The Contract Bride of Mr. Reid-Chapter 106: Who is her husband?

A wave of relief washed over Bella as the doctor confirmed that her mother had not developed any transplant rejection reaction. With a grateful smile, she thanked him and stepped out of the sterile cabin.

Her phone buzzed, and seeing Bridget’s name on the screen, she answered with a cheerful, "Hello?"

"Bella, I am at the café right opposite the hospital," Bridget said. "Joe is also with me."

"Perfect, I’ll be there in a jiffy," Bella said, her steps light with zeal.

She practically skipped out of the hospital, her eyes already scanning for the familiar awning across the street. Lost in the joy of meeting with friends, she remained blissfully unaware of Zack watching her sneakily from his car parked on the side of the road. As soon as Bella entered the café, Zack stepped out of his car and entered the cafe.

He saw her settle into a corner table, already occupied by a couple. He took a closer look and realized it was the same man and woman from the photograph.

’So she is here to meet with her friends,’ he murmured to himself. Shame burned in his cheeks for his earlier assumptions. ’But where is her husband?’ a new question arose. ’Perhaps he’ll join them soon?’

Determined to catch a glimpse of this elusive spouse of Bella, Zack sat down at a table diagonally opposite them and hid his face behind the menu. He feigned deep interest in the laminated offerings, using it as a flimsy shield while he stole glances at Bella’s group.

"You sounded worried last night," Bridget said. "Is everything alright with your mom?"

"She is recovering well," Bella replied, a lightness tinging her voice. "No signs of rejection, thankfully."

A wave of relief rippled through the table, both Bridget and Joe voicing their joy for Bella’s positive update.

"But there is something I need to tell you both," Bella continued, her demeanor shifting to a more serious note. "I spoke with Mrs. Green yesterday. She... she doesn’t seem to be in the best shape."

"She is getting old, and there is no one to take care of her," Bridget said with a weary sigh.

"Exactly, and I am worried about her," Bella expressed her fear. "I have to go see her."

"But Bella, it’s not safe there with Lionel lurking around," Bridget cautioned her. "He may show up there."

"I am aware of the danger," Bella said. "Mrs. Green deserves better. She was there for us when no one else was, and now it’s our turn." Her jaw firmed with resolve. "I can’t abandon her, especially after all the losses Lionel caused. I feel responsible for her." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"But Bella," Joe interjected, "Lionel could easily show up there and hurt you."

"I know," she conceded, her voice quiet but firm. "But I can’t turn my back on her. It wouldn’t be right." A determined glint entered her eyes. "I’ll go and check on her, see what I can do to help her."

Bridget and Joe exchanged a worried glance. The thought of Bella facing Lionel alone dreaded them. They knew Lionel’s capacity for violence and manipulation, and the last thing they wanted was for Bella to be caught in his crosshairs.

"Why don’t you talk to Theodore?" Joe suggested. "He might come up with a solution."

"No, I can’t bother him with this," Bella rejected the idea. "He has been really busy lately. I don’t want to burden him with my issues. I’ll go and check on her myself. I need to compensate her for the losses Lionel caused."

"Bella, think about it," Bridget pleaded. "Lionel could force you to give him money and even hurt you. Please, reconsider."

Bella understood their fear, but their words made her a bit helpless. She had intended to request them to be with her mother while she was away. Observing their worries, she grew somewhat hesitant. It wasn’t that she wasn’t afraid of Lionel; the man was a menace. But she couldn’t let her fear paralyze her.

Bella’s face hardened. "But what about Mrs. Green? Can we just leave her to suffer alone?"

"We won’t," Joe interjected quickly. "How about I arrange for someone to take care of her?"

"That’s a good idea, Bella," Bridget chimed in hopefully. "Let Joe find someone reliable to look after Mrs. Green. Once your mother has recovered, we can all go see her together. What do you think?"

The practicality of Joe’s suggestion struck a chord with Bella. It wasn’t a bad idea. Taking a deep breath, she weighed her options. Perhaps there would be a better time to discuss this with Theodore, and she could convince him to accompany her back to her hometown.

"Look, Bella..." Bridget reached across the table and took Bella’s hands in hers. "You ran into trouble last time you went there. You were lucky Theodore showed up in time to save you. I don’t want you to end up in another dangerous situation."

"Alright," Bella conceded finally, the tension easing from her shoulders. "I won’t go there alone. And Joe," she turned her focus to him, "please find someone to renovate Mrs. Green’s house as well. Don’t worry about the money, it’s on me."

"Okay, I’ll contact someone. Now, how about we take our minds off this for a while?" Joe raised his hand and beckoned to the waitress. "Three lattes, please."

Across the room, Zack nursed a third cup of coffee, his gaze glued to Bella’s table. He wondered why Bella’s husband had not come yet.

’Is he coming or not?’ he wondered in his mind, growing a bit impatient. Just as he lifted the cup for another sip, he noticed movement at their table. The group was gathering their things, and preparing to leave.

Zack slammed the cup down, a tremor of urgency coursing through him. He fumbled with some bills on the table, paid his dues in a hurry, and practically bolted out of the café.

Bursting onto the sidewalk, he caught a glimpse of them piling into a taxi.

"Bella’s going with them?" he muttered, confusion clouding his mind. Shouldn’t she be heading to her husband’s place? Why was she going wherever these friends were taking her?

Doubt slithered into his mind. Could it be she had lied to him about being married?

Jumping into his car, Zack threw it into gear and slammed on the accelerator, following the yellow cab at a discreet distance. Minutes ticked by, the city streets a blur as he trailed the taxi. Finally, it came to a stop in front of a familiar building – the very apartment complex where Bella used to live.

Watching Bella and her friends enter the building, he felt a mix of betrayal and confusion. "She lied," Zack muttered, his knuckles white-knuckled around the steering wheel. "She is not married at all."

Anger, hot and primal, flared within him. Yet, amidst the fury, a new question emerged. If she wasn’t married, then who had taken care of her mother’s surgery? Who had arranged the money? The questions sent a wave of unease washing over him.