Chapter 119: Now, I'm Your Boyfriend

Before Bella could respond, Dominic turned to her. "I'm asking you a question."

Bella fidgeted with her nails. Dominic reached over, taking her hand. "What are you so nervous about? It's a simple yes or no. No need to overthink it."

Feeling the warmth of Dominic's hand, Bella froze, unsure whether to pull away. "Uh, my work at the hospital probably won't allow me to take such a long I don't think I can go."

Dominic sensed her discomfort and released her hand. "So, you don't want to go?"

Bella shook her head quickly. "No, it's not that. It's just work."

His lips curved into a faint smile. "I could call your hospital director. Forget a few days; I could get you a year off if I wanted to."

Bella had a headache and said irritably, "Okay Maybe I don't want to go. It's just too hot, and I'm feeling lazy!" Hearing this, his expression darkened. He stood up. "Suit yourself," he said before heading upstairs. His bedroom lights flickered off moments later. Bella was confused. What was going on? Why did he suddenly want her to travel with him? How did her simple answer lead to him storming off like that?

The next morning, Bella woke to the sound of movement downstairs. She walked to the window and peeked outside. Dominic was getting ready to leave for his trip, several suitcases in tow. The driver was loading the trunk while Dominic stood by the car, talking on the phone. He looked busy.

Suddenly, he looked up in Bella's direction. Their eyes met from across the yard. Bella couldn't see his expression and awkwardly yawned, turning away. She then headed to the bathroom to get ready.

By the time she had eaten breakfast and was leaving, Dominic's car was still parked in front. She walked past it and waved casually. "Safe travels. It's hot, so don't forget to stay hydrated."

Dominic leaned against the car, hands in his pockets. "One last chance. Are you sure you're not coming?"

Bella nodded. "I'm sure. I'm heading to work now. See you later."

Without another word, Dominic climbed into the car, his expression cold. When Bella pulled out of the garage a few minutes later, his car was already gone.

The traffic on her way to work was heavy. Out of boredom, she sent a voice message to Lia: "Dominic is going out of town, and he asked me twice if I wanted to go with him. He used to act like he couldn't wait for me to disappear! Has he lost his mind or something?"

Lia responded immediately: "Well, you were just 'Bella' to him back then. It was normal for him to want you to disappear. Maybe he sees you as his girlfriend now."

Bella was shocked. Her heart pounded; she almost rear-ended the car in front of her.

Regaining her composure, she quickly dismissed Lia's words. "Stop it! I was drunk at that time, and he was just messing with me. No one took it seriously. We haven't talked about it since."

Lia's voice took on a teasing tone. "You're always so stubborn and shut down any possibility. But if he still hated you like he used to, do you really think he would ask you to go on a trip with him? Anyway, I just got to the studio. Talk later."

Bella's mind was a mess as she pulled into the hospital parking lot. She was running late, and all the good parking spots were taken. She had to settle for one in a far corner, which was difficult to navigate.

Despite her best efforts, she scraped the back of her car against the wall. The sound made her heart sink. She jumped out to inspect the damage.

Her first instinct was to text Dominic: "I scratched your car again!"

A new message immediately popped up from him: "While I'm gone, behave yourself. Whether you like it or not, you were the one who said it the last time. For now, I'm your boyfriend."

The passage has been significantly cleaned up regarding grammar, punctuation, and flow. The website promotion at the end was removed as it was irrelevant to the story itself.