Crushed Affections (Dominic and Bella)
Chapter 349 Are You Awake Now

Even though Xavier said that, Lia was still scared and broke out in a cold sweat. She was exceptionally resistant when it came to pulling the trigger. Unfortunately, Xavier was holding her tight, and she couldn't break free.

Without hesitation, Xavier pressed her finger down on the trigger, causing Lia to nearly jump out of her skin. She struggled fiercely, and with a loud bang, the bullet shot out. However, it had already veered off course and hit a tree in the distance. Everyone was startled by the gunshot and turned to look. Leonard's expression darkened as he looked in the direction where Lia and Xavier stood.

Pierre was the first to react. He rushed forward and punched the firearm officer in the face. "How could there be bullets in an empty gun?"

The firearm officer looked confused. "I... I don't know. There shouldn't have been any bullets. I'm sorry, it was my mistake..."

Pierre was ready to hit him again, but Dominic stepped in to stop him. "Let it go. It was just an accident. We're all tired. Let's head back."

Lia was trembling all over. Xavier had said there were no bullets, so why had there been one? What if that shot had hit Leonard?

On the way back, Lia tugged on Leonard's sleeve and whispered, "I'm so sorry! I really didn't know that gun had bullets..."

Leonard smiled at her. "I'm fine, aren't I? But why did you aim at me? Do you really hate me that much?"

Lia hesitated, unsure of what to say. She couldn't exactly tell him it was Xavier's doing, right?

Once they returned to the villa, Pierre and Xavier didn't come out for dinner. They claimed they were too tired and told the others to eat without them.

Leonard wasn't surprised at all. It was clear that Xavier's thoughts were becoming harder to hide.

At the dinner table, everyone was silent. After finishing their meal, they each returned to their rooms.

After Bella and Dominic finished showering, they took their respective positions with him on the bed and her on the floor. In the quiet room, Bella whispered, "Do you really think it was an accident when Xavier aimed at Leonard while showing Lia how to use a gun?"

Dominic answered bluntly, "Do you believe that? Why didn't Xavier aim at anyone else? Why did he have to drag Lia, who's never even touched a gun before, into it? If something had happened, it would've been classified as an accident, and Lia

would've taken the blame

Bella shivered at the thought. "Even if they're not blood relatives, why would Xavier want Leonard dead? Is it because of the inheritance? Or something else?"

Dominic seemed reluctant to delve into such a complicated issue. He crawled under her blankets and snuggled closer, inhaling her scent. "Don't waste your time gossiping about others. Let's do something more interesting." Bella blushed and pushed him away. "No... Get back to the bed! If not, you can sleep on the floor!"

Unwilling to give in, he grabbed her wrist and gently bit the sensitive skin on the inside of her arm before settling back down. "I won't move. It's either we both sleep on the floor or both on the bed."

Bella chuckled lightly. "I'm not choosing either. You sleep on the bed, and I'll take the floor. Now, get up there."

He sighed softly in the dark and obediently returned to his bed.

Meanwhile, Pierre glared at Xavier with a dark expression in the other room. Xavier looked like a child who had been caught misbehaving. His head was hung low, but he didn't offer any explanations. Pierre splashed the drink from his cup onto Xavier's face. "Are you awake now?"

...

Xavier nodded, though he didn't seem fully convinced.

Pierre scolded him quietly, "I warned you not to act recklessly, especially not under Dominic's watch. If you want to die, fine, but don't drag me into it off that bullet had hit Leonard, you wouldn't be standing here right now.

UM

"Stay away from Lia. She has a heart condition. If anything happens to her, you won't escape unscathed either. Now, go to sleep!"