Isabella~
"How did this call detail confirm Alicia's connection to Jordan?" He gave me a perplexed expression.
"Jordan Lucas's phone has the same IMEI number as these numbers." I tried to dispel his doubt.
"But Bella, how is this even possible? Jordan is in prison." He furrowed his brow.
"That's why I'm confused. I checked his file and found him in jail. However, after confirming these call details, I discovered that Jordan Lucas is the caller in every case. It's quite likely that Alicia entered your life to exact retribution on you."
"No, that's not possible. She can't do this to me. She entered my life because she loved me." I noticed the pain in Xavier's eyes. After learning the truth about his wife, he struggles to accept it.
I can feel his suffering. I have encountered this circumstance previously. I blindly trusted him, and he brutally shattered my heart by deceiving me into having an affair with my stepsister. Now, he is reaping the consequences of his actions. His wife cheated him to take Jordan's revenge.
"Please inspect all these incidents in your life; they amply demonstrate how Alicia was only a pawn in Jordan Lucas' scheme. I don't know how he managed to handle everything from prison, but every detail pointed my suspicion towards him." I showed him my completed Excel file, which made Jordan and Alicia's relationship quite evident.
"If I accept your point, how will you demonstrate in court that Jordan Lucas is involved in Alicia's murder case? Because he is in jail, no one will believe you." He made an effort to mask his discomfort with uncertainty.
"Mr. Thompson, I completely rely on God. If he led us this far, we would undoubtedly discover another clue shortly." I tried to encourage him, but he seemed so heartbroken after learning the truth about Alicia that he sat like a statue and stared at the laptop screen.
"I never imagined she was capable of such ruthless deception. How, even after spending so much time with her, could I be so blind as to not see her true face? I betrayed you for her sake, only to witness what she did to me in return. If she is alive today, then I will kill her with my hand." His eyes welled up with tears.
"Mr. Thompson, I am sorry. I don't want to hurt you by revealing this bitter truth, but I do want to collect evidence against Jordan Lucas, I had to tell you this information." I comforted him by placing my hand on his shoulder.
My heart ached to see him in such a vulnerable position. I must be pleased to see him receiving his karma, but I can't help but feel a tinge of pain when I see his tears.
"Bella, please forgive me for not valuing your unconditional love for me." Suddenly, he kneeled before me and begged for my pardon.
"No grudges, Mr. Thompson; get up from the floor. I forgot about the past." I forced a stern expression on my face, attempting to conceal my pain once more.
Why am I lying to him? Why didn't I tell him the truth—that seeing his house after all these years allowed my painful past to resurface? When I inquired about the location of his study area, I feigned to be unfamiliar with the house, but in reality, I know every corner of it even now.
My heart began to race with all the painful memories of my wedding anniversary when I saw the blue file of my divorce in his study room, but I quickly collected myself and remembered why I had come to his house in the first place. I hastily drank down a glass of water to drown out all my agony because I couldn't let my emotions get in the way of my career.
When he saw the divorce papers, he continued looking into my eyes for any sign of pain, but I didn't give him a chance to detect any. He can never return to my life; it's too late. The day I left his place, I shut down any possibility of him coming back into my life.
"Bella, can I ask you one personal question?" His voice disrupted my inner struggle.
What is he trying to ask? In confusion, I looked at his face. Despite my desire to decline his questions about my life, I nodded in agreement when I saw the sadness on his face.
"Was the child you were with at the mall yesterday, your son?"
I was shocked to hear him.
How did he see my son? Should I tell him the truth? I attempted everything to hide my son from him; then how did he see him? My inner fear made my throat dry.
"Bella, please tell me whether that was your son." When he saw me silent, he became restless.
"Yes, he is my son." I can't hide my son from Xavier by lying to him anymore, so I gave a head nod.
"So you moved on in your life; what about your love for me? How can you give my place to anyone in your life? I acknowledge that I made many mistakes with you, but after your departure, I came to understand your value, which is why I never considered having a child with Alicia." his eyes complaining to me.
I now know why he called me on Saturday afternoon, but I purposefully didn't answer him because I didn't want to be constantly thinking about him.
"Don't you feel anything for me, Bella?" His eyes were a reflection of his broken heart.
"Please get up, Xavier." He was still kneeling in front of me.
"No, I won't stand up until you respond to my query." He begged me to respond, holding my hand unwaveringly.
What am I doing? How can I flow in the past? He is my client, Mr. Thompson, not Xavier anymore? I am unable to gaze into his eyes without feeling a surge of emotion. He has no feelings for Isabella; his attraction to Veronica stems from her power, authority, and status. I have nothing except sympathy for him; he is not deserving of my love. I won't be an idiot and make the same mistake twice. My mind reminded me to once again show Xavier his boundaries, so I jerked his hand to free my own.
"Mr. Thompson, behave yourself. How many times must I remind you to avoid bringing the past into the present? If you ever again try to initiate this type of conversation, then I will have to leave your case." I threatened him.
"Bella..." he was not prepared for this kind of response from me as he gazed at me in disbelief.
"It's no longer Bella; it's Veronica Luis. I promise that I will never pay you a personal visit if you try to call me Bella again." I showed my finger to him as a sign of warning.
I started to leave his office after grabbing my bag off of his desk.
"Why are you defending me if you detest me so much?" He jumped ahead of me, obstructing my way.
"Mr. Thompson, what kind of behavior is this? Get out of my way." I didn't expect him to behave so stubbornly.
"No, I won't let you leave until you respond to my query." He forcefully blocked my way.
As soon as my phone rang and I heard the call, I stared angrily at Xavier.
"Mr. Thompson, let me go. I have an emergency." I asked him to move out of my way.
"No, I won't leave until I receive an answer." He refused to move out of my way, so I violently kicked him in the stomach and sprinted towards my car to reach my house.
"Bella, you can not leave without responding to my query." I chose to disregard his incessant ranting behind my car because I had something far more essential to attend to at my house than Xavier.