Chapter 84

Henderson froze at Belle's cold demeanor. By the time he recovered, Belle was already in her car and driving away.

Justin rushed over, his face full of indignation. “Who was that? What an ungrateful woman! How dare she treat you like that, Mr. Khan? She didn’t even accept your business card!”

“I’ll find out who she is right away, Mr. Khan. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she apologizes to you!”

Henderson shoved Justin’s face aside with a look of disdain. “Find her, yes, but listen to me—treat her with respect and be polite. Got it?”

“Yes, yes, Mr. Khan,” Justin nodded quickly, still confused.

“I’ve had enough of women who are too eager and obedient. They’re boring. Now here’s someone cold and aloof—that’s interesting! The colder she is, the more satisfying it will be to win her over! Hahaha!”

Henderson laughed like a man possessed. “Forget everything else. The most important thing now is winning over that woman. Understand?”

Justin’s expression darkened. He silently cursed Henderson. Was he a masochist? Women like Belle weren’t uncommon. Why was Henderson suddenly so obsessed this time? But he was Henderson’s lackey, so no matter how displeased he felt, he could only nod. “Don’t worry, Mr. Khan. I’ll find out everything about her.”

“Go, go! Handle both tasks at once. The sooner we deal with that idiot, the sooner I can focus on my own business, alright?”

Henderson, now in an excellent mood, chased his stomachache away, whistling as he left the hospital. The anger he had felt earlier vanished, replaced by thoughts of Belle—the icy beauty who now lingered in his mind.

At the villa, Belle had no idea she had caught Henderson’s attention. After showering and changing, she sat in her office chair, drying her hair. Her eyes landed on a photo tucked in the corner—a photo of her and Kyle, their only photo together.

Belle looked at the picture of the two of them smiling closely and shook her head with a hint of resignation. “There’s no helping it. This world is just that cruel. If you’re incompetent and mediocre, you can’t keep up with me. It’s not that I’m heartless, Kyle. I just can’t live that dull, ordinary life anymore.”

“Kyle, we were never meant to be. You’ve become a stain in my life, but even if I don’t want you anymore, you won’t be with Faith either.”

With that, Belle tossed the photo into the trash.

The next morning, as Belle finished breakfast and opened her front door to leave for work, she was stunned by the sight before her: a sea of brightly colored roses completely filled her doorstep.

This over-the-top romantic gesture would have won over most women, but Belle was long past being impressed by such things. She wasn’t a naïve girl anymore. Just as Belle wondered who was responsible, Henderson appeared from the side.

Dressed sharply and trying his best to look dashing, Henderson carried himself like a gentleman.

“I couldn’t sleep all night after seeing you at the hospital yesterday. Beautiful lady, may I get to know you?”

Despite his efforts to dress up, Henderson’s average looks combined with his exaggerated smile came off as more repulsive than charming.

Hearing his words, Belle narrowed her eyes slightly, recognizing him as the man who had stopped her at the hospital yesterday. She felt no romance in his actions—only growing disgust. “So, you’ve been stalking me?”

Seeing Belle’s frown, Henderson chuckled softly. “Of course not. I’m not that rude. You were just so stunning that I had to find out more about you. That’s when I discovered that not only are you beautiful, but you’re also incredibly capable. I’m completely smitten, Ms. Cotton. Let me be clear—I like you. Would you consider being with me? If not, we can start as friends.”

His attempt to sound refined, while lacking any real depth, made Belle’s distaste even more obvious.

She shook her head firmly. “I have no interest in being friends with you. Stop bothering me, or I won’t be so polite.”

As she finished speaking, two bodyguards stepped out from the side. Belle rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

But Henderson remained unfazed. With a smile, he muttered, “Why act so tough? Do you really think those two little nobodies can stop me? How would I chase you if they did?”