Bella thought of everything Zane had said and hoped it was true.
After dinner he went back to work and she finished her story.
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇ THUMBLING cont.
"Will you be quiet," said the wolf; "you will waken up the people!"
"Eh, what," replied the little fellow, "you have eaten your fill, and I will make merry likewise," and began once more to scream with all his strength.
At last his father and mother were aroused by it, and ran to the room and looked in through the opening in the door. When they saw that a wolf was inside, they ran away, and the husband fetched his axe, and the wife the scythe.
"Stay behind," said the man, when they entered the room. "When I have given him a blow, if he is not killed by it, you must cut him down and hew his body to pieces."
Then Thumbling heard his parents' voices, and cried, "Dear father, I am here; I am in the wolf's body."
Said the father, full of joy, "Thank God, our dear child has found us again," and bade the woman take away her scythe, that Thumbling might not be hurt with it. After that he raised his arm, and struck the wolf such a blow on his head that he fell down dead, and then they got knives and scissors and cut his body open, and drew the little fellow forth.
"Ah," said the father, "what sorrow we have gone through for your sake."
"Yes, father, I have gone about the world a great deal. Thank heaven, I breathe fresh air again!"
"Where have you been, then?"
"Ah, father, I have been in a mouse's hole, in a cow's stomach, and then in a wolf's; now I will stay with you."
"And we will not sell you again; no, not for all the riches in the world," said his parents, and they embraced and kissed their dear Thumbling.
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇
It took a while to get back to what Bella thought life should be.
She started some classes. She wanted to get a job but Zane was against it saying she needed to study and graduate as soon as possible.
Betty's business was taking off and she even had to hire Babs to help her out.
All the plans for Zane's proposal was set and would take place in a few weeks.
Zane's business had risen in the stock market and his fathers company was falling.
The board of directors of Puissance Entreprise was upset and threatened Mr. Heart if he did not find away to get Zane back in charge of the company then they would pull all support.
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇
"Son, please can we meet and talk?" Mr. Heart said on the phone.
"Sure, When? Where?"Zane answered.
"How about at Twenty Madison Park in our private dinning room. Today at 8." Mr. Heart said.
"Fine, I'll give you some time tonight. Will Mother be there too?" Zane asked.
"Yes... please bring that girl with you too."
"Her name is Bella. Are you going to be nice?" Zane was going to protect Bella at all cost.
"Please bring Bella. We just want to get to know her. We will be nice if she is the one you choose." Mr. Heart said.
"Ok" After Zane hung up he sent Bella a text asking her if she wanted to go. He was not going to make her. To his surprise she had sent a message back asking what to wear.
Bella then called Babs to help her shop for an outfit.
Babs picked out classic little black dress with a gold shawl. Patent leather high heels with gold buckles and did Bella's hair in an up-do hairstyle. She looked like a million dollars.
When Zane picked her up his jaw dropped. How could the most beautiful woman he had ever seen become more beautiful?
On the way to the restaurant Bella read to calm her nerves.
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇ BRIAR ROSE
Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who had no children; and this they lamented very much.
But one day, as the queen was walking by the side of the river, a little fish lifted its head out of the water, and said, "Your wish shall be fulfilled, and you shall soon have a daughter."
What the little fish had foretold soon came to pass; and the queen had a little girl who was so very beautiful that the king could not cease looking on her for joy, and determined to hold a great feast. So he invited not only his relations, friends, and neighbors, but also all the fairies, that they might be kind and good to his little daughter.
Now there were thirteen fairies in his kingdom, and he had only twelve golden dishes for them to eat out of, so that he was obliged to leave one of the fairies without an invitation.
The rest came, and after the feast was over they gave all their best gifts to the little princess; one gave her virtue, another beauty, another riches, and so on till she had all that was excellent in the world.
When eleven had done blessing her, the thirteenth, who had not been invited, and was very angry on that account, came in, and determined to take her revenge.
So she cried out, "The king's daughter shall in her fifteenth year be wounded by a spindle, and fall down dead." Then the twelfth, who had not yet given her gift, came forward and said that the bad wish must be fulfilled, but that she could soften it, and that the king's daughter should not die, but fall asleep for a hundred years.
But the king hoped to save his dear child from the threatened evil, and ordered that all the spindles in the kingdom should be bought up and destroyed.
All the fairies' gifts were in the meantime fulfilled; for the princess was so beautiful, and well-behaved and amiable, and wise, that every one who knew her loved her.
Now it happened that on the very day she was fifteen years old the king and queen were not at home, and she was left alone in the palace.