Chapter 56: Mine. Not His
The next morning dawned brighter than Bella’s heart felt. She hadn’t slept well; her mind had circled endlessly around Chloe’s words, Rachel’s quiet insistence, and Timothy’s innocent declaration about finally having a daddy.
The weight of it pressed heavy on her chest as she dressed for work, tugging her blouse straight before checking the mirror one last time. No amount of powder could fully hide the shadows under her eyes.
She and Chloe dropped Timothy off at school and Rachel at the Camden’s mansion before heading over to StoneTech.
When she arrived at StoneTech, the familiar hum of the office should have grounded her. Instead, each step toward Jake’s office sharpened the unease coiled in her stomach. She set her bag down at her desk, preparing to go for coffee like always, only to stop short.
One cup already sat there, still steaming, the faint aroma of caramel wafting upward. Bella blinked.
Jake’s door was ajar, and when she peered inside, she saw him at his desk, typing briskly, his focus absolute. But there, beside his laptop, was his own cup.
He’d gotten himself coffee and had gotten hers too.
Her fingers brushed the cup absently. The simple gesture made her heart stumble. Why is he being this kind? She thought. Why now, when Chloe and Rachel have just planted these thoughts in my head?
Unable to bear the knot forming in her chest, she smoothed her skirt and walked into his office.
"Mr. Stone," she said softly.
He looked up at once, his dark eyes settling on her. "Bella. Is everything alright?"
She lifted the cup slightly. "Thank you for this. The coffee."
He shrugged lightly, leaning back in his chair. "You’ve been running around enough for both of us lately. Figured I’d save you the trip this morning."
Her lips curved in a faint smile. "Still... thank you." She hesitated, her pulse picking up. "And also, for yesterday. For letting me leave without... asking questions."
Jake tilted his head, studying her closely. "Was it sorted? The emergency?"
"Yes," she replied quickly, her fingers tightening around the coffee. "It was nothing too serious, thankfully."
He nodded once. "Good. Then I’m glad you went. Sometimes, you don’t need to explain yourself, Bella. Not to me," he said even though what he actually wanted to ask was what the emergency was about.
The words lodged in her throat, heavy with meanings he didn’t know. She looked at him—really looked at him—her gaze tracing the faint crease at his brow, the steadiness in his eyes, the quiet authority that had once terrified her but now... softened something inside her.
Tell him, her conscience whispered. Tell him about Timothy. About the son he doesn’t know.
Even though there’s still another voice saying, ’don’t tell him. Can you bear him rejecting your son?’ she decided to focus on the one telling her otherwise.
Perhaps, it was time to give her son an identity. A father. His father.
Her chest constricted. She set her coffee down, her palms damp. "Jake," she murmured.
"Yes?" His eyes held hers, steady, and expectant. If she’d called his first name then it meant what she wanted to tell him wasn’t related to work. She was going to tell him something as a friend. Jake thought with a smile.
She opened her mouth, but the words tangled on her tongue. How do you even begin? Five years ago, you told me you couldn’t get me pregnant, but here’s proof you were wrong—our child? It sounded impossible even in her head.
Still, she tried again. "Jake..."
And then a cough sliced through the room and both of them turned, startled.
Raymond stood in the doorway, hands shoved in his pockets, his expression hovering between a smirk and a scowl. "Well," he drawled, "I hope I’m not interrupting anything."
Bella flinched back slightly, as though caught in something illicit. Jake’s jaw tightened. "Raymond," he said coolly. "I didn’t realize you’d entered. Why didn’t you knock?"
The question hung in the air like a thunderclap, taking Raymond back.
Raymond’s brows shot up. "I’ve never knocked before. And you’ve never asked me to. What’s changed?" His eyes darted deliberately toward Bella, who was clutching her coffee again like a shield.
Jake’s voice was calm but edged. "It’s called courtesy. I never asked because I had a secretary outside whom you’d first meet."
Raymond gave a humorless laugh. "Courtesy? Since when did we start playing by those rules, brother?" He shrugged, stepping further in. "Anyway, like I said—I hope I’m not interrupting anything. Id really hate to know I was."
Jake’s gaze didn’t waver. "What could you be interrupting exactly?"
The tension thickened. Bella cleared her throat, the heat of their unspoken battle suffocating her. "I’ll just... get back to my desk." Her voice was too quick, too polite, and she slipped past Raymond without meeting his eyes.
Though he wouldn’t say it, she knew he was probably thinking they had something and he was probably jealous to see them that way.
Jake watched her go, then turned back to his brother. His tone was clipped. "Don’t get the wrong idea."
Raymond smirked again, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Of course not. You, alone in a room with your assistant, gazing at each other like—" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "Never mind."
Jake exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What do you want, Raymond?"
"Oh." Raymond straightened, producing a paper bag from under his arm. "Mom asked me to bring you breakfast. I dropped by the house before coming in. She thought you might have skipped it."
Some of the steel left Jake’s face. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "That’s Mother for you. Always worrying."
"Always." Raymond placed the bag on Jake’s desk. His smile this time was thin, fleeting. "Well, I’ll leave you to your work."
Jake nodded, already pulling the bag closer. "Thank you."
But as Raymond turned and walked out of the office, his thoughts were anything but grateful.
He was the first to see her, Raymond reminded himself bitterly, his steps heavy. The first to notice her. That makes her mine. Not his.
He pulled out his phone the moment he reached the corridor. After a brief pause, he dialed a number.
"Keep an eye on my brother," he said curtly when the call connected. "I don’t care how you do it. Just watch him. And tell me everything he does, who he meets and where he goes."
When he ended the call, his jaw was clenched tight, his resolve hardening. He wouldn’t stand by and let Jake take Bella from him.
Not when he’d already claimed her in his heart.