Chapter 40 Surprising News
When Bella rolled up to the crib, Zoey had already whipped up a late-night snack for her—a bowl of porridge.
"Mrs. Windsor, you're finally back. Hungry? Got some grub for ya," Zoey said, bringing over the porridge with some fresh side dishes.
"Thanks, Zoey. I am starving, but you don't gotta hustle so hard at night. I can whip something up myself," Bella said, plopping down and grabbing the spoon to dig in.
Zoey beamed at Bella, like she was her own kid coming home from a long day. "No biggie. I'm not even tired."
Zoey sat across from Bella, still smiling. "Eating too much at night ain't great for your stomach, so I just made porridge. You must be beat and ready to crash after working late. The porridge is just right, not too hot. Finish it up and hit the sack."
Bella was so touched she almost teared up. Compared to her mom who bailed on her, Zoey felt more like a real mom.
"Thanks, Zoey," Bella said, flashing a grateful smile.
After scarfing down her meal, Bella headed upstairs to Sterling's room.
Bella gently nudged the door open. The room was dark, and Sterling seemed to be out cold, his steady breathing the only sound.
Moving like a ninja, Bella tiptoed to the bed and started undressing.
Just as she was about to slide under the covers, Sterling suddenly rolled over, making Bella freeze. She stayed like that for a solid ten seconds.
Once she was sure Sterling was still out, Bella let out a sigh of relief and slipped into bed.
'Man, that was close. If I woke Sterling up again, he'd totally lose it and boot me out,' Bella thought, then lay down and shut her eyes.
She was so wiped from working late that she crashed almost instantly.
What Bella didn't know was that not long after she lay down, Sterling's eyes popped open in the dark.
Sterling scooted closer to Bella, drawn in by the mix of her shampoo, body wash, and perfume.
Unbeknownst to Bella, just like she dug Sterling's scent, Sterling was into hers too.
Out of nowhere, Bella turned over and hugged Sterling tight.
Sterling was caught off guard by the warmth of Bella's body. He opened his eyes wide, trying to see if Bella was faking sleep.
But Bella's steady breathing proved she was really out, and it was all unconscious.
Sterling took a deep breath. Bella's firm grip triggered a reaction in him.
'Damn, why's Bella being so bold tonight?' Sterling thought, feeling both annoyed and secretly stoked. He fought off his urges and let Bella hold him.
That night, Bella slept like a log, dreaming of lying under snow-covered pine trees, hugging a fluffy bear.
Meanwhile, Sterling had a rough time. He managed to keep his cool but ended up losing sleep.
The next morning, Bella woke up and saw Sterling still snoozing. She quietly got out of bed to get dressed for work.
"Tell Zoey I’m skipping breakfast and not to bug me." A sudden voice from behind made Bella jump. She spun around to see Sterling awake, his eyes bloodshot from a sleepless night.
Bella's face turned beet red; she was only in her underwear.
Sterling noticed her embarrassment and shot her a cold look before rolling over to try and catch some more Z's.
Bella sighed in relief, quickly threw on her clothes, and bounced out of the bedroom. She couldn't figure out why Sterling hadn't slept all night.
When Bella got downstairs, Zoey had breakfast ready. Bella passed on Sterling's message.
Zoey glanced at the stairs, a knowing look on her face. Her expression turned playful.
"You young folks have so much energy. Looks like we might have a little Mr. Windsor running around soon," Zoey teased.
Bella blushed, realizing Zoey had the wrong idea.
"Zoey, what are you talking about? Sterling and I didn't do anything last night. I think he just had insomnia or something," Bella explained, but Zoey's smirk said she didn't buy it.
Bella gave up trying to explain. After breakfast, Owen drove her to work.
As soon as Bella hit the office, she got a call from Anna, who was crying and thanking her for everything.
"Why are you crying? We're besties. Of course, I'd help you out. Your dad's been looking pretty worn out lately; take good care of him. By the way, it was your boyfriend Caleb who asked me to help. Maybe he's not as bad as you think. You two probably just need to talk more," Bella said, recounting how Caleb had approached her.
Just as Bella reached her desk, she got word that Micah wanted to see her.
Bella wrapped up the call with Anna and headed to Micah's office.
Micah handed Bella a design proposal. "This is a plan I whipped up based on Sterling's tastes. You should be able to handle it. I gotta hit the hospital tonight, so I won't be staying late."
Bella rolled her eyes. Micah's voice no longer sounded like Donald Duck, meaning he was almost cured. The hospital thing was just an excuse to dodge late hours. Micah had totally bailed on his team.
Bella didn't call out Micah's lie, just rolled her eyes and left the office.
As she stepped out, she noticed her coworkers giving her weird looks. She overheard whispers like "Sterling is married, and his wife is Bella," which left her puzzled.
Right then, Micah called Bella back to his office.
Despite her confusion, Bella went back to Micah's office.
As soon as she walked in, Micah turned his computer screen towards her and asked curiously, "Did Sterling drop this news? What's he up to?"
Bella was floored by the headline. It was an article spilling the beans about her marriage to Sterling!
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