Bella stood up from her seat and went around the table, approaching me. A moment later, she brought me into her embrace.

While being slathered between her sizable bust, I looked upward at the smiling face of my special woman. She noticed my gaze, which made her smile go a bit wider, and she even started stroking my head.

Ah. This was such a nostalgic thing. How many years have passed since the last time?

“Dear, I would’ve been much happier to hear those words if it wasn’t such a blatant attempt to manipulate me, you know.” The tone of my special woman’s voice was soft as she chided my stupid self.

And this upped the nostalgia levels even more.

“And you should know that I had to do this.” I responded in kind, entwining my arms around her waist.

“Maybe I do.” Bella snickered, ruffling my hair. “With you, it’s always so hard to tell. And all those changes made it even harder.”

I squeezed my arms a bit tighter.

“Why would you do that?” She asked directly.

“Did you even listen to my words?” I asked back.

“Yes. Now tell me what your problem is, dear.” My special woman cut off my attempts to weasel out.

I buried my face deeper into her bosom, both to buy myself some time and because I could do so. Time slowly trickled by, one heartbeat at a time.

“I thought I was clear enough—I need you,” I said, reluctantly raising my face from its place in the warm valley.

I felt her body stiffen for a moment.

“And that’s a problem for you, huh?” Oh, I landed on a landmine.

Fuck.

“No, the problem is to ensure that while reaching the goal.” I stroked her back, trying to placate her.

“Michael Roah, you piss me off so much right now.” Bella pulled my hair a bit to emphasize the point. “We already talked about this, and I gave you my conditions. Why are you suddenly trying to overthink everything?”

Hm, why was I doing so, really?

“I am not sure myself,” I said, shaking my head. “There are so many things going all at once, and it’s overwhelming me ever so slowly. Every time I finally think that I know what to do, another issue crops up and messes up the whole picture again.”

Arrangement. Girls. Family. Clans. Life. Masks.

Chaos.

“It brings uncertainty, a chance, into everything. And I am not used to leaving things to that flimsy bitch, Fate.” I continued, feeling the need to get it out. “But it’s all so interesting. Fascinating even. I even feel how it tries to change me. And it had already succeeded quite a bit.”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Is it really such a problem?” Bella used the pause I took to breathe to chime in with a question.

Ah, yes, I recognized the tone. My Bella used it too often. Ugh.

“I don’t know.” I gave her a reply.

“I think that despite your overthinking, you missed one important detail, dear.” My special woman hummed after saying those words.

What did she mean by that, I wonder? As I tried to wrap my head around the hidden meaning, Bella put her hand on my cheek and made a motion to raise my face. Which I let her do.

“Well, since you’ve gone out of your way to put all of this into words so nicely, I should do the same.” On the beautiful visage of my dear, there was a bright smile, the likes of which I had gotten used to seeing on Olivia’s face instead.

I had a hard time recalling the last time I saw Bella smiling like that. Maybe it was the first time I'd seen it at all.

“Whatever it is you are trying to achieve, I’ll do anything to help you. I will complain, throw a few jealous fits as well, and act like the right bitch all the way through, but...” There was a dangerous glimmer in her eyes that became stronger with every word that left her mouth. “I don't know how and why the future me failed to tell you this: as long as you need me, I am yours.”

Maybe she actually told me. Not that directly, of course, but clear enough to put two and two together.

“You may need me, but I need you even more.” She shook her head.

Gigolo wouldn’t take these words seriously. The Beast wouldn’t even listen. The Professional would wave it off as something unnecessary. And Boredom just wouldn’t care at all.

As for myself? I felt happy. Nothing more, nothing less.

Obviously, a large part of me felt skeptical as well, but I chose to ignore it. If I could make myself buy into the sincerity of Olivia’s act, why couldn’t I do the same for my special one?

I shook my head, chasing away negativity, and stood up, promptly lifting Bella into a princess carry. My actions surprised her, judging by the admittedly cute yelp she let out, but a moment later, my dear got herself together.

“Finally,” my special woman teased me as her arms snaked around my neck.

There was a lot more to talk about, business and private matters alike. But it could all wait longer. But then a mischievous idea took over.

“By the way, are you ready to meet your new in-laws?” I asked the beauty in my arms.

Our destination lay upstairs. First it was the shower, then bedroom. Or maybe vice versa.

“Do you really want to see me wearing that Chinese dress so much?” she responded with a question of her own.

An image of Bella dressed in qipao and rocking it marvelously, of course, crossed my mind’s eye.

“Well, you can wear a kimono instead.” I shrugged.

I wasn’t quite sure which one would be more appropriate for a meeting with my grandmother, to be honest.

“You aren’t joking, are you?” Another question followed.

“I need to pay a visit to Lady in Black, preferably tomorrow. And it would be a perfect opportunity to introduce you to her,” I replied in all seriousness.

I finished the last few steps of the stairs and turned toward Bella’s bedroom.

“Can I refuse?” For some reason, my dear did sound uncharacteristically hesitant.

“Nope.” I put a stop to that notion.

“What if she doesn't like me?” Was she seriously worried about that?

“That won’t happen,” I was quick to reassure her.

“But…” My special woman tried once more.

“Whatever happens, I've already made my choice.” I cut her off.

Luckily, our journey had reached its end. Not giving her a chance to say anything else, I threw her on the bed.