Chapter 449 Is the Truth Important?
Anna's eyes roamed openly over the two men in their swim trunks, her face showing undisguised appreciation.
She praised them generously: "I used to think Colin had a great body, but Sterling, you're not bad either! You really can't judge a book by its cover. You look so slim in clothes, but who knew you'd be so muscular without them? Really nice!"
Hearing his beloved woman praise another man like this, Colin felt a twinge of jealousy. He wrapped his arm around Anna's slender waist and said with a hint of possessiveness: "Stop drooling, babe. You can only drool over me. Come on, let's go to that artificial beach over there."
With that, he led Anna toward the golden, fine artificial beach nearby, leaving Bella and Sterling standing there as the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Sterling remained silent, simply following Colin and Anna's footsteps toward the artificial beach.
Seeing this, Bella let out a small sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She adjusted her breathing and followed behind them at a measured pace, maintaining a polite yet slightly awkward distance.
Inadvertently, Bella's gaze fell on Sterling's back again. Though just a quick glance, what his silhouette revealed was enough to stir something in her. Sterling really did have a great body—well-proportioned and toned, as if every inch of muscle contained endless strength and beauty. His skin was a wheat color that looked even more striking in the sunlight, and those long legs that couldn't be hidden even while walking made it impossible to look away.
Bella couldn't help but admire him silently, while also feeling a flutter of panic. She wondered if her gaze had been too obvious, when suddenly Sterling seemed to sense something. He slowed his pace and turned around slowly, looking directly at her with those deep eyes.
"Walk faster," his voice was low and magnetic, carrying an undeniable authority.
Bella was startled by this sudden attention and quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing involuntarily. She lowered her head and responded quietly: "Okay."
Then she quickened her pace, trying to catch up with the others while secretly regretting her loss of composure.
The sun today was still blazing hot, mercilessly scorching the earth as if trying to cook everything and everyone thoroughly.
Walking on the burning sand felt like walking on fire, making people quicken their steps to escape the searing heat.
When they finally reached the beach and found a spot under a sun umbrella, Anna immediately pulled out a bottle of sunscreen from her bag and tossed it to Colin, who was busy attending to her. She then unceremoniously flopped down on a beach chair, stretched lazily, and said: "Help me apply it. Make sure it's even—I don't want to get tan, that would look terrible."
Colin said nothing and dutifully took the sunscreen, carefully applying it for her.
Anna glanced at Bella, who was still standing there looking somewhat lost, and urged: "Bella, hurry up and have Sterling help you apply some. Don't just stand there. After we're done, we can go in the water—it's nice and cool. If you get tan, it won't fade all winter, and you'll peel too. That would be awful!"
Bella's scalp tightened involuntarily, and she gritted her teeth. This wasn't the first time she'd wanted to "teach a lesson" to Anna and her big mouth.
She knew perfectly well that things were awkward between her and Sterling, yet she deliberately said this—wasn't she obviously trying to embarrass her!
Bella felt both embarrassed and somewhat angry. Just as she was caught in this awkward situation, Sterling unexpectedly took the sunscreen Anna offered with an expressionless face and said simply but firmly: "Lie down." Though his voice was calm, it carried an undeniable force.
Bella froze, her emotions mixed. Well, if he was being so natural about it, she had no reason to keep being difficult. It was just sunscreen, not a big deal.
Thinking this, Bella managed to squeeze out a "thank you," then slowly walked to a nearby beach chair and lay down somewhat unnaturally, adding: "Just do my back. I'll do the front myself."
As she said this, Bella felt her cheeks warming, feeling both shy and nervous. She tried to stay calm, but the turmoil inside was hard to settle.
Sterling stood silently behind her and began carefully applying the sunscreen, his movements gentle and focused, as if performing a sacred ritual.
Bella felt the cool, smooth sensation and couldn't help but feel something strange stirring in her heart—a feeling both foreign and familiar that left her momentarily dazed.
Sterling grunted but said nothing more, his gaze falling on Bella's smooth, wheat-colored skin. Such nice skin would indeed be a shame to let get tanned.
Sterling applied it exceptionally carefully, not missing any spot, his fingers feeling only the soft, smooth texture of Bella's skin.
This sensation left him somewhat dazed, as if the whole world had quieted down, leaving only him and Bella, sharing a moment of peace and intimacy under the scorching sun.
Suddenly Sterling's breathing grew heavier. Finally, he finished applying the sunscreen, gently set down the bottle, and without another word or glance at Bella, simply turned and walked straight into the pool water nearby.
His steps were firm and purposeful, as if escaping something or searching for something. He walked directly into the deep end.
The water there was crystal clear and sparkling, as if it could wash away all dust and troubles.
Sterling was a strong swimmer—everyone knew this. As a child, he'd received professional training, so he moved through the water like a fish, completely at ease.
Bella, meanwhile, was somewhat confused. She didn't understand why Sterling had suddenly walked away. After applying the sunscreen, shouldn't he have said something? His personality was still as cold as ever.
But Sterling's behavior left her feeling confused and a bit disappointed. She lay on the beach chair, her gaze following Sterling's figure until he completely disappeared into the deep blue water.
Nearby, Anna had finished applying her sunscreen beautifully. She stood up, stretched her limbs, then gracefully jumped into the water, creating ripples.
Seeing this, Bella naturally turned her gaze to Colin. Her tone carried a hint of barely detectable strangeness, as if joking or perhaps testing: "Colin, why aren't you putting on sunscreen?"
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