The click of the closing door echoed through the empty suite as Reid watched Bella disappear into her room. A bittersweet smile lingered on his lips, the hunger for her glinting in his eyes. He wished he could've stayed, cocooned in her warmth, but there were things he needed to ensure before their wedding ceremony.
He stepped into his own suite, greeted by the meticulous arrangements made by his assistant, Mike. The room exuded an air of opulence, adorned with fragrant flowers and candles casting a soft glow across the space.
"Everything in order, Mike?" Reid asked, his gaze scanning the room while his mind lingered on Bella.
"Absolutely, sir. All set for the ceremony," Mike confirmed with a respectful nod.
A tense silence loomed after Mike's departure, and Reid's fingers hovered over his phone, contemplating the call he needed to make. With a resolute sigh, he dialed his head of security, Boris.
"Boris, any updates on the Livingstons?" Reid inquired; his voice laced with concern.
"They're still actively searching, employing private investigators," Boris responded, his tone carrying the weight of the situation. "They're close to locating her. However, they're maintaining appearances within their circle of friends, concealing Bella's absence."
Reid clenched his jaw, a surge of frustration coursing through him. "They're going to great lengths to find her only for their own selfish reasons and not for their concern towards her well-being, yet they're hiding the truth from their friends?" His voice held a mix of disbelief and disappointment. "I never thought Richard and Isabella would go to such lengths against their own daughter. Their only child, for God’s sake!" he snapped at the end.
Boris, a seasoned professional, understood the gravity of the situation. "It appears they're desperate to keep up appearances, sir. Let me know what your next instructions are."
Reid pinched the bridge of his nose, grappling with the unsettling revelation. "Keep me updated, Boris. And ensuring Bella's safety remains our top priority. Her parents or not, to hell with them."
"Understood, sir. We won't let anything happen to her," Boris assured him before ending the call.
Alone in the dimly lit room, Reid's mind raced. He had known the Livingtons for years, and considered Richard his closest friend. Yet, the deceit woven into their actions left a bitter taste in his mouth. Had he been blind to their true nature all along?
The thought churned in his mind as he gazed out of the window, the city lights a mere blur in his troubled thoughts. His heart ached for Bella, knowing she was entangled in a web of deceit spun by her own parents.
A knock interrupted his reverie, and Mike's voice seeped through the door. "Sir, it's time for the ceremony to begin in one hour. It’s time to prepare."
With a deep breath, Reid composed himself, masking the storm raging within. He took a fast shower and got dressed in the prepared suit. He straightened his bow-tie, a façade of calm settling over him as he prepared himself.
Alone in the quietness of the room, the weight of the situation bore down on him. He paced the room, his mind consumed by worry about Bella. How could he protect her from the shadows lurking around her when they came from the very people she'd known as family?
With a heavy heart, he realised that he would need to address the elephant in the room and become the needed shield for Bella. He would protect her and their unborn baby no matter what.
The weight of impending confrontation hung heavy on Reid as he dialed Richard Livingston's number. The phone rang, each tone intensifying the churning turmoil within him. Finally, on the fifth ring, a familiar voice answered.
"Richard, it's Reid," he greeted, his voice steady despite the turmoil within.
"Reid, my friend! What a pleasant surprise," Richard's voice carried its usual charm, oblivious to the tension brewing at the other end of the line.
The façade of camaraderie grated on Reid's nerves, but he pushed through. "Richard, there's something we need to discuss."
"Of course, anything, Reid. You know I'm always here for you," Richard replied, his tone warm and welcoming.
Reid took a deep breath, gathering his resolve. "Your search for Bella... it needs to stop."
There was a pause, a heavy silence hanging between them. "Have you found her? Where is that ungrateful brat?" Richard's voice held a glimmer of hope.
"Yes, I found her," Reid affirmed, his voice firm. "And where she is, is none of your concern."
Relief swept through Richard's voice. "What do you mean, Reid?" He added in a questioning voice.
The demand struck a nerve, and Reid's tone turned sharp. "She's not coming back to you, Richard. In fact, she's about to become my wife."
Silence echoed through the line, a stunned disbelief hanging between them.
"W-what? Your wife? Bella? Our Bella? How? Why? I don’t understand." Richard stuttered; incredulity laced in his words.
"Yes, Bella. And its high time you and Isabella kept your distance," Reid's voice crackled with tension.
The line crackled with a charged silence, the weight of Reid's words sinking in. "I don't understand, Reid. She's our daughter. She belongs with us," Richard protested, his tone wavering between confusion and disbelief.
Reid's patience waned, his voice laced with frustration. "Your daughter has suffered enough because of your actions. She's not your possession, Richard. She deserves better than what you've put her through."
Richard's tone turned defensive. "We've been trying to protect her, Reid! Her reputation! You have no idea, especially after she shamed us by carrying a bastard in her stomach!"
"I've seen enough to know that she's better off away from your version of 'protection,' and that bastard is my child so thread carefully." Reid snapped, his words cutting through the air.
The line fell into a tense silence, the weight of their confrontation heavy between them. Reid's heart raced with the betrayal he felt on behalf of Bella, his frustration at Richard's obliviousness boiling over.
"What!!! You never told me that you were fucking my daughter! Since when is this going on? Why didn't you say anything from the beginning, we could have sorted out this discretely." Richard's voice pleaded, desperation creeping in.
"No, Richard. Bella needs to be far away from the toxic environment you and Isabella have created," Reid retorted, his voice unwavering.
A mix of shock and anger crackled through the line. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Reid, we have been friends for years. What the hell did she tell you, what lies she described?" Richard seethed.
"I know enough to protect her from those who claim to love her," Reid shot back, the edge in his voice cutting through the tension.
The conversation reached an impasse, both men entrenched in their beliefs, each protecting what they deemed right for Bella.
"This is nonsense Reid. You are a reasonable man, a business man. You can’t leave yourself being influenced by a sweet pussy and disregard all our years of friendship." Richard's voice turned resolute.
"She's not a possession to be taken or kept, Richard. Bella is a grown-up woman who can take her own decisions. And be respectful towards her, she is your daughter." Reid countered, his tone firm.
The line fell silent, the weight of their clash lingering in the air. Emotions ran high, and Reid's heart ached for Bella was caught in the middle of this storm, a daughter torn between her desire for freedom and the shackles of familial expectations and restrictions.
With a heavy heart, Reid ended the call, the unresolved tension hanging thick in the air. His resolve to protect Bella strengthened, knowing that the road ahead would be fraught with challenges, but he was determined to shield her from the shadows of deception that had clouded her life for far too long.
Reid's heart raced, the weight of his conversation with Richard still heavy on his mind as a knock resounded through the suite. Mike's voice seeped through the door, pulling him back to the present moment.
"Sir, it's time for the ceremony," Mike informed him, his tone gentle, aware of the whirlwind of emotions Reid had just faced.
Reid straightened his suit, a mix of determination and resolve settling over him. With a deep breath to steady himself, he nodded at Mike and stepped toward the door.
The anticipation of the ceremony intertwined with the unresolved tension of the conversation he'd just had, creating a whirlwind of conflicting emotions within him. Despite the turmoil, one thing remained clear in his mind—his unnamed feelings for Bella and his commitment to stand by her side.