Chapter 53 The Eccentric Sterling
Colin dropped Anna off at the police station and then bailed.
With the cops' help, Anna found her car, but the goons had already split.
The police also told Anna that even though she fingered Debra as the mastermind, they couldn't nab Debra without catching those thugs first.
Anna had no choice but to head back home.
At Anna's place, Caleb was glued to his computer. Seeing him, Anna felt a wave of frustration. She spilled the beans about her day. But Caleb's reaction was a total letdown.
"You're fine, right? I got work to do. You handle your stuff," Caleb said, barely looking up from his screen.
Anna stared at Caleb's back, feeling numb. She didn't cry when Debra threw coffee at her, when she was tailed, or when she was cornered by thugs. But Caleb's cold shoulder broke her.
"Go marry your damn computer," Anna muttered, completely fed up with Caleb.
Bella had no clue what went down with Anna. She had her own mess to deal with.
When she got home that night, she ran into Sterling, who was totally wasted.
Sterling yanked Bella onto the bed. His booze-soaked eyes glared at her like a predator.
"You're mine, no one else can have you," Sterling growled.
Before Bella could process what was happening, Sterling was already ripping at her clothes.
Even though Bella and Sterling had been close before, it didn't mean she was cool with this.
Bella instinctively tried to push him away, but a sharp pain hit her stomach. She clutched her belly, wincing, and Sterling paused.
"Is it a stomachache or your period?" Sterling asked, his voice icy.
The pain was in her lower abdomen. Bella did the math; her period was due in two days. Maybe it came early because she hadn't been resting well.
"Probably my period," Bella whispered.
Sterling took a deep breath and stared at Bella's face, like he was trying to figure out if she was lying.
A few seconds later, Sterling got off the bed, got dressed, and left the room.
Bella watched him go, feeling like he was acting super weird. Last time they went out, he was all sweet. Now he seemed like a different person, like something had set him off.
After leaving the room, Sterling made a call.
"How's the job I gave you going?" Sterling asked.
The person on the other end of line replied seriously, "Mr. Windsor, don't worry, we've got everything set for the engagement ceremony. It's happening tomorrow, no delays."
Sterling nodded and hung up.
That night, when Bella came downstairs for some water, she was shocked to see Sterling crashed on the couch.
"What's up with you? Why aren't you in the guest room?" Bella asked.
Sterling's response was odd. He glanced at Bella and suddenly grinned. "Just trying out the couch. You go sleep in the bedroom. Tomorrow, I'm taking you to a friend's engagement party."
Bella was caught off guard. Sterling had never smiled at her like that at home before. But that smile gave her the creeps.
"Sleeping on the couch sucks. You should go back to the bedroom," Bella said softly, then finished her water and headed back to bed.
After sharing a bed with Sterling for a while, Bella had gotten used to it. But now, the empty bed made her feel super lonely.
Eventually, Bella got tired and dozed off. When she woke up the next morning, Sterling was nowhere to be seen. She had no clue if he actually slept on the couch, stayed in the guest room, or just got up earlier without waking her.
After freshening up, Bella went downstairs. Zoey had already whipped up breakfast. Sterling was at the table, munching on his food and scrolling through his phone.
As Bella sat down, Sterling suddenly put his phone down and said, "A dress is coming for you soon. The fabric's kinda thin, so you might feel cold just wearing it. The engagement's outdoors, so bring a coat to stay warm."
Bella paused mid-bite. Sterling rarely talked to her this much.
Zoey was all smiles, thinking Sterling and Bella were finally getting along.
But Bella couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Sterling's sudden concern.
Soon, the dress arrived. It was gorgeous, but like Sterling said, the fabric was thin.
Bella slipped into the dress and twirled in front of the mirror. She was already pretty, and with good food and sleep over the years, she had a great figure.
The dress was snug, and Bella touched her slightly rounded belly. She blamed herself for eating too much lately and putting on weight.
Bella glanced out the window. Even though it hadn't snowed in the past couple of days, it was still freezing.
She grabbed a white fur shawl that matched her dress perfectly. Plus, it covered the kiss marks Sterling had left on her neck the night before.
Even with the shawl, Bella shivered as she left the villa.
Sterling frowned at her trembling. "You didn't have to come, you know."
"It's fine. If everyone else brings a date and you don't, it'll look weird," Bella said with a faint smile, then got into the car.
With the heater on, Bella finally felt warm.
Sterling glanced at her and got in the car too. They drove off to the venue.
Soon, they arrived at the outdoor wedding spot. After parking, Sterling and Bella got out.
Bella followed Sterling into the venue, curious about the couple getting engaged. She wondered what kind of people they were to invite Sterling. To her surprise, she spotted her best friend Anna there.
"Anna, what are you doing here? Are you here for the engagement too?" Bella asked excitedly, but Anna looked at her like she'd seen a ghost.
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