novelnext Chapter 25
Chapter 25
How could the heart not be moved when someone cherished it so deeply?The moment Mark heard her answer, his eyes lit up with joy. Without missing a beat, he slid from his seat across the table to the one right beside her. From his pocket, he pulled out a small velvet ring box.
As soon as he opened the box, a dazzling sparkled diamond ring appeared. Suddenly, he looked nervous.
"Bella, I want to marry you," he said earnestly.
"Don't worry. This ring doesn't mean to pressure you into marrying me immediately. It's just a promise … a promise that I want you to be my wife someday."Happiness came too suddenly making Bella become so dazzled with the man and the events that had happened. Mark saw Bella take the ring and put it on the middle finger of her right hand.
Then she smiled brightly and showed him her hand. "
I'll wear it like this for now."Mark held her warm, delicate hand and leaned in tentatively. The restaurant was still in its soft-opening phase and empty.Bella instinctively pulled back a little, but Mark gently cupped the back of her head to pull her closer.
Years of longing and unfulfilled dreams melted away in that moment. The kiss started as a soft, simple touch but deepened as Mark finally indulged in the sweetness he had dreamed of. Bella initially stiff and unsure, soon found herself responding.
It had been so long since she had been kissed. Even during her last years with Sonny, they had barely held hands, let alone shared any intimacy.
Seeing Bella blush and smile, Mark couldn't resist sneaking touches and holding her hand whenever he got the chance, even during their meal. His playful antics made her laugh."Why are you acting so sneaky?" she teased.Mark paused and looked down with a mock pout. "Wasn't I sneaky before? Back then, I'd leave you gifts and try to get your attention, but you always avoided me. You wouldn't even say a word to me."He knew how to tug at her heartstrings and Bella couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.
That evening, they walked home hand in hand, never once letting go. When they arrived at her building, Mark's eyes darkened with desire and he pulled her into the space between himself and the wall. His Adam's apple bobbed as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.
It took all his willpower to pull away and when he finally did, his voice was husky. "Bella…"His tone was laced with longing, hearing the way he called out her name making her heart race. She didn't dare speak, her pulse pounding as if it would leap out of her chest.Mark gazed at her for a moment, then cradled her face in his hands and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I'll go now. Get some rest tonight."Both Bella's work and her love life seemed to be progressing smoothly. Her only lingering worry was whether Sonny would show up at her home again.
When she called her parents, they reassured her that everything was fine.
Mark noticed her distracted demeanor over the next few days and took the initiative to comfort her. "Sonny is on the run," he informed her. "He did not pay his loans and borrowed a lot of money from loan sharks. No one knows where he is now. Don't worry. I had also asked some friends to keep an eye on your parents' neighborhood."A weight lifted from Bella's heart and she finally felt at ease.
One sweltering summer day, with cicadas buzzing loudly and the sun blazing overhead, Bella found out that her end-of-year bonus had doubled. With project deadlines looming, she skipped lunch and headed to the convenience store to buy some bread. To her surprise, she ran into Nicole who was pacing nervously outside her company building.