Chapter 18: Three Months Or Less
The clock ticked past six, the office gradually emptying of staff, but Bella’s heart hadn’t stopped hammering since the moment she’d stepped into Jake Stones’ office that morning.
The rest of the day had been a blur of reports, tense glances, and his unnervingly calm voice instructing her through tasks. Somehow, she’d survived the hours without crumbling under his gaze.
She gathered her things, relieved for the day to be over, when a shadow fell across her desk.
"Heading out, Miss Howells?"
She froze at the sound of his voice, deep and smooth. Lifting her eyes, she found Jake standing there—perfectly composed in his tailored suit, jacket unbuttoned, hands casually in his pockets as though he owned not just the company but the very air around him.
"Yes, sir," she replied, rising to her feet and slipping her bag over her shoulder.
Jake’s lips curved faintly. "Allow me to take you home. It’s late, and the streets can be unpredictable."
Her pulse spiked. The thought of being in an enclosed car with him, alone, sent her stomach into knots. She forced a small smile, careful to keep her tone polite. "That’s kind of you, Mr. Stones, but my friend works here and we’ll be leaving together."
One brow arched ever so slightly, as though amused by her refusal. "I see. Loyal to your plans."
Bella nodded, her throat dry. "Yes. Thank you for the offer, though."
Something flickered in his eyes—something unreadable yet sharp. Then he gave a short nod, stepping back with a courtesy that felt deliberate. "Very well. Have a good evening, Miss Howells. I’ll see you again, tomorrow."
"You too, sir," she said quickly, then hurried past him before her mask could falter.
The moment the elevator doors closed behind her, Bella let out the breath she’d been holding.
Outside the building, Chloe was already leaning against her car, scrolling through her phone. She looked up the moment Bella approached, eyes narrowing as she read her friend’s taut expression.
"Finally!" Chloe exclaimed, unlocking the car with a chirp. "I was starting to think he locked you in there."
Bella forced a laugh as she slid into the passenger seat. "No, just... last-minute instructions."
"Mm-hmm," Chloe said knowingly as she got in and started the engine. "Why don’t you start telling me about it all now? I don’t think I can wait any longer," she said in a pleading tone.
"I need this time to think please. We’ll talk about it at home. Meanwhile how about you tell me what is going on between you and Raymond?" Bella asked when she remembered.
Chloe scoffed. "I’m not saying anything until you’ve told me what I need to know," she said and Bella sighed.
"Fine. Let’s talk about it all when we get home," she said, resting her head on the car’s window and closing her eyes.
They drove in silence most of the way, the city lights flickering across Bella’s face as her mind spun. Jake’s offer to drive her had seemed harmless on the surface, but the way he’d looked at her... like he was searching for something beneath her refusal... unsettled her more than she cared to admit.
When they pulled up to their small apartment complex, Timothy was waiting at the window with Rachel, waving excitedly. Bella’s heart softened instantly.
The door had barely opened before he bounded toward her. "Mama!"
She crouched to catch him, his little arms squeezing her neck tight. "Hey, sweetheart. Did you miss me?"
"Yes! Aunt Rachel made noodles but I saved some for you!"
Rachel grinned as she stepped out to carry the bag from Bella. "Correction: he tried to save some, but ate half of it while waiting."
Timothy giggled, not at all guilty, and Bella’s exhaustion melted as she carried him inside.
Later, after a warm bath and a few pages of his favorite bedtime story, Timothy finally dozed off, clutching his toy car. Bella lingered a while, brushing his curls back from his forehead, letting his steady breaths soothe her jagged nerves.
When she slipped out of his room, Chloe was already curled up on the couch with two steaming mugs of tea waiting on the table since Rachel had already gone to bed, too.
"Well?" Chloe asked, eyes gleaming. "Spill. What happened?"
Bella hesitated, sinking into the couch. The tea’s warmth felt grounding in her trembling hands.
After a while, she sighed. "Chloe... it was him."
Chloe frowned. "What do you mean it was him. Him, who?"
Bella’s voice dropped. "Jake Stones. My boss. He’s the man from five years ago."
For a second, Chloe just stared, her mouth open. "Wait... what? You mean—Timothy’s father?"
Bella nodded slowly, her throat tight. "I’d know him anywhere. The eyes, the voice... And he recognized me, Chloe. Not fully, not at first, but I saw it click and the way he kept behaving around me. Tells me he remembers."
"Oh my God." Chloe set down her mug with a thud. "No wonder you looked like you’d seen a ghost when I met you in the hall. Bella, what did he say?"
"He asked if we’d met before." Bella let out a bitter laugh. "I lied. Told him no. But he doesn’t believe me. I can tell."
Chloe pressed a hand to her forehead. "And now you’re his assistant? This is... wow. This is too much. Fate or coincidence?"
"I don’t know what to call it." Bella’s fingers tightened on her mug. "But what I do know is that I can’t do this, Chloe. Every time I look at him, I remember. The lie he told. My mother’s death. Everything. I can’t keep working for him. I know I can’t blame him for my mother’s death but seeing him, everything just comes rushing back and then the fact that he’d said he couldn’t impregnate anyone when—i really can’t do this, Chloe."
"You’re thinking of quitting?" Chloe asked, her brows knitting.
Bella nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Yes."
"Just like that? You just got the job, Bella," Chloe said in a low tone.
"I know but I just can’t. I hate him too much to even work for him and then the fact that I can’t let him find out about Timothy and the more time I spend, being his assy, the more he’d find out about Tim," Bella explained.
Chloe leaned forward, her tone urgent. "I understand all you’ve said, but Bella, you can’t quit. Not now. This is your first real job in years. The salary, the stability—you need this. Timmy needs this. At least hold on until you’ve found something else. You can’t just quit when you’re not sure of another job. Or better still, just do the job for three months and use the money to set up a reasonable business. The pay is good enough to do that. After then, you can quit."
Bella’s lips trembled. "And if he finds out about Timothy before then? What do I do? I really can’t let him find out about him," Bella said and Chloe nodded.
"It’s just for three months, or less. You just have to keep things professional enough for him not to get too close or know personal stuff about you," Chloe said firmly. "Running away now will just make things worse because he’s going to get curious. Don’t give him that power. Stay strong, keep your head down, and look for another job quietly. Then you can leave on your own terms. You could even try to seduce him and get him to fire you on his own."
Bella stared into her tea, torn between fear and Chloe’s logic. Finally, she whispered, "I don’t know if I can."
"Yes, you can," Chloe said with quiet conviction. She squeezed Bella’s hand. "You’ve survived worse. You’ll survive this too. Don’t quit yet, Bella. Just try your best and stick around. Just until you get something else."
Bella swallowed hard, then nodded slowly. "Alright. I’ll try."
But deep inside, she wasn’t sure how long she could last working for the man who had unknowingly altered her life forever.