The registration process unfolded seamlessly as both Theodore and Bella signed their names, finalizing their contractual marriage. However, Theodore's expression shifted suddenly as his gaze fell on Bella's full name written on the document. A furrow appeared between his brows.
'Isabella,' he mouthed silently, surprise flickering across his face. 'Is she the one who saved me?' he wondered with astonishment, his keen eyes studying her closely.
A hazy image flickered in his mind - a cascade of golden hair and those blue eyes. Frustration gnawed at him. Only if he had seen her face clearly, his confusion would have been cleared up.
As if sensing his scrutiny, Bella met his gaze. Theodore's heart fluttered in his chest. For a fleeting moment, he was struck by a sense of familiarity, a nagging feeling that he had seen those eyes before.
'Isabella…' The name echoed silently in his mind.
Before he could dwell further on his thoughts, Bella's voice broke through the silence, jolting him out of his reverie. "It's done," she announced, rising from her seat. "Shall we leave? I am running late for work." With that, she swept toward the exit, leaving Theodore momentarily speechless.
He scrambled after her, his long legs easily matching her pace. Anticipation thrummed through him, a live wire buzzing beneath his skin. As they stepped out into the crisp morning air, he finally found his voice.
"Your name is Isabella, but everyone calls you Bella? I think Isabella sounds better. Don't you think so?" He peeked at her from the corner of his eye, curiosity sparkling in his gaze.
Bella's confident stride faltered as Theodore's words hit her. A flicker of panic danced in her eyes, and a wave of unsettling memories crashed over her, twisting her stomach unpleasantly.
A year ago, she had fled her hometown with her mother, escaping loan sharks. Since then, she had buried her name 'Isabella' in the documents and introduced herself as Bella.
"Erm…" She mustered a nervous smile. "It's... my mother gives me this nickname. I prefer Bella, you see."
"I see." Theodore nodded dazedly, remembering their first meeting at the club.
She had indeed introduced herself as Bella. But he distinctly remembered the woman who had saved him saying her name Isabella. Part of him wanted to believe that Bella was not the same person, but a flicker of hope remained—a hope that she was indeed his savior, his angel.
He tilted his head, his gaze intense. "Have you ever, by any chance, found yourself rescuing someone from an accident?"
Bella frowned, confusion clouding her features. "Accident? What accident?"
Ring-Ring-Ring…
Before Theodore could elaborate, a jarring ringtone of her phone interrupted them. Bella looked down at her phone and saw Amy's number on the screen.
"I-I gotta go," she blurted, spinning on her heel and disappearing into the bustling road with haste.
Theodore remained rooted to the spot, frustration creasing his brow like a crumpled piece of paper. Based on her bewildered expression moments ago, he concluded that she was clueless about the car crash.
'She is not Isabella,' he murmured to himself, a wave of disappointment washing over him. It was a bitter cocktail laced with annoyance. Anger coursed through him - anger at the fickle hand of fate, anger at Bella for unknowingly resembling his savior, and anger, most of all, at himself. How could he not stop comparing Bella with his angel? And most importantly, why couldn't he find her yet?
As he stormed away toward the parking area, he noticed Skyler standing there, leaning on the car. "Skyler," Theodore barked impatiently, "any news on Isabella?"
Skyler flinched at the harsh tone. "No, sir, not yet," he stammered, his face draining of color under Theodore's stormy gaze.
Theodore's voice rose to a roar. "You have twenty-four hours to find her. If you don't, consider yourself fired." He flung himself into the back seat, the slam of the door echoing his frustration.
Skyler felt a lump in his throat. Swallowing hard, he slid behind the wheel and pulled out of the parking lot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Bella arrived at the office, she hurried to Amy's desk.
"Bella, you're finally here. You are late." Amy set her stern glare at her. Since Mr. Woods had been fired, the workload on her suddenly increased, turning her perpetually short-tempered.
"Head straight for the archives," Amy ordered. "Compile the last five years' reports into a presentation. Needs to be done by today. Tomorrow, Mr. Hudson has an important meeting, and this presentation is vital. I won't tolerate any tardiness, understand?"
The sheer volume of the task sent a wave of weariness crashing over Bella. Yet, she straightened her shoulders and said confidently, "You can count on me. I won't give you a chance to complain."
Amy offered a curt nod, a hint of satisfaction flickering in her gaze. She was aware of Bella's competence and that was why she had handed the responsibility to her.
Bella hurried off to tackle the mountain of reports. She had not noticed someone sneakily eavesdropping on them. A sly grin stretched across Olivia's face as she whipped out her phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Hello, Miss Hill," she began in a hushed tone, "I've got intel. Amy just handed Bella the presentation for tomorrow's meeting. Perfect opportunity to sabotage her and make the boss fire her."
On the other end of the line, Ivy's eyes sparkled with a malicious glint. "Is this news confirmed?"
"Yes, Miss Hill," Olivia assured her. "I heard their entire conversation."
"Excellent," Ivy purred. "Now, listen closely..." Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, relaying a devious plan. "Don't mess this up, Olivia. If you get caught, don't bring up my name. Or else, you know what I'm capable of."
Olivia shivered, a sliver of fear snaking down her spine. "Don't worry, Miss Hill," she reassured. "I'll be careful. Just get my reward ready."
The call ended, and a triumphant smirk bloomed on Olivia's face. "Bella," she muttered, gritting her teeth. "Let's see how you manage this situation."
Later that day…
Skyler barged into Theodore's chamber with a sense of urgency, his breath slightly labored from the haste of his movements. "We found her number!" he exclaimed with relief as he gestured towards Theodore's phone on the worktable. "I've just sent it to you."
After days of dead ends and mounting frustration, his men finally managed to get Isabella's number. Skyler was relieved. His job was saved.
Theodore's brow furrowed as he absorbed Skyler's words, a flicker of skepticism crossing his features. Retrieving his phone, he quickly checked the message, his eyes narrowing in scrutiny. "Are you sure this is her number?"
"Positive," Skyler confirmed. "We got this number from an elderly lady, who is still in contact with her. It's the right number."
A smile tinged with a hint of triumph, spread across Theodore's face. "Isabella…I've finally found you."