Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Chapter 206 To Hell with Love

After getting back to the office, I wasted no time and called up Nora.

In no time, she showed up with a female college student in tow.

"This is Ms. Russell," Nora introduced her.

The girl looked pretty surprised to see me.

I turned to Nora, "You can get back to work now."

Once Nora left, I gave the girl a friendly smile.

"Long time no see."

She quickly got over her surprise and smiled back. "I didn't expect it to be you."

The girl was Jennifer, Zachary's adopted daughter.

I asked my secretary to bring us some tea, and Jennifer and I settled on the small sofa. I was eager to hear about Zachary and Bella. When I mentioned Zachary, Jennifer's face fell.

"The law is fair. Good and bad are clear-cut. Mistakes get punished, and good deeds get recognized, but they don't cancel each other out." Zachary was initially sentenced to life, but Bella gathered evidence through a lawyer and got it reduced to 15 years.

I had a hunch this would happen, and I bet Bella did too. She must've been holding onto that slim hope.

Fifteen years wasn't as bad as life, but it was still a long time-the prime years of a woman's life.

Would Bella wait for 15 years? She'd be in her early forties by then. How many 15 years did a woman have?

"How are Bella and the baby?" I asked, feeling heavy-hearted.

Jennifer nodded with a smile when I mentioned them.

"They're doing well. It's a boy, and he's super cute."

She didn't seem to want to talk much about Bella.

When I asked for Bella's contact info, she went quiet.

"What's wrong?" I noticed her hesitation.

Jennifer bit her lip and finally looked up.

"I'm sorry, I can't give you her contact info. She specifically told me not to when I came to study in Starlight City."

I felt a pang of emptiness and stared at her for a good half minute.

Why?

were all smiles and waves, wishing each

know Bella. She valued friendship. No matter what

been through

wanting to make Jennifer uncomfortable,

get it. You can go now. I'll have someone set up a part-time

up, gripping the strap of

outfit and behavior were just right for her age and status-well-behaved and sensible, not flashy. From the first time I met her, I genuinely liked

her first year, but Bella had never met her. If it weren't

and Bella rushed back to Zachary's hometown. But she always

situation had been bugging me. I couldn't understand why she wouldn't contact me and specifically told Jennifer not

out the kaleidoscope Bella had given me. Watching the patterns flash by, I felt time

brought people together and apart. Some people drifted apart as they went. Everyone eventually took different paths, ending one journey and starting another. No one stuck around forever. Life made us learn to keep forgetting. Maybe Bella didn't want to be disturbed, or maybe she didn't want me to see her struggling. But I still worried about her. Raising a kid alone

called up Nora and Dakota

the car, I looked up at the neon

here a lot. It had been over a year since our

was also

came with a faint hope of getting some news about Bella

the car and

you suddenly decide to take us out for some fun?" Nora playfully patted my

need to

like someone was hosting an event. We squeezed through the crowded

a group of people were singing a birthday song, and laughter and chatter

of the party, barely sat down before she was up

called over a waiter and ordered some

several layers of red

waiter said as he

as excited as if she had seen a pile of gold bars, ready

too quickly, and by the time she noticed the cart behind her, it was too late. She crashed right

wine glasses toppled over, shattering

collective gasp, the crowd fell

eager to avoid blame, quickly pointed at

you've ruined all this wine. What are

Nora, who looked down at the

calm," she said nervously, trying to reassure the crowd, then

walked over and said to the waiter, "Call your

behind me. "Our

see that the crowd had parted, revealing Frank at the center, wearing a

was just as surprised to see me. Before he could speak, I quickly

and I were sitting

over this bar? Where's Oliver?"

playing with a lighter in his hand. "Oliver forced it on me. When he left, he just left a note, not even a phone

asked,

went to