Alpha’s Regret Pregnant Rejected Luna

Chapter 78

Bella could feel her irritation rise as she continued listening to the man..

“Listen…” he was about to continue when, at that very moment, the door swung open and Ethan stood there. Bella ripped the phone from her ear immediately, her head snapping to the open door where Ethan stood, a questioning look etched on his face.

He stepped into the room, and Bella stood, attempting to appear composed, the phone clutched tightly in her hands.

“You’re home early,” she stated almost breathlessly, her words carrying a hint of surprise attempting to deflect any suspicion that might arise from the abrupt end to her secretive conversation.

“Yes,” he replied, his eyes searching her features with a discerning intensity.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, his brows furrowing suspiciously, as if sensing a disturbance in the atmosphere.

“Huh?” she asked, looking up with wide, innocent eyes, a practiced guise of normalcy.

“No nothing,” she denied immediately, attempting to deflect any scrutiny.

You sure? You sounded like you were having an issue.” he queried, his gaze briefly flickering towards her phone, catching the subtle unease in her demeanor as her grip around it tightened even more.

“It’s nothing, just one of the artists. He’s demanding to be paid more for the exhibition where we’re displaying his paintings,” she explained,her attempt at casualness at odds with the tight grip on the phone, casting shadows of secrecy in the room.

Ethan’s features relaxed as he processed her explanation.

“You should arrive at a decision before starting; that’s not legal. Do you need my help? Need me to step in?” he offered, displaying a genuine concern for her predicament.

“It sounds serious,” he observed, his attention fully on her.

her denial quick and almost

name, the name of this artist?” Ethan

attempting to downplay the severity of the issue.

in his gaze.

she assured, maintaining her stance, knowing she had to sound.

myself,” she insisted, her words laced with determination as she tried to redirect Ethan’s attention away from the potentially

under his piercing gaze, the room hanging heavy with unspoken tension,

silence, his lingering gaze leaving a trail of unanswered questions. With that, he turned and

across the room, shutting the door he had left ajar. The click of

shadows of her clandestine dealings. “Oh, was that Mr. Wild?” Gabriel sneered through the phone, his malicious tone cutting through the silence as he cackled, reveling in Bella’s

sarcasm. “Stop it, Bella said, her

you said you were done?” he sneered, reveling

he continued, breaking into laughter that echoed through

in her voice as she tried to

taunts.

finding

you were done with all the lies and tired of our little transactions and wanted to come clean,” he chuckled more then

thousand,” he ordered, his demand cutting through the remnants of

my regular accounts; I’ll use the company’s own, so it doesn’t arouse suspicion. But it has to be tomorrow,”

by tomorrow. Nothing less than that,” he ordered, his words carrying an uncompromising weight. With that, he abruptly hung up, leaving Bella to deal with the thoughts of how to

the moment he picked up, her irritation evident in every

to you today, with an interest, of course, twenty thousand,” he stated gleefully, his tone indicating a twisted satisfaction at the complications

asked, struggling to comprehend the audacity of

how business works. I need the money you owe me, so what else do I do? I borrow. So now you’ve got to pay me with interest,” he

up the phone, tossing it away as