Crushed Affections (Dominic and Bella)
Chapter 358 She'd Never Look At a Lame Guy

From start to finish, Victor didn't give anything away, which ultimately set Dominic's mind at ease.

Growing up, he had never heard his father mention any bad blood between them, and Victor certainly didn't seem the type to go out of his way to sabotage him years later. In fact, all Victor had done was bring him benefits. After finishing breakfast, Dominic waited for Victor to leave before grabbing a box of pastries and driving directly to the hospital where Bella worked.

He found Bella absent from her office. Setting down the pastries, he went looking for her and eventually ran into her in the corridor outside a patient's ward.

Her immediate reaction was to pull him aside to a secluded corner. "Aren't you supposed to be busy? Why'd you come by?"

He was slightly annoyed by her reaction. "I'm here to pay my debt."

Bella rolled her eyes at him. "Simon hasn't been discharged yet. What if he sees you? Are you afraid he'll squeeze every last drop out of me? Come on, let's head downstairs."

Realizing she wasn't trying to avoid him out of disinterest, Dominic felt a little better and followed her back down to the main office.

Just as they reached her office door, they spotted a few colleagues gathered around her desk, divvying up the pastries he had brought. Leading the pack was Lana.

Dominic leaned in and murmured, "Seems like you get along well with your colleagues."

Bella ignored the comment, striding over and saying coolly, "How many times have I told you? Don't touch my things without asking."

Oblivious to Dominic's presence, Lana shot back with her usual sarcasm, "As if you could eat all that on your own. Don't be so selfish! You already treat men like free-for-alls... You don't have to do the same with food." Not sharing Lana's hostility, the others quickly put down the pastries. "Sorry about that, Bella. We'll leave you to it."

As they turned to leave, they froze upon seeing Dominic's icy expression. Everyone stood rooted in place.

Someone tugged at Lana's sleeve, but she shook them off irritably. "What? Afraid of her now? She thinks being flirtatious makes her special?"

However, when she finally noticed Dominic standing there, her bravado evaporated. She dropped her gaze, visibly tense.

Dominic's expression darkened as he stepped forward. He scooped up the pastries that had been touched by others and tossed them into the trash.

Then, he reached out, taking hold of the name tag pinned to Lana's chest. "Lana... Nice name. Didn't your mother teach you to think twice before speaking?"

Lana stepped back, her defiance wilting. "M-Maybe you should control your girlfriend. She's probably cheated on you a hundred times by now..."

Dominic raised an eyebrow, his

voice filled with biting confidence.

"That's where you're wrong. She'd never look twice at a man who couldn't measure up to me. Also, a woman who falls short of her has no right to stand over her either. Quite the atmosphere you've got in this hospital."

W.P

With that, he turned to Bella, flashing a brief smile. "I'll get going first. Let's have dinner together tonight."

Bella watched him leave, almost

unable to believe that he had simply walked away. The way things were going, she had half expected him to do something drastic. Thankfully, he hadn't...

Otherwise, who knew what might've happened to Lana?

Wiping her sweaty palms, she shot a sharp look at Lana. "You really know how to dig your own grave."

Though Lana's usual attitude had dwindled, she muttered defiantly "Don't think you're all that just because you've got someone to back you up. I'll keep my low opinion of you!"

Bella dismissed her with a shrug. "Suit yourself."