Chapter 166: Easier to Bully Now
Bella didn't respond directly. She sat on the couch opposite Amber and coldly questioned her. "Do you always destroy the things you claim to care about? First, Pudding. Now, Dominic. Yes, you saved him, but you were the spark that ignited all of this." Amber didn't argue, offering only a bitter smile. "I didn't know things would turn out like this. To keep him alive, I sacrificed my whole family. My father he thinks I've lost my mind. Honestly, I think so too."
"But whatever, there's no point in telling you all this. I can barely take care of myself right now. You like Pudding, don't you? Take her. She doesn't mean anything to me anymore."
A moment later, a man who looked like a bodyguard entered, leading Pudding back—probably from a walk. The moment Pudding saw Bella, she trotted over eagerly, her tail wagging. Amber watched her, lost in thought. She murmured, "She's never been this affectionate with me"
Despite her feelings toward the Yates family, Bella felt a trace of sympathy for Amber's situation. She asked, "What are you planning to do now? Are you just going to stay hidden here?"
Amber looked at her, a strange emotion flickering in her eyes. "What, are you here to gloat over my fate? Don't tell me you're actually concerned about me. Don't be ridiculous—I'd be thrilled if you disappeared from this world entirely."
Bella realized she was letting her emotions get the better of her. Of course, Amber despised her, just as she despised Amber. Two women who hated each other worrying about each other's fate—it was absurd.
She took a deep breath. "Is there anything else? Or did you just call me here to leave Pudding with me?"
Amber hesitated, then asked, "How is Dominic? H-He made it, didn't he?"
Bella didn't try to soften the truth. "He's fine now, just not fully recovered yet. If that's all, I'll be going."
With that, she stood up, took Pudding's leash, and headed for the door. Just as she reached it, Amber called out, "Pudding!"
Pudding stopped, looking back and forth between Bella and Amber, torn on who to follow. After a moment, she hesitantly walked to Amber, glancing back at Bella the whole time. She clearly wanted to go with Bella, to be by Dominic's side.
Amber held Pudding, stroking her gently. "I didn't treat you well enough before Goodbye. I don't deserve to be your owner. Take care of yourself. Go on."
Pudding seemed to understand. She licked Amber's hand, then bounded happily back to Bella's side.
Chapter 360: Easy to Buy New
Back in the car, Bella received a text from Amber: "I'm not going to hide anymore. I'm going back. I can't abandon my father. Those people will kill him if I don't help. Take good care of Pudding for me. Don't hold it against her just because she's a reminder of my relationship with Dominic. She's really well-behaved." Bella frowned. Was Amber going back to get herself killed?
On impulse, she dialed Amber's number, intending to talk some sense into her. But Amber didn't answer, and then blocked Bella's number.
Realizing there was nothing more she could do, Bella told the driver to take her home, her mind spinning with conflicting emotions.
A few days later, Dominic had recovered enough to return to Miller Manor. Bella arranged with the hospital to avoid overtime so she could come home early to care for him.
Still weak from his injuries, Dominic spent most of his time lying down or sitting. Too fragile to do much on his own, he had become surprisingly "easy to bully," and Bella found herself growing bolder around him. For instance, she insisted on brushing his hair with her own pink hairbrush. He protested, clearly annoyed. "Don't touch me with that thing! My hair doesn't need brushing."
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