As I left the shop, I quickly sent a text to Steff, urging him to bring my brother back home safely. An unexpected matter had arisen, and I needed to attend to it urgently.

My anger simmered as I reflected on the reckless disregard for my clear instructions. They had carelessly harmed the innocent man, despite my explicit statement to the contrary. It was a blatant act of defiance, one that left me seething with frustration. This marked the final straw, and I was determined to ensure it would not happen again.

"Bella?" I heard Kristen's voice calling after me, but I chose to ignore it, marching ahead in fury.

It was disheartening to think that they no longer cared about my opinions or the values I held dear. I had believed they had changed, but their recent actions had shattered that illusion.

"Bella, wait!" Kristen finally caught up with me, spinning me around to face him.

"What happened in there?" he inquired, his voice softer.

"Why don't you tell me what happened to that poor doctor who did nothing to deserve your brutality?!" I couldn't contain my anger, and my words echoed through the watching crowd.

Steff, thankfully, had not yet emerged from the shop with Antonio, and he remained blissfully unaware of the unfolding scene.

"Could you lower your voice?" Kristen whispered, clearly aware of the curious onlookers passing by.

"That's all you have to say?" I retorted, my frustration unabated.

"He was the one who forced us to do it!" the twins chimed in simultaneously.

"I'm sure you two have minds of your own!"

"It was just meant to be a little scare, Bella," Kristen tried to explain.

"So, hitting him in the face was just a scare? Are you out of your mind?!" I exclaimed, my disbelief evident.

"You can't simply attack everyone who looks at me," I scolded him.

"That's precisely what we tried to tell him," Marco stepped forward.

"I can't believe you!" I snatched the car keys from Kristen's hand and headed towards his car.

"I can't believe I trusted you to follow my instructions for once. Why do you keep hurting me? Does it bring you joy?" I questioned him bitterly.

"Bella, where are you going?" Kristen called out.

"Far away from you. Perhaps I'll find someone who will actually listen to me for once!" I yelled, frustration and disappointment driving me as I started the car's engine and sped away.

My last statement had clearly struck a nerve I hadn't intended to. If glares could kill, I'd be six feet under by now.

As I drove away, I couldn't help but glance back and see them all standing there, watching my car recede into the distance. They didn't make any attempt to follow me. Good.

I needed some time to think about what I'd do next. If he wouldn't listen to me, then why should I continue trying to reason with him?

Now, I had parked my car in front of an unfamiliar house. I got out and approached the front door. Kristen might not be following me, but I knew he was tracking me through a device in his car. It wouldn't be long before he figured out where I was, and I expected his reaction to be explosive.

I knocked on the door, and after a moment, a tall, skinny man with a bright smile on his face answered. His short, dirty-blond hair and youthful appearance made him look much younger than his actual age, which I estimated to be around forty.

"Hello there, how can I help you?" he asked politely.

"Hi, I'm looking for Doctor Drew," I replied.

"Not to be rude, but who are you?" he inquired, his curiosity evident.

"I'm one of Doctor Drew's patients. My name's Anna," I answered.

"Such a beautiful name for a beautiful person. Come inside, I'll see if he's available," he replied warmly, opening the door for me.

He disappeared around the corner, and I took the opportunity to glance around the room. The walls were painted in light green, with photos of the two of them scattered throughout. Antique items adorned the room, giving it a unique and somewhat eclectic atmosphere.

Doctor Drew soon returned, his face still showing signs of the previous incident but with the swelling now reduced.

"Hello, Anna. How are you?" he greeted me.

"I'm doing well, thank you. I wanted to check on how you were doing after that incident, especially since you helped in getting my brother back," I inquired.

"I'm doing fine, and your parents have given me some time off to relax while my boyfriend here pampers me," he replied playfully.

We engaged in some more conversation, discussing my brother's well-being and the events that had transpired. After a while, I decided it was time to head back home. I was certain Kristen would be there, fuming with anger.

As expected, when I opened the front door, Kristen was waiting there with an angry expression. I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

I chose to ignore his presence, dropping the keys on the table and heading upstairs.

"You get back down here this instant, Bella!" Kristen's voice echoed through the house as I turned to face him on the stairs.

"Better watch your tone when you're speaking to her, dear," Vicky chimed in, winking at me playfully. I couldn't help but smile at her teasing.

"Sorry, ma'am," Kristen mumbled, his cheeks reddening. For the first time, he looked as if he were...shy. I would have found it endearing if I weren't so angry with him.

I swiftly spun around once more, heading towards my bedroom door, aware of his footsteps trailing close behind. Quickening my pace, I managed to shut the door before he could enter.

"Bella, please open the door," he implored.

I remained silent, deliberating my response.

"Princess, I want to know what happened when you went to visit that doctor," he continued, his tone laced with concern.

"We had sex," I stated matter-of-factly.

To my surprise, the next thing I heard was silence. It was unusual, not the fiery reaction I had expected. After uttering a sentence like that, I thought he would've gone mad.

Around five minutes of silence passed, and it began to feel unsettling. What if he had gone to seek revenge? An uneasy feeling gnawed at me, so I flung the door open.

"Not a smart move, Bella," Kristen stood in my doorway, wearing a smirk. Before I could react and shut the door in his face, he pushed it further open and sauntered into my room, settling comfortably on my bed.

"Now, I won't ask again. What happened?"

I taunted, "Why don't you go and ask for yourself?"

But he didn't react as expected. Instead, he looked distraught and lost in thought, behaving strangely.

He then stood up and surprisingly knelt before me, pulling me close so his face now rested on my stomach, his hands tightening around my waist.

"What are you doing, Kristen?"

"It's not my intention to hurt you, Bella. It's just that Marco kept taunting me with that video, and I lost my temper. It may not be a valid reason, but I'm sorry, and I promise it will never happen again. I wanted to tell you what happened, but I was afraid you'd be angry with me. Please don't punish me; you have to forgive me."

I replied cautiously, "You'll have to prove this to me, Kristen. I won't forgive you so easily."

"I will, and you won't regret it, I promise," he pleaded, and I couldn't help but feel torn seeing him like this.

He stood up, kissed me on the lips, and pulled me closely to his chest. Then he pulled away, his face illuminated with a bright smile before capturing my lips once more.

Gradually, he began to pepper kisses along my neck, and with every tender touch, I could feel the walls of resistance crumbling.

I pulled away forcefully, a smug smile on my face. "Not so fast there, love. If you want this, you're going to have to work for it," I teased, walking away.

This was going to be an intriguing game.

****************

Hey guys!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, more chapters left to come!

Don't forget to vote and comment!

Thanks for all the love, bye!💋😘