Chapter 183: Outsider

Bella had no intention of contacting Simon; doing so would play into his hands. He wanted her to initiate contact. The more she considered it, the angrier she became. She was too upset to eat lunch.

That evening, upon arriving home, she complained of hunger to Sylvia, who offered chowder. "Didn't you have lunch? Why are you hungry?" Bella drank the chowder pensively, humming. She was trying to figure out Simon's motives, but a cunning man like him was beyond her comprehension.

Pudding circled her, drawn by the chowder's aroma. Seeing Pudding slightly improved her mood. "You can't eat this," she told the dog. "Sylvia is preparing beef for you. Why are you looking at my food? Yours will be ready soon; go play."

Dominic returned to find Bella wandering the courtyard with a bowl. He grimaced. "Don't you have any table manners? Can't you sit down and eat?"

She pouted. "You weren't home. How could I sit at the table without you?"

He didn't scold her further. After showering, he came downstairs just as Sylvia finished serving the other dishes. Bella, starving, ignored etiquette; it was just the two of them. Dominic was accustomed to her lack of it.

He shook his head, watching her eat rapidly. "Don't wait for me next time. You can eat first if you're hungry."

She didn't answer, too busy eating. She couldn't put down her cutlery once she started.

After a while, noticing she was almost full, he asked, "Why did you call me this afternoon?"

She shook her head. "It was nothing."

He didn't believe her. "If you have anything on your mind, express it. Don't be hesitant."

Bella shook her head again, unwilling to mention Simon. Finishing her food, she put down her cutlery. "I'm full. You can take your time."

Watching her race upstairs, Dominic called someone. "Did anything strange happen to Bella at the hospital today?"

The reply: "Yes. She received breakfast and lunch takeout from well-known establishments—she never ordered them. She threw away the lunch without opening it." He frowned. "Look into who sent them."

He received an answer shortly after hanging up. Dominic went to the courtyard and called Simon.

"Who's this?" Simon asked gruffly, the number being unknown.

Dominic snarled, "It's me, Dominic."

Simon instantly adjusted his tone. "Mr. Miller, I apologize. I didn't know it was you. What can I do for you?"

"Stop harassing Bella," Dominic stated flatly.

A pause, then Simon laughed. "I don't think it's harassment; I'm reaching out to my daughter. I only want to make things up to her. We're family, after all."

"I'm thankful for the help you and your father provided Bella. I can compensate you for the years you've helped her. But Mr. Miller, I hope you won't become too involved in Bella's matters."

Simon was implying that nothing the Millers had done could compare to his blood relation with Bella. Even though Bella had lived with the Millers for twenty years, Dominic remained an outsider.

Chapter 184: Have You Never Considered Us a Family?

(The final sentence about the website should be removed as it is extraneous to the story.)