Chapter 70 Crying Bitterly
Debra was bummed out with Mira again. Back in the day, no matter what went down, Mira always had her back.
But ever since Bella showed up, Debra felt like she lost her mom. Every time she clashed with Bella, Mira would instantly side with Bella.
Mira saw the disappointment in Debra's eyes and felt stuck. Both were her daughters and equally important, but she had this guilt towards Bella, which made her always lean Bella's way.
"This isn't our place; it's Sterling's. Do you really want to leave a bad impression on him?" Mira warned Debra, dropping Sterling's name.
That did the trick. Debra thought about Sterling being upstairs, and if she stormed up to fight with Bella, it would definitely make her look bad in his eyes.
Bella went back to her room and crashed. Pregnant women were always sleepy. Just as she was about to doze off, she heard footsteps outside. She figured it was Zoey and didn't think much of it.
"Zoey, no midnight snack for me tonight. I'm beat; I'm just gonna sleep," Bella called out towards the door and drifted off.
Mira stood outside the door, hesitated for a moment, but didn't knock. She sighed softly and walked away.
Bella didn't expect Debra and Mira to stay over at the Windsor Villa. But she wasn't interested in whatever business they had with Sterling.
The next morning, after Debra and Mira left, Bella came downstairs in a black dress.
Sterling, sitting on the couch, frowned at her all-black outfit and asked, "Where are you headed?"
Bella didn't hold back. "Anna's dad passed away. We friends are going to attend the funeral."
Sterling's frown deepened. He figured James would probably be there too.
Seeing Sterling's furrowed brow, Bella got a bit nervous. She worried he wouldn't let her go. If he really said no, she'd have to sneak out.
"Let Ryan drive you. It might get colder today, so come back early," Sterling said, then went back to his newspaper.
Bella was surprised. She didn't expect him to agree. A bit of joy bubbled up, and she quickly left the villa and got in the car.
During the drive, Ryan glanced at the rearview mirror, checking out Bella's expression. She was staring out the window, looking a bit sad.
Knowing where Bella was going, Ryan guessed Sterling sent him to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't get too close to James.
"Mrs. Windsor, actually, Mr. Windsor didn't want you to go to this funeral," Ryan tried to break the silence.
Bella looked up at Ryan, confused.
Ryan continued, "Your health isn't great. Mr. Windsor is worried that seeing Anna might remind you of your dad, making you sad and worsening your condition."
A faint smile appeared on Bella's pale face. "Thanks, Ryan. But this is probably more you and Zoey worrying, right? Sterling's more concerned about me running into James at the funeral."
Ryan was caught off guard. He didn't expect Bella to figure out Sterling's real concern. It made things super awkward, and he didn't know what to say.
Bella looked out the window and gave a small smile. "Don't worry. It's Peter's funeral. I don't want to cause any drama. I'll make sure not to meet James alone."
"That's good to hear," Ryan said, rubbing his nose, feeling even more awkward.
The car fell silent again. Eventually, they arrived at the cemetery. Sure enough, James was already there, but his fiancée Amara wasn't with him this time.
Anna, holding the urn, nodded at Bella in greeting.
Bella nodded back and went over to hug Qiana.
"The road ahead is still long. Uncle Peter will be watching over you from heaven. Try not to cry too much," Bella comforted Qiana, who nodded and cried in Bella's arms.
The whole cemetery was filled with a heavy, sorrowful vibe. The sky started to drizzle, and the cold raindrops made everyone feel even more chilled.
The priest stood in front of everyone, reciting the eulogy, and the sadness spread.
Suddenly, Bella didn't feel the raindrops anymore. She looked up and saw an umbrella over their heads, held by James.
Bella hesitated for a moment but didn't refuse. The umbrella not only kept her dry but also protected Qiana.
As the priest finished the eulogy, Anna slowly placed Peter's urn into the grave.
As the soil covered the urn, Anna started crying again.
Tears streamed down Bella's face too. She thought of her dad, Lucas, the kind-looking middle-aged man.
When Bella was very young, Lucas told her that anyone who could fly in the sky was a superhero, and her dad was a hero.
Every time the plane landed, Bella would run into Lucas's arms, shouting that the hero had returned to save the world.
Even though a long time had passed, Bella still remembered Lucas's funeral.
Back then, young Bella was also holding an urn, but it contained not ashes, but a few charred pieces of clothing. After the plane crash, they couldn't even find his body.
After the funeral, the women who attended had red and swollen eyes from crying.
When Bella got back into the car, Ryan was stunned to see her red and swollen eyes.
'It wasn't her dad who passed away, so why is she crying so much?' Ryan couldn't figure it out and could only guess that Bella was reminded of her deceased father.
Ryan was half right. Bella was indeed crying because of that, but it was also due to the unstable emotions of a pregnant woman.
James felt a bit frustrated. He had hoped to chat with Bella today, but she didn't give him the chance.
As James was about to leave, he suddenly noticed someone standing not far away, staring at him. It was Sterling.
Bella had already left, and James knew Sterling was there for him.
James walked towards Sterling.
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to. This is your last warning; stay away from Bella," Sterling warned James in a cold voice.
But James sneered at Sterling, "Do you really love Bella?"
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