Shattered Longings Novel

Chapter 93 A Silent Showdown

After wrestling with her thoughts for 20 minutes, Bella finally caved.

She took a cup of coffee and went to Ian’s office. When she got there, he was busy with paperwork, so she waited at the door for him to finish.

When Ian looked up and saw her, he didn’t seem surprised. He put his papers aside and said, “Come in.”

Bella placed the coffee on his desk. “When did it start?”

Ian smirked a little. “You’re curious, but pretending you don’t care. You probably already figured it out–it started while he was abroad. About six months after he left, they broke up right before he came back.” Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Bella did the math. Dominic was gone for three years, which meant he and Amber were together for two and a half.

Two and a half years wasn’t as long as the nearly 20 years she’d spent with him, but Amber had been his girlfriend- already won.

She wondered why she had come to dig up this pain. She didn’t even have the right to feel jealous.

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-something she had never been. In that way, Amber had

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Seeing that Bella wasn’t saying anything, Ian leaned back in his chair. “Why stop asking now? If there’s something you really want to know, just say it. I can’t help if you don’t ask.

Bella hesitated, biting her lip. “I want to know if he loved Amber, but you probably can’t answer that for him.”

Ian gave a small laugh. “Actually, I can. Dominic’s not the type to fall in love easily. Sometimes there are other reasons he’s with someone–things that are hard to explain.“”

Bella didn’t really understand, but she agreed with him. Dominic wasn’t someone who fell in love just like that. She had spent years trying to make him love her, but it never worked.

Ian took a sip of the coffee she brought him. “Dominic doesn’t love Amber. She just wouldn’t leave him alone, and now she’s even followed him to Joville. I heard you’re staying with a friend–keep it that way for now. Don’t go back. Amber… You should avoid her. Just some friendly advice.”

Bella didn’t need Ian to tell her that. She already knew. She didn’t have the courage to go back to the manor anyway.

This talk made Bella feel worse, just like she’d feared. As she walked out of Ian’s office with her head down, she was hit by a strong perfume and the sharp sound of high heels clicking on the floor.

Bella’s hand clenched in her coat pocket, and she slowed down.

The perfume was unmistakable–Amber’s.

When she looked up, she saw Amber staring at her with a confident and smug expression. They locked eyes, and it felt like a silent showdown.

Bella noticed Amber was a bit taller, with a curvy figure and dressed boldly. Her face was stunning, like a movie star.

Amber’s hair was exactly like Bella’s used to be–long, straight, and silky, with not a strand out of place, and she had no bangs.

Had Amber kept that glossy hair for Dominic? Had he ever run his fingers through it, showing the same kind of affection he once showed Bella?

When Amber walked into his office, Ian felt a headache coming on. He forced a smile and said, “Amber, you’re a surprise. This place isn’t really for healthy people.”

Amber, unfazed, sat down in a chair with her legs crossed. Her long legs and smooth, pale feet looked striking.

With a charming smile, she asked, “Was that Bella Jones who just left?”