling must have enjoyed coming to places like this in the past.
Sterling stopped at a booth, and Anna's face fell. She had thought it would just be the three of them, but it wasn't.
Inside the booth, Colin and Micah were having a great time with a group of women.
Seeing this, Bella felt even more uncomfortable. She looked at Sterling, hoping for an explanation.
Sterling just smiled faintly and gestured for them to sit down.
"Didn't expect to run into them. Since we did, let's all have fun together," Sterling said deliberately.
The awkward atmosphere didn't last long. After a few drinks, Anna and Micah started playing dice, both trying to mask their emotions with the game.
Bella noticed that Anna avoided looking at Colin. She didn't know about Anna and Colin's passionate kiss at the bar that night, so she didn't understand why Anna was avoiding him.
However, Colin didn't seem to mind. He joined the dice game and encouraged Bella and Sterling to play too.
Among them, Bella was the only novice, so she ended up drinking the most. After a few drinks, she couldn't take it anymore.
"Why don't you guys play? I don't know how. If this keeps up, I'll end up drinking all the alcohol," Bella said helplessly.
Sterling didn't hesitate to take her drink and down it in one gulp. "I'll drink for you."
Sterling's gesture immediately earned eye rolls from Anna, Colin, and Micah.
Anna, feeling jealous, said, "Showing off that you have a wife? What about us three single people?"
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