Crushed Affections

Leonard was conflicted between his loyalty to his best friend and his affection for the woman he liked. But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. He needed answers. "Alright, go ahead."

Lia sat on the couch, nervously clutching a pillow so tightly that it became a little deformed. "Bella's pregnant with Dominic's child. She doesn't want to tell him and plans to raise the baby alone."

He was so utterly stunned that his jaw was wide open. "Bella's pregnant? How many months along is she?"

Lia wasn't sure and gave a rough estimate. "Three months? Perhaps four? She's starting to show a little. I've told you everything, so please don't say anything."

Leonard stayed silent for a while before reluctantly stating, "Even if I don't say anything, it won't matter because this matter can't be hidden. Dominic is furious with Bella and hasn't gone to look for her yet. The truth will eventually come out after he calms down and looks for her."

Lia naively reassured him, "As long as Bella doesn't admit the child is his, what can he do? Just don't say a word about this."

He laughed at her innocence. "Are you kidding me? Dominic trusts science more than words. He'll force Bella to take a test. Even if the baby isn't born, they can still do a paternity test."

Upon hearing his words, she was stunned. "What should we do? You have to help me think of a solution. Bella's pregnant, and she can't bear stress. What if she's pushed too far?" "Dominic isn't a fool. That's his woman and child. He wouldn't drive her over the brink. Trust me, it won't come to that. He'll handle it," Leonard sighed and reassured her. However, Lia was still uneasy and asked, "But what if? You're not Dominic. You can't be sure..."

He spent a long time calming her down, outlining the options before finally convincing her.

As soon as he left, Lia dashed to Bella's house to inform her of everything. Bella collapsed onto the couch after hearing the whole thing, and her face was devoid of color. Seeing her pale face, Lia panicked. "Bella, don't overthink this. It's entirely my fault. Please remain calm."

Bella collected herself a little. "It's alright. I don't blame you. But I don't understand why Dominic is paying attention to me again..."

He had been quiet for more than two months, so why now?

She walked over to the window and looked outside. Dominic would soon arrive, and her mind was a mess. The temperature was chilly, so she was wearing thin clothes. Her pregnancy had started to show, and it was becoming harder to hide it. For a while, she couldn't think of a reason.

Bella hadn't expected this day to arrive so swiftly. She hadn't given it much thought when she chose to keep the baby. Now, it seemed that there was no way to hide it.

Half an hour later, Dominic's car arrived at the residential entrance.

Bella could see it clearly from upstairs and asked Cara to leave the door open.

She sat down on the couch and tried to keep calm. She planned to have a composed conversation with him and wasn't planning on denying that the baby was his because she realized he wasn't easy to fool.

After not seeing him for so long, there was no hatred or tension.

Dominic walked over, bent down, and gently touched her somewhat enlarged tummy. "How long has it been?"

His voice trembled a little, and his touch was so light that she hardly felt it.

Bella didn't resist his touch. "It's been almost four months. The baby is yours, but I want nothing to do with you. I'll raise the baby on my own. You-" Before she could continue, he straightened up his posture and agreed, "Okay."

His readiness stunned Bella and Lia.