Page 112 of Wild Tangled Hearts

The brisk air and the bustling streets only add to my sense of adventure. But as I’m about to cross a busy intersection, a sudden jostle in the crowd sends me stumbling. I gasp as I feel a cold, sticky sensation on my blouse, groaning when I see a mess of ketchup and mustard smeared across the front of my outfit.

With a frustrated groan, I trudge back to The Ritz-Carlton, my mood a far cry from the excitement that had filled me earlier. At the hotel, I fumble with the keycard until the lock clicks open, and I step into the sanctuary of the suite. The moment the door closes behind me, I hear Sebastian in a conversation with someone.

A woman.

I follow the sound, my heart pounding with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation. The voices lead me to the living area. It’s the stranger I see first, tall, beautiful, with long dark hair that falls in waves down her back. She’s wearing a satin blouse and navy skirt that hugs her slim waist and curves. Her presence alone is enough to leave me uneasy.

But as I move further into the room, I see Sebastian, seated on the couch, his shirt folded over the armrest, his sculpted chest bare. The room seems to spin for a moment as my mind struggles to process the scene before me.

“Bella.” Sebastian’s eyes widen when they land on me. “Fuck.”

I take a step back, and then another. My head is spinning, and I feel like a fool, a pawn in some vicious game.

He calls after me, but I don’t want to hear his excuses or explanations. I turn and flee, the weight of my emotions too much.

Through the door, down the hall, I run, my heart pounding, until I reach the elevator. I jab at the buttons frantically, needing to get away. My chest constricts and I struggle to breathe, feeling like the world has crumbled around me.

Sebastian’s hurried footsteps echo down the hallway.

He struggles to put his shirt on, his feet bare, but his disheveled appearance only adds to the chaos of the moment.

“Stop,” he calls out.

The elevator doors open, but before I can step in, he grabs my wrist, spinning me toward him. The look in his eyes is a mixture of desperation and panic. ”It’s not what you think.”

“No more lies,” I say, my voice trembling. Tears blur my vision, threatening to spill over as I blink them back. “Let me go.”

“I know how bad this looks, but I promise you, I can explain. Just come back to the room. Please.”

My heart aches, torn between the love I feel for him and the overwhelming sense of betrayal.

Reader’s Choice:

What should Bella do next?

Hope that maybe there’s a reasonable explanation. Go back to the Suite and hear Sebastian out. Turn to this page.

No explanation could justify him being shirtless with another woman. Leave and find a way home alone. Turn to this page.

PartEight

Doubts and Dilemmas

Doubts and dilemmas in love relationships are the crossroads where we must choose between fear and faith, for it's in navigating these uncertainties that our love story truly finds its path.

Chapter49

Damien

GO TO WORK AND TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT HIM

As I step into my classroom, I silently vow to myself: Today, I will not dwell on my heartbreak. I'm here to teach art, and that's exactly what I'll do. My students deserve my full attention, even if my heart is in shambles.

But I barely slept last night because every time I closed my eyes, the memory of Damien walking away from me haunted my thoughts. And when I did manage to drift into slumber, nightmares of the intruder would jolt me awake.

Even now, with the morning sun streaming in through the large windows, casting a warm glow over the room, I feel the darkness of the night before weighing heavily on me.

I take a deep breath, and with a shaky exhale, I try my best to focus on the positive. I’m safe now, and everything broken can be replaced or repaired —except maybe my heart.

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