Crushed Affections (Dominic and Bella)
Chapter 164

Chapter 164 He's Back

Every night, when Bella woke up from her dreams, she found it impossible to go back to sleep. So, she'd lie awake until dawn.

She kept asking Leonard for updates on Dominic, even trying to call him herself, only to replace his phone was always turned off.

That night, just as she was about to go to bed, she suddenly heard the sound of several cars pulling away downstairs. The last time there had been this much commotion was when Leonard returned after she came here. Sensing that something was going on, she went to check Leonard's room, but, as expected, he

wasn't there.

With a flicker of hope, she dialed his number. "Did you just leave? Did something happen?"

Leonard's voice was subdued. "Just go to sleep. I'll explain when I get back. I'm afraid if I tell you now, you won't be able to rest!!

Bella's heart shot up into her throat. "Is Dominic back?"

There was a two-second silence before he answered, "Yes, I'm going to pick him up. I probably won't be back tonight. Get some rest."

With that, the call ended.

Of course, Bella couldn't sleep. She lay there, her mind racing with possibilities, but she was too anxious to leave the house. All she could do was wait. She was restless and on edge.

She thought the wait would only last until morning, but then the second day passed... and the third. Leonard had seemingly vanished, and she couldn't reach him at all.

Just as she was about to lose her patience and head to Sawyer Manor herself, Leonard finally

sent someone to her.

A man who looked like a bodyguard appeared, giving her only ten minutes to pack. He told her he was taking her somewhere.

Without a second thought, she hurried back to her room, changed her clothes, brushed her hair, and followed the man to the car.

The car drove straight to Sawyer Manor.

As soon as they reached the entrance, Bella noticed twice as many guards as usual, each one on high alert, scanning the surroundings and listening intently to their radios. Unable to hold back, she asked, "What exactly happened?"

The bodyguard didn't answer. He simply gestured for her to follow. "This way."

Chapter 164 He's Back

Nervous, Bella's hands began to tremble. She instinctively dug her nails into her palms, pressing hard enough against the soft skin beside her nails that she nearly drew blood. The bodyguard led her down to the basement of Sawyer Manor.

After walking down a short hallway, she found herself in a surprisingly large, hidden room. It looked like a small medical facility, filled with high-end equipment that even surpassed what her own hospital had. Before she could process her surprise, she caught sight of someone lying on a bed through a half-open curtain. An IV was hooked up to his exposed arm, clear liquid flowing steadily through a tube into his body. Her steps faltered. She already knew who it was. I had to be Dominic.

The bodyguard said softly, "Mr. Sawyer is waiting for you upstairs. Take a quick look, then let's go."

Summoning her courage, Bella stepped forward and gently pulled back the curtain. The familiar face before her made her heart sink.

She hadn't expected Dominic to return in this condition. He lay there quietly, his face completely drained of color, all his usual sharpness gone.

From the part of his shoulder that was visible, she could see he wasn't wearing a shirt, and it, looked like he was injured as bandages were peeking out.

Carefully, she lifted a corner of the blanket and saw a patch on his upper abdomen where blood was beginning to seep through.

Her tears spilled over. Afraid her sobbing might wake him, she pressed a hand tightly over her

mouth.

Just then, a young woman in a nurse's uniform stepped out from a small door nearby.

She approached and adjusted the blanket over Dominic, then said, "He's going to be fine. Dr. Clarke performed the surgery. He just lost a lot of blood, and his body is struggling to keep up, so he's very drowsy. I'm the Sawyer family's private nurse. You can leave him in my care." Choking back her tears, Bella asked, "How did he get hurt?"