The Contract Bride of Mr. Reid-Chapter 55: The truth is revealed.

Excitement fizzed in Willow’s veins like champagne. Bursting out of the room, she fumbled for her phone, her fingers practically dialing Theodore’s number before she had even reached the corridor. The call connected quickly.

"Theo, are you free?" she asked instantly, her voice breathless with anticipation.

Theodore, however, wasn’t so quick to respond. A furrow appeared in his brow as he remembered Willow mentioning a meeting with Bella at Brico. Had it gone well?

His mind whirred with possibilities. He wondered what might have happened in the meeting. He also wanted to talk with her, and Willow’s urgency piqued his curiosity.

"I will be free in an hour," he replied. "You can come to my office or you decide where to meet." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"How about we have dinner together?" A delighted chirp escaped Willow’s lips.

Theodore thought about it for a while. He had been looking forward to going home early and having dinner with Bella, but the opportunity to meet with Willow was too important to pass up.

"Dinner sounds good," he agreed.

"Then that’s final. It’ll be my treat. I’ll send you the location."

Beep

Theodore glanced down at his phone, a smile spreading across his face. He was eager to find out what had made his little sister so excited and what news she had to share.

At the end of the day,

The exhaustion of the day clung to Bella like a second skin as she shuffled into her rented house. Tossing her bag onto the sofa with a tired groan, she mumbled, "I’m back."

Bridget, her head poked out of her room, peered at her. "It’s really you!" she exclaimed, feigning surprise. "Back from your little adventure!" A mischievous glint twinkled in her eyes as she sauntered out. "I thought you wouldn’t grace us with your presence tonight either."

Bella’s cheeks burned with a blush that had nothing to do with fatigue. "There’s no adventure," she mumbled, trying to deflect the knowing smile on Bridget’s face. Her voice lacked conviction, and she quickly averted her gaze.

"Hold on a sec – You spent the night at Mr. Reid’s place, and nothing happened!" Bridget wagged her eyebrows suggestively, thoroughly enjoying the flustered look on Bella’s face. "Don’t tell me you’re pulling my leg?"

"Nothing has happened between us. You are imagining wild." Ignoring her inquisitive gaze, Bella tried to walk past her and into her room.

"No? Bella, come on!" Bridget stopped her. "Do you know who he is? He is practically royalty in this city! CEO of the Ace Group, heir to a gazillion-dollar fortune, not to mention the Reid family practically owns half the city - hotels, resorts, hospitals, commercial and residential buildings—who knows what else? No one knows how wealthy they are."

She gripped her shoulders and added, "Listen, if there’s even a spark there, don’t let this one slip away, okay? Trust me, you won’t find a better catch."

After Bella had left the previous day, Bridget and Joe had done some digging. They were astounded to discover that the mysterious stranger who had appeared at their doorstep was none other than Theodore Reid, the CEO of a vast business empire worth billions. This revelation had left them both shocked and thrilled for their friend. But hearing Bella had done nothing with Theodore disappointed Bridget.

"There are many who want to date him and be a part of the Reid family," she pointed out. "You’re lucky he seems interested. Pay attention, girl! He could solve all your problems. It’s your chance to end your sufferings and have a peaceful life with him."

Bella’s lips curved into a small, secret smile. Bridget would be floored if she told her the truth.

"Don’t worry," Bella said, her voice firm despite the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. "He is already mine – my husband, actually."

The truth finally revealed itself, and as expected, Bridget’s jaw fell apart. Shocked, her expression became frozen.

"Married?" Bridget finally croaked, her playful demeanor replaced by utter shock. "You’re... you’re married to Theodore Reid!"

The stunned look on her face made Bella giggle. "Yes, we’re married," she confirmed, taking her hand. "But please, keep it a secret for now. We’re not ready to go public yet."

Bridget nodded slowly, still dazed. "Of course, I won’t tell anyone. But, Bella, this is huge! How did this happen?"

Bella smiled softly, thinking back to how fate had brought them together. "It’s a long story. I’ll tell you everything soon. Just know that I’m really happy."

Bridget squeezed her hand, her shock gradually giving way to genuine happiness for her friend. "I’m so happy for you, Bella. This is amazing news. I can’t believe you are married to Theodore Reid!"

Joe, just stepping through the doorway, froze mid-stride. His eyes widened comically, and his jaw hung slack. "What did you say?" Joe cried out in disbelief. "Bella is married to Theodore Reid!"

He took a few cautious steps towards them, each word tumbling out in a rush. "When? How? And...why didn’t you tell us?" His gaze locked onto Bella, a flicker of hurt and betrayal mixing with the shock in his eyes.

Bella’s heart twisted in her chest at the sight of his disappointment. She had kept it secret because she didn’t want to bother them anymore with her issues. She had convinced herself it was a temporary arrangement that would end soon without any strings attached.

But somewhere along the way, the lines had blurred. What started as a contract had morphed into a lifelong commitment.

"Joe!" she started.

"We thought we were your friends," Joe cut in. "This is huge, Bella. Why would you keep something like this under wraps? Did we do something wrong to upset you?"

"No."

"Then why did you keep this from us?" Joe pressed.

"I am sorry," Bella apologized. "It’s just... I thought it was a temporary arrangement, a contract marriage. I didn’t want to burden you with it."

A collective gasp that erupted from Bridget and Joe. "Contract marriage?" They both shouted in unison, their voices bouncing back from the walls.

Bridget hadn’t expected to hear it. The joy she had just felt for her friend vanished, replaced by clouds of disbelief and concern.

The atmosphere in the room grew tense as the weight of Bella’s revelation settled in. Joe ran a hand through his hair, trying to process the information. Bridget, her mouth still slightly open in surprise, shook her head slowly.

"A contract marriage?" Joe repeated, disbelief coloring his tone. "Why would you agree to something like that?"

Bella’s eyes wandered back and forth between Bridget and Joe. She had expected such a reaction from them. She knew she had to tell them everything.

Taking a deep breath, she plunged into her explanation. "I needed the money for my mother’s surgery. Theodore had a problem of his own. His grandfather kept pestering him with blind dates, and he wanted a way out. That’s where I came in."

Bella looked down at her hands, the memories of her initial decision flooding back. "He offered me a hefty sum to marry him, just on paper. No real couple stuff, no messy feelings. Just play pretend as a loving wife in front of his grandpa, that was the deal."

Joe and Bridget exchanged puzzled glances.

"But things changed between us when he found out that it was me who had saved him back then," Bella revealed.