Chapter 104: Not a Good Person

Lia grabbed Leonard by his tie, yanking the tall man down and forcing him to bend over. "You're not a good person!" she snapped. "Get out of my way!"

Leonard's expression darkened. "What did you say? How am I not a good person?"

Seeing the situation escalate, Bella quickly pulled Lia back. "Lia, let it go. Let's just leave."

Lia shot Amber, who was visibly shaken, a deadly glare before snorting and turning away. She took Bella's hand as they left.

Amber trembled with anger. "Dominic, did you see that? They're absolute shrews!"

Dominic rubbed his temples. "You're not much better yourself. If you hadn't gone to the hospital to look for Bella, none of this would have happened."

Amber, caught off guard and clearly in the wrong, paled but said nothing. She suppressed her frustration as she got back into the car.

Watching Lia and Bella walk away, Leonard muttered to Dominic, "How am I not a good person?"

Dominic blinked, confused. "You were facing Lia with your back to Amber. Of course, it looked like you were protecting Amber."

Leonard adjusted his crooked tie, looking perplexed. "Since when does breaking up a fight require such attention to detail? I was just" He stopped mid-sentence and sighed. "Forget it. I'm heading back."

On the way back to the apartment, Lia ranted about Amber the entire ride. While Bella appreciated her loyal friend, she couldn't help but ask, "Actually, Leonard's not a bad guy Why did you yell at him?"

Lia scoffed. "Because he protected Amber behind him! I was being nice enough by not clawing him! Didn't you see how pitiful Amber made herself look, acting all innocent and fragile? Those women are always surrounded by guys rushing to defend them. Just for that, I think Leonard's not worth much!"

Bella was momentarily speechless. To be fair, Lia wasn't entirely wrong. After Leonard separated them, he shielded Amber, making Bella uneasy. But she also worried about Leonard's reaction to the insult. Usually laid-back and good-natured, his expression had changed. Then again, there was probably nothing to worry about. He wasn't the type to hold a grudge over a woman's remark, even considering the Sawyer family's influence.

The following day, Bella was still asleep when her phone rang. It was Dominic, saying he was downstairs at her apartment.

She hung up and looked outside. It was early, just past 7:00 a.m., and the sun hadn't fully risen.

Unsure why he had come so early, she figured it was a good opportunity to return the expensive gift he'd given her the day before. She slowly went downstairs.

When she reached his car and was about to hand him the gift box, he passed a paper bag through the window. "Your stuff."

She hesitated before taking it and peeked inside. It was underwear, and she was stunned. She had only been joking the previous night—who would have thought he'd actually bring it?

She had been out of Miller Manor for over a month. Didn't he know she would have bought new clothes? Did he seriously not understand how often women change their underwear? She never expected him to take the comment seriously. Seeing her frozen, he asked, "Isn't that it? I searched through your closet, and that's all I could find."

Bella's face flushed with embarrassment. The thought of him handling her intimate clothing made her feel hot, yet he remained calm and composed.

For some reason, she hesitated. She didn't return the gift box. Perhaps it was because she knew he would be angry, and making him mad felt wrong. Even worse, she felt a twinge of guilt.

After a long pause, she muttered, "Thanks Sorry to trouble you."

Dominic looked at her; his gaze was deep. "Why are you always so polite?"

(The final marketing blurb has been removed as it is unrelated to the story text.)