Shattered Longings

Chapter 18 Missed Calls

Felix had completely underestimated how much trouble Bella could cause.

She hardly slept all night, alternating between bouts of vomiting and rambling incoherently. Every time she quieted down, it wasn’t long before she started throwing up again.

He spent the entire night taking care of her, only managing to catch a brief nap at the edge of the bed as dawn approached.

Bella, suffering from a hangover, woke up not long after. The pounding in her head was a stark reminder of how much she’d had to drink the night before.

As she took in her unfamiliar surroundings and the sight of a tired Felix asleep by the bed, her headache intensified. How had she ended up at Felix’s place?

Fragments of the previous night’s memories swirled in her mind, and she cursed herself as she checked her phone’s call log. It was then that she realized she had indeed called Felix.

But there was something else. She received numerous missed calls from Dominic.

Panic set in. What was going on? Why had Dominic called her so many times?

Felix, who was groggy from his brief rest, noticed she was awake. He got up and, seeing the missed calls from Dominic on her phone, explained, “You were too drunk last night… When I saw it was him calling. I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to create any misunderstandings.”

had always been meticulous–fully aware of the complicated relationship between Bella and

felt a deep sense of embarrassment. Felix had once liked her, and now she had

go now. You

the morning, and your coat got dirty last night.

but Felix anticipated her objection. “After a night like that,

her throat. All she wanted now was to leave this place as quickly as possible. She felt utterly

rang. It was Lia. As Bella answered, Felix draped his jacket over her shoulders. She pretended to be fully engrossed in the call, trying to ignore the gesture. “Lia, are you okay after

Are you okay? Have you seen what’s online? Someone posted

couldn’t keep up. “What? What

waste time explaining. She hung up and sent her a link instead. When Bella opened it, she saw photos taken of her and Felix

the pictures, she was practically draped over him, and they looked incredibly intimate. Her flushed face made the whole scene appear even

The h

read, “Cardiothoracic Surgeon’s Scandalous Night Out with a Rich Playboy

comments section, someone had anonymously exposed Bella’s real identity

Chapter 18 M–sed Calls

worked.