After the kiss ended, Bella was still catching her breath when Brad raised his chin towards Juliana, who blushed. "I need to talk about our snow mountain adventure with Bella at the end of this month. So excuse us."
With that, he forcefully dragged Bella all the way to the back garden.
Bella struggled to break free from his hold, and just as Brad managed to call out her name, she slapped him across the face.
The slap landed with full force, causing Brad's head to jerk to the side.
"Why did you spread the rumor that the woman in the photo was me?" Bella was both angry and aggrieved. Her eyes turned red as she wrestled with a mix of emotions.
Brad touched the wound in his mouth with his tongue and suddenly gave Bella a light laugh. "Isn't that what you've always wanted?"
Bella was stunned. Before she could respond, Brad stepped closer and said with a teasing tone, "You've always wanted me to make our relationship public on social media. Now that I have, why are you upset?"
Bella stared at Brad. His good-looking face was still adorned with that usual playful grin, but her heart was filled with a new sense of disappointment. "Brad, you know how closely tied my image is to the Shaw Group. If someone with ill intentions uses that photo to stir up trouble, do you know how damaging it could be to the Shaw Group?"
Taking a deep breath, Bella was about to leave. "I need to clarify that the woman in the photo is Kori, and I've never had a tattoo..."
"You can't!" Brad gripped her arm tightly, and his tone was colder than ever. "You know how strongly my grandpa disapproves of Kori. If he finds out about that photo, he might target her more."
Bella was the perfect daughter-in-law tailored for the Simpson family, but Kori was the complete opposite, hitting every sore spot for Brad's grandfather, Martin Simpson.
Kori's rebellious and headstrong nature, along with her penchant for dragging Brad into extreme sports, was enough to earn her an unforgivable offense in Martin's eyes.
Besides, Kori's parents were recently embroiled in an academic fraud scandal. The Simpson family valued reputation a lot and tried their best to avoid such a scandal at all costs.
From the moment Martin learned what Kori was like, he warned Brad to keep his distance from her. He even contemplated intervening personally to separate Brad and Kori.
So Brad had to use Bella as a shield.
The longstanding friendship between the Simpson and Shaw families, coupled with Martin's fondness for Bella since she was a little girl, meant that as long as Bella was mentioned, he would support it unconditionally.
But Bella had long grown weary of being the scapegoat, bearing responsibility and risk. She looked at Brad calmly at that moment. "If you understand Grandpa's intentions, why did you still post that on your social media?"
Brad paused. Then he raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Are you jealous?"
Bella froze.
Brad seemed to sense he'd found Bella's weak spot. He suddenly pulled her close by the waist and whispered sweetly in her ear, "I've told you that she's just a companion. I'll only marry you, and you will be my bride. There's no need for you to feel insecure."
Bella pressed her hand against Brad's chest and avoided his intimacy. "Brad, I'm not joking. I need to clear up the rumor. I never agreed to go to the snow mountain..."
"I've already agreed to marry you. Why are you still unsatisfied?" Brad suddenly seemed upset, and his tone carried resentment. "I've tolerated your boring personality and promised to take on the responsibility of the Simpson family's business. After marrying you, I'll give up all my passions and interests. I've put up with so much. Why can't you give me just a bit of freedom?"
Bella looked at Brad in disbelief.
What was he talking about?
Was the marriage she had dreamed of so unbearable in Brad's heart?
She said in a trembling voice, "If you don't want to, you can..."
The words got stuck in her throat.
Brad rolled up his sleeve to his shoulder and revealed a scar that ran almost the entire length of his right arm.
Despite undergoing the most precise surgeries and using top-tier medical resources, the scar still couldn't be hidden. It reminded Bella how terrifying the wound had been.
"Bella, isn't this scar from when I was twelve proof enough of my love for you?"
Bella's breath hitched instantly.
She would never forget when they secretly went mountain climbing without being allowed by their families, only to accidentally fall off a cliff due to inexperience.
Brad was twelve back then. He had bravely clung to her arm, and his arm was pierced by a broken branch from the cliff.
Blood dripped from his fingers onto Bella's cheeks, bringing tears to her eyes.
Yet, Brad had smiled to comfort her. "Bella, it doesn't hurt... Just hold on a bit longer. We'll survive..."
When the rescue team arrived, Brad's right arm was severely injured. After they were rushed to the hospital, he almost lost his arm.
Bella had vowed then that she would stay by his side no matter what happened, unless Brad refused.
Bella closed her eyes and sighed as she let go. "I see. I won't say anything. I'll go to the snow mountain, too..."
