Crushed Affections (Dominic and Bella)
Chapter 157

Chapter 157 He's Not Coming Back

Seeing Lia's determination, Bella felt a bit more at ease.

When the rain finally let up, Bella drove back to Miller Manor. As she passed by Dominic's bedroom door, she couldn't help but slow down.

His door was left open. Sylvia had mentioned it was to air out the room. If no one stayed in there, the air would get stale.

Everything seemed to be moving along as usual without any major changes. It was just like the past three years when Dominic wasn't around. There was no Pudding to greet her at the door either as she had left with Dominic too. More than a month had passed, and Dominic hadn't called or texted Bella even once. Countless times, she had opened their chat window, only to close it again in silence. She couldn't reach out to him first.

All she could do was quietly wait for everything to settle, as if nothing had ever happened. This was the outcome she had accepted from the very start.

As she glanced out at the courtyard, her eyes caught sight of an oak tree, its leaves beginning to turn yellow. The breeze carried the first hints of fall.

Bella muttered to herself, "It's almost fall... No wonder it hasn't been so hot lately."

Sylvia draped a light coat over Bella's shoulders from behind. "Yes, with all this rain, the temperature's dropping. Be sure to stay warm... It's easy to catch a cold during the change of seasons."

Bella hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Has Dominic called?"

Sylvia thought for a second before answering, "Just once, right after he left. He mentioned a few small things. He's probably busy as usual. Someone like him... It's no surprise he hasn't had time to call. He must be running around non-stop." Bella didn't respond, quietly accepting Sylvia's explanation. Deep down, she had a feeling she knew Dominic's situation. He just couldn't come back, not that he didn't want to.

The next day, she went to the hospital to talk with lan.

The news wasn't good. Dominic had gone completely off the grid, and even lan couldn't reach him.

Bella panicked. "If you can't get in touch with him, do you think something's happened? What will the Yates family do to him?"

lan didn't show any signs of worry, but he wasn't exactly relaxed either. "I don't know. If

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something serious had happened, Dominic would've found a way to contact me or Leonard. The fact that we haven't heard from him probably means things aren't too bad."

Bella felt her chest tighten. "Then, why haven't we heard anything from him?"

lan shook his head. "You worry too much. You're the only one who still sees Dominic as some harmless little lamb. I'm not that concerned."

Bella did Understand what he meant. All she knew was that Dominic had been taken by

the Yates family, and now, there was no word from him. How could she not be worried?

On her Sunday off, Bella decided to clear her mind with a trip to the flower market in the suburbs. Miller Manor's garden had very few flowers that bloomed year-round, leaving it a bit lifeless in this season. She wanted to brighten it up, to bring a bit of color. She hoped that when Dominic returned, he would be greeted by a garden full of life, not one in decay... If he ever came back, that was.

She spent the whole morning picking out her favorite perennial flowers, loading them into

the trunk all at once.

As she started the drive home, her phone rang. She slipped on her Bluetooth headset and answered, "Hello? Who is this?"

Dominic's voice came through the line. "It's me."

Bella froze. The voice she hadn't heard in over a month still sent chills down her spine. She hadn't even finished processing the rush of excitement before he continued, "Listen carefully from now on. I need you to pay attention. "Look around... Are there any suspicious people or cars following you? Don't worry, go ahead and check. The windows are tinted, so they can't see you."