Chris was boiling with anger, but he forced himself to stay quiet. If he lost control now, Bella would shut down completely. He needed her friends to keep talking so he could piece everything together.
"How did you even cover the bruises?" Nadia's voice was sharp through the speaker. "And why were you silent about bullies all this time?"
Bella froze. Her chest tightened. Before she could reply, another voice cut in.
"Who was bullied?" It was Vera, carrying a tray into the room with the twins right behind her.
Bella's stomach sank.
"Ella, are you okay? You scared me half to death," Vera said, setting the tray down.
"Yes, sis. You were burning up when we came," Jayden added, worry etched into his voice.
Kayden's tone was firmer. "How could you pass out in the bathtub? What if Christian wasn't here? You could've drowned."
Alexia, Lillian, and Nadia, still on FaceTime, gasped in unison.
"You passed out in the bathtub?" Nadia exclaimed.
"I guess that explains why she looks sick," Alexia muttered.
The twins waved awkwardly at the phone. "Hey Jay, Kay," Lillian greeted.
"Hi," they replied together.
"Good evening," the three girls chorused when they spotted Vera.
"Good evening," Vera smiled politely. "How are you all?"
Bella handed her mum the phone so she could finally eat. She was starving.
"Oh my gosh, you're so beautiful," Nadia squealed when Vera's face filled the screen.
Lillian grinned. "So now we know where Ella got her looks."
Bella shook her head, trying not to choke on her cereal. Her friends could be too dramatic sometimes.
"And the twins are cute too," Alexia added.
"Thank you, at least you know true beauty when you see it," Kayden teased, earning laughter.
"You've officially become our only friend now," Jayden said, deadpan, making everyone burst into laughter.
Bella nearly choked, coughing until Chris silently handed her a glass of water. She mouthed a quiet "thank you."
"Is that Mr. Hampson?" Lillian asked, eyes narrowing at the screen.
"Yes," Vera said simply, passing the phone to Chris.
"Hi, ladies," Chris greeted calmly.
"Hello, sir," Nadia smiled. "If we'd known you were there, we would've said hi earlier."
Chris's smirk didn't fade. "No worries. Thanks to that, I found out something very important." His gaze slid deliberately back to Bella, who avoided his eyes.
"We didn't mean to keep it from you," Alexia said quickly. "It's just... Bella didn't want to report it. You know how she is."
"Alexia," Chris said evenly, "forward those pictures to my email."
"They're on Bella's phone," Alexia admitted.
"Then I'll get them from her," Chris said flatly.
There was a nervous pause.
"And by the way," he added with a faint smile, "outside of work, call me Chris. I'm not your direct boss."
"You're the bosses' bosses' boss," Nadia teased, making the girls laugh again.
Chris chuckled politely, though his eyes never left Bella.
"We heard you saved our friend from drowning," Alexia said.
"Yeah, just happened that way," Chris muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Well, we should go. We've got a flight to catch," Nadia said.
"And I'm sure the bosses' boss doesn't want to know his employees' employees are slacking off," Alexia teased again.
Chris laughed, then passed the phone back to Bella.
"Okay, guys. Take care and have a safe flight," Bella said, hanging up.
The room went silent.
"Unlock your phone," Chris said suddenly, his voice firm. His eyes were steel.
Bella's hands trembled, but she obeyed.
"When were you going to tell us?" Vera's voice was low, laced with disappointment.
"And why did we have to hear it from your friends?" Kayden demanded.
"Did they threaten you?" Jayden pressed, his anger barely restrained.
Bella couldn't answer. All her focus was on Chris, who was seething, his jaw tight. She knew what he was capable of when he was this angry and she was terrified for Ria and Tracy.
Chris forwarded the pictures to himself, then excused himself without a word. Bella, heart pounding, followed. She found him in the hallway, already on the phone with Elliot.
"Track Neil. Make sure Ria and Tracy are both at the airport tomorrow. I want them in my office," Chris ordered coldly.
"Understood, sir," Elliot replied.
Chris immediately called Mrs. Henshaw. Bella tugged at his sleeve, but he ignored her. His fury was palpable.
"When were you going to tell me?" Chris finally demanded, ending the call. His violet eyes burned into hers.
"I... I..." Bella stammered, fear flickering across her face.
Chris softened slightly at the sight. He had always admired her fearlessness nothing intimidated her. To see her scared now told him how deep this wound went. He stepped closer, gently taking her hands.
"Talk to me, Bella."
She swallowed. "Only a few co-workers don't bully me. Tracy was the first to get physical. Then Ria joined in. I didn't report it because I didn't want them to lose their licences. And I thought the chances of running into them again were slim."
Chris clenched his fists, then forced them to relax. "I don't care who it is. I will not tolerate bullying. Even if it wasn't you, I'd do the same thing I'm about to do. Don't feel guilty for their punishment they chose this."
Bella nodded, her throat thick with emotion.
Downstairs, Vera and the twins were curled up on the couches when Chris and Bella joined them. Rain tapped lightly against the windows, easing into the background. Jayden insisted they watch the Korean drama on the big screen instead of Bella's phone. Chris sat down beside Bella and pulled her gently into his chest. She could feel her mum's eyes on them, curiosity burning.
Claret came in with popcorn, chips, and juice. Bella passed the popcorn to her mum and the twins, keeping chips for herself. She glanced at Chris, surprised at how engrossed he seemed in the movie.
By the time the rain stopped, it was nearly midnight.
"Mum, it's stopped raining," Bella said softly. "Almost midnight too. Maybe it's safe for us to head home."
"Oh, I didn't notice," Vera said, rising.
"Mum, we didn't drive," Jayden reminded. "How are we getting home?"
"You're welcome to stay the night," Chris offered smoothly.
"No, Chris. We've troubled you enough today," Vera protested.
"I insist," he said gently. "It's late, and honestly I've enjoyed having you here. It's been a long time since I felt this much... family around me." His eyes flicked to Bella as he smiled.
Kayden leaned back into the sofa. "Mum, let's just stay. He insists."
"Yes, mum," Jayden echoed, not looking away from the TV.
"Fine," Vera sighed. "But we leave first thing in the morning. I have to be at work by nine."
"Deal," Chris said, smiling. "Jay, Kay the third room down the left hall is yours."
"Okay, thanks!" they said in unison, eyes glued to the screen.
Vera started to follow, but then paused. "I'll just stay in Bella's room with her."
Chris inclined his head. "As you wish."
As everyone settled back, Bella glanced at her family. She hesitated, then asked suddenly:
"So... why didn't anyone ever tell me Grandma gave Dylla to me for my eighteenth birthday and not my nineteenth?"
The room went still. All eyes turned to her everyone shocked, except Chris.