Shattered Longings Novel

Chapter 39 Are You Coming With Me or Not?

“Where are you going?” Bella asked with a frown.

Leonard sighed. “My father called me. I’ve got to go on a business trip overseas. It’s out of my hands. Heaven only knows when I’ll be allowed to return.”

Just then, Dominic emerged from his room. Bella clamped her mouth shut and hurried through her morning routine before rushing off to the hospital.

After Leonard left, Dominic became even busier. He was often away all day, usually returning home long after Bella had finished work. His assistant, Magdalena, and the team he brought with him were just as busy.

Since she got off work early, Bella would prepare dinner so that they could eat as soon as they returned, but she never joined them. After that night, she felt a strange tension between her and Dominic, so she avoided him whenever possible.

Dominic had mentioned that he would only be staying for half a month, and time had flown by. Bella could tell that their project was wrapping up soon. An inexplicable unease crept into her heart. Had he not come, would she have already found peace?

While she was cooking, Magdalena joined her in the kitchen. “We’re heading back to Joville tomorrow.” Bella tensed up. “Oh, I see… Safe travels!”

Magdalena smiled. “Are you not coming back with us? Are you really going to stay here forever? The development project will take at least another year to complete, and it’s quite large in scale. If Mr. Miller doesn’t have the time to oversee things here, he probably won’t be coming back.”

Bella remained impassive. “I don’t plan on going back anytime soon. I’m aware that he’d only check on al project like this once, so he probably won’t come again.”

Magdalena sighed. “Ms. Jones, after spending almost 20 years in one place, can you really adapt to the sudden change in the people and things around you?”

Bella pursed her lips. “This is where I was born. It’s not exactly foreign to me.”

Magdalena fell silent, but Bella could tell she was trying to persuade her to return to Joville. She couldn’t tell if it was her own idea or if Dominic was behind it.

Knowing Dominic, he probably wouldn’t be the type to nudge her in such a roundabout way.

Night fell, and still, sleep eluded Bella. The bright moonlight, filtered through the tree branches, painted the room in silvery hues but offered no solace to her troubled mind.

All of a sudden, her phone chimed, breaking the silence of the night.

Bella assumed it was a message from Lia and casually unlocked it, only to see Dominic’s number. Surprised, she wondered if he had unblocked her number.

The message was short and to the point, just six words without even a punctuation mark, yet it stirred up a storm of emotions within her.

Are you coming back to Joville

Ten minutes later, she responded, “No. There’s no point in going back.”

Indeed, there was no point. She had left to close the chapter on a senseless past, so what reason would

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she have to return?

Bella had already made up her mind. As soon as he was gone, she would leave too. This place wasn’t where she wanted to be. In a world so big, there was bound to be a place for her.

217

When she woke up the next morning to freshen up, Dominic’s subordinates had already packed up and were ready to head out.

Bella brushed her teeth

was already in the co absentmindedly, glancing at the front door every so often. She figured Dominic

was already in the car, but then she saw him come out of his room.

She hastily looked away and tried to play it cool. “So, you’re leaving? Have a safe trip!” Dominic stood beside her. “I’m asking you one last time–are you coming with me or not?”