Chapter 11: Women and Petty Men Are Hard to Handle

Domise thought for a moment and said, "What does her pregnancy have to do with me? Is that why you don't want to move back? Don't go back to old flames."

Ella stared at him silently, but her gaze seemed to say, "Amber was living with you when she got pregnant, so who else could be the father?"

Uncomfortable with her look, he tapped his coffee cup on the table twice and said, "What's with that look? She was here to discuss business. She didn't know anyone else in the city, so she stayed here for convenience. And, for clarity, I didn't ask you to leave; you left on your own." She mumbled under her breath, "You're twisting things."

He wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, stood up, and said, "There's an old saying—women and petty men are hard to handle. It suits you perfectly."

As he walked out the door, she felt a wave of irritation. Since no surgeries were scheduled, she took the day off and went to Lia's place to retrieve her belongings.

Naturally, she was driven by one of Dominic's drivers, who looked at her like she was a criminal on the run. The driver even followed her upstairs, clearly afraid she would escape. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Can you stop following me? I'm packing up to move back to Miller Manor. I'm not running away, and I'm not going anywhere. Got it?" The driver didn't respond and refused to leave, standing there like a silent tree stump.

Ella gave up trying to reason with him, packed a few clothes, grabbed her phone, and returned to Miller Manor.

As soon as she walked into the courtyard, every household staff member who saw her guarded the doors closely, terrified that she would slip away. She couldn't stand it a second time and called Dominic, but he declined. Shortly after, he sent her a message: "In a meeting." She replied, "I'm choosing the second option—I'm voluntarily moving back. Stop having people monitor me. I'm not a prisoner."

He didn't respond, but it was clear that she had her freedom back, and no one was watching her anymore.

That afternoon, she took a cab to Lia's studio and vented about Dominic.

Lia said casually, "Honestly, I believe Dominic might be falling for you more than trying to torment you out of revenge."

Bella was momentarily stunned before dismissing it. "What did you just say? Are you kidding me? Dominic would never fall for me. You've never even been in a relationship—you must be imagining things."

Lia, still busy with her work, replied, "Sometimes, people in the situation can't see things clearly while outsiders can. I might not have been in a relationship, but I've seen relationships unfold."

"Do you really think I'm clueless? For someone as proud as Dominic to personally come and invite you back home, that says a lot. But here's a question—are you sure Amber's baby is his?"

Despite her resentment toward Dominic, Bella didn't want to make baseless claims. "I don't think so. I asked him, and he said he won't return to his exes. Amber was only staying at his place because they were discussing business, and she didn't know anyone else in the area. Now that the deal is settled, she has already left. I don't think he's lying. He has no reason to lie to me."

Lia immediately concluded, "Well, there you have it. Amber's pregnant, but the baby's not his. So, they can't be together. No matter what business ties they have, it has nothing to do with their personal feelings."

"An ex is just an ex. As for Dominic having you stay at my place while Amber was at his house, that's simple—he probably didn't want a showdown between the two of them."

The more Bella listened, the more something felt off. "Wait a minute, Lia. Weren't you the one always telling me to let go of him and cut ties? Why are you—"

(The final sentence is cut off. The promotional text at the end has also been removed.)