Chapter 182: Take Care
Perhaps they were exhausted from the previous day, as neither Bella nor Dominic moved much throughout the night. Bella only moved when she turned away from him, her back to his. At that moment, his other hand naturally rested on her waist. The scene was so serene that even the sunlight seemed to add a touch of warmth. Bella felt hesitant to disturb such a peaceful moment. After ten minutes, Dominic showed no signs of waking up. However, Bella couldn't wait any longer; she would be late for work.
She slowly turned to look at him, only to find him staring back. Their gazes met, and they simultaneously asked, "You're awake?"
Bella instantly freed herself from his arms. "Why didn't you say anything after waking up? I was so afraid to move, so as not to wake you. I'm going to get ready and leave for work. If you're not feeling well, stay home and rest. If it gets worse, go to the hospital. You need to take care of your health."
Dominic lazily stretched. "I've been awake for a while, but I thought you were still sleeping. You were massaging my back for so long last night, and I figured I couldn't be so heartless—I let you sleep longer."
"It's not that I don't care about my health," she retorted, "but you almost crushed my arm while I was sleeping on it! If I ever die, it'll undoubtedly be because of you."
At that moment, she couldn't help but wonder if they were bantering like a couple. The idea unsettled her, and she left immediately.
Upon reaching the hospital, Bella found a box of pastries on her desk. The box bore the logo of a famous Joville shop.
She asked her coworkers if they knew who sent them, but no one did. The delivery note was addressed to "Ms. Jones" with her phone number, so a mistake was impossible. Since she had skipped breakfast, she opened the box and ate the pastries, despite the unknown sender.
After finishing her work around noon, Bella prepared to order takeout. Before opening the app, she received a call from a delivery driver.
She answered, confused, and heard the driver politely say, "Hello, Ms. Jones. Your order has been delivered to the nurses' station on the third floor of Horizon Hospital. Please get it as soon as possible. Have a great meal."
After hanging up, Bella headed to the nurses' station, still puzzled. Sure enough, a takeaway box awaited her. Like the morning pastries, it came from a well-known Joville store. She would never order such expensive takeout, nor did she have time to do so.
This time, she didn't eat it immediately. After picking it up, she returned to her office and considered possible senders. Lia wouldn't be so lavish, and would have told her if she'd bought her a meal.
If not Lia, then it had to be Dominic. He had been acting strangely recently; whether out of genuine concern or for show, he seemed capable of such a gesture.
Bella's circle of friends was small, and after eliminating a few possibilities, Dominic seemed the most likely.
With that in mind, she called him; he answered instantly.
Dominic sounded professional and indifferent. "What's the matter?"
Upon hearing his question, she thought the takeout wasn't from him. After saying it was nothing, she hung up.
After some thought, she threw away the takeout. She realized she had forgotten Simon. Bella knew him well enough to know that, having sought her out, he wouldn't remain passive, knowing she wouldn't reach out first. Therefore, the takeout was likely from him. If it was from Simon, the pastries she had eaten that morning would likely make her sick.
(The final sentence is incomplete and nonsensical. The original text is corrupted here.)