Chapter 177: Is It Fun?

Nobody knew how much time had passed. Dominic released Bella only after her tense body relaxed. "Let's go home," he said.

Bella hadn't recovered from the kiss. Her face flushed red; she hung her head low, her heart pounding uncontrollably. She tried to suppress her emotions, but as with her initial infatuation, she couldn't.

Glancing at Dominic, she saw his breathing hadn't faltered. Clearly, he'd kissed her to distract her; she'd overthought it.

After returning to Miller Manor, Pudding and Sylvia greeted them. Bella lacked the energy to play with Pudding. Seeing her pale face, Sylvia rushed to her side. "What happened?" she asked.

Bella shook her head; the pain was unbearable.

After changing his shoes, Dominic went upstairs, leaving a disappointed Bella. She concluded his rare tenderness depended entirely on his mood. Therefore, she'd never taken his casual announcement of their relationship seriously. Returning to her room, she was shocked to find him examining the medication kit. He carefully selected some pills and asked, "Is this the one? Sylvia, bring her some water." Bella couldn't describe her feelings—a warm, strange sensation—leaving her frozen.

Seeing her reaction, Dominic beckoned her. "Why are you standing still? Come and lie down. If I knew, I wouldn't have taken you out. You're nothing but trouble."

Though his words sounded like complaints, they charmed her. She grinned, lying down, feeling relieved despite the pain. He carefully read and reread the medication instructions, his serious expression mirroring the one she'd seen when he reviewed work documents.

Staring at him, she murmured, "You're going to cause trouble like this"

Dominic looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

She didn't explain, continuing to stare at him—not with fondness, but skepticism. [The sentence about searching a website is inappropriate and has been removed.]

He tucked her in after she took her medicine. "Let Pudding keep you company. Rest. I'm going to the office. Oh, and don't run around. Stay home and don't go anywhere besides the hospital. Come straight home after work."

Bella nodded meekly, closing her eyes. Something soft brushed her forehead. Opening her eyes, she saw Dominic straighten up, grinning. "I'm off," he said.

Astonished, she couldn't believe he'd just kissed her. Finally, she exclaimed, "Dominic, are you out of your mind? Do you think this is fun?"

Dominic knew she referred to his unusual behavior. Unannoyed, he replied playfully, "It's kind of fun."

As the door closed, Bella's heart was in turmoil. She couldn't understand him. Was he playing with her feelings, unaware of the risk of her falling for him? Was he deliberately toying with her tenderness before cruelly returning her to reality?

Chapter 178

[The chapter starts here. The text provided cuts off mid-chapter.]