Chapter 44: Nevermind
The hum of the elevator carried them back up to the executive floor, the silence between Bella and Jake still heavy but no longer suffocating.
They were friends now but didn’t even know how to be one. It would take some time getting used to.
Bella stepped out first when the elevator doors slid open, her heels clicking against the polished marble floor as she walked toward her desk outside his office.
It was strange, how ordinary everything looked after the storm that had passed between them. The phones ringing, the distant chatter of staff, the faint smell of freshly brewed coffee drifting from the break room. Ordinary. Yet nothing felt ordinary inside her chest.
Bella slid into her chair, pulling her laptop toward her, determined to bury herself in work. Jake entered his office without another word, the door closing softly behind him.
For a moment, Bella allowed herself to exhale. The morning had been draining enough; all she wanted was to lose herself in spreadsheets and schedules. But the reprieve lasted only a few minutes.
The elevator doors opened again with a soft chime, and when Bella looked up, her stomach dropped when she saw Raymond.
Tall, sharp-suited, carrying the same Stones confidence but with a boyish charm his older brother didn’t possess. He walked toward her desk, his gaze warm but curious, and Bella’s heart lurched.
He’d asked to take her to lunch and she’d thought about rejecting him politely but then she had completely forgotten.
Had he been waiting for her all along? Was he perhaps upset? How long had he been waiting for him to arrive here just at the time they returned? She needed to apologize to him.
Sighing, she stood up quickly, words tumbling out before she could even think of what to say. "Raymond, I—" she started but he lifted a hand, his smile dimming, and his voice cool.
"You don’t need to explain, Bella. If you knew you weren’t going to come, you could have at least sent me a text. It’s not that hard. But it’s fine."
The reprimand stung, not because his tone was harsh but because it was calm, tinged with a little bit of disappointment.
Bella opened her mouth again, desperate to explain, to tell him she’d thought of texting him but had been too busy to remember, but he’d already shifted his gaze past her, toward Jake’s door.
"You don’t have to say anything. I’ll just go see my brother," he said.
And before she could stop him, he was already pushing the door open and stepping inside.
Bella froze, her pulse skittering. Why was she feeling bad about it when somehow, doing this would make him understand there was no hope between them?
Inside, Jake looked up from behind his desk, his dark brows rising. "Raymond? What are you doing here?"
Raymond leaned casually against the doorway, his lips curved in a grin. "What? I can’t come see my own brother anymore?" he asked, his brows going up.
Jake let out a short laugh, though his eyes narrowed slightly. "You know that’s not what I meant. It’s work hours. I thought maybe you needed my help with something."
Raymond shook his head, strolling further in. "No. Nothing like that. I just saw you leaving earlier with your assistant." His tone was light, but his eyes flickered briefly toward the door, where Bella still lingered at her desk. "So I came to check if you were back."
Jake’s gaze followed his brother’s for the briefest second before returning to him. He leaned back in his chair, expression unreadable. "Well, as you can see, I’m back," he said simply, gesturing around the office.
"Yeah, I can see that." Raymond studied him, his smile slow and a little too knowing.
They both went silent and after a while, Raymond cleared his throat.
"Jake, is there... anything going on between you and your assistant?" he said, wanting to be sure he wasn’t going to be competing with his brother for Bella.
Jake’s brows arched. "Anything like what?"
For a heartbeat, silence stretched between them.
Why did he even ask? What if he had said there was something? How would he have managed it? It was better he didn’t know than let Jake tell him and put him in a position where he’d have to choose between competing with his brother or leaving Bella for him. Raymond thought and then chuckled, shaking his head.
"Never mind. Forget I ever asked," he said.
Jake raised a brow, wondering what was going through his brother’s head. But before he could say anything, Raymond cleared his throat.
He adjusted his watch, already moving toward the door. "Since you’re back, I should get back to my office. We’ll talk later."
Jake watched him go, his face calm but his jaw set. "Later," he said evenly.
Raymond stepped out of Jake’s office, loosening his tie slightly as though the weight of his conversation still lingered on him.
Bella watched him leave. She had no idea what unnerved her more — Raymond’s disappointment, Jake’s reaction, or the fact that the two brothers were circling around her without even realizing how dangerous it could all become.
His steps were brisk, purposeful, carrying him toward the elevator at the far end of the corridor. The ding of the arriving lift echoed at the same moment, and the silver doors parted.
And then a woman emerged.
Tall. Elegant. Her very presence drew a quiet pause in the air around her. She moved with a self-assurance that turned heads without effort, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. Bella, sitting at her desk, found herself staring before she could stop.
Raymond’s eyes lit up at once, recognition flashing there. His lips curved into a smile that softened the sharp edges of his face. "Helena?"
The woman’s expression brightened as she saw him. "Raymond." Her voice carried warmth, smooth and melodic, as though they were long-time friends reuniting even though they both knew they were far from it.
Bella blinked, her pen halting over the page she had been pretending to read. Helena...? The name meant nothing to her, yet the familiarity between them was clear. Who was she?
Raymond closed the distance between them in a few strides. "What brings you here? Don’t tell me you’ve suddenly decided to work for StoneTech."
Helena laughed lightly, shaking her head. "Not exactly. Your mother sent me. She asked me to deliver something to Jake."
Bella’s brows pinched slightly. Their mother? Her gaze flicked between them. Whoever this woman was, she clearly had ties deep enough to walk in unannounced.
Raymond leaned closer, lowering his voice with mock conspiracy. "So you’re running errands for Mother now? I didn’t think she had that kind of power over you."
"She always has that kind of power," Helena said with a smile that seemed both fond and resigned. "You know I couldn’t refuse her especially since it had to do with your brother."
Raymond chuckled, slipping into easy familiarity. "Fair point. Then allow me the honor of escorting you to my dear brother."
The two of them walked together down the corridor, their conversation peppered with soft laughter that seemed to slice at Bella more than it should have. She tried to look away, to busy herself with the open folder on her desk, but her ears betrayed her, catching every note of their tone.
When they reached her desk, Raymond’s smile widened. "Bella," he said smoothly, his voice carrying that gentle authority he so easily wore. "Would you let Helena into Jake’s office? She’s a close family friend, and since she came on Mother’s request, Jake will want to see her right away."
Bella stiffened. She managed a polite nod, though her mind spun with questions. Family friend. Sent by their mother. So this was someone important. Someone close enough to be welcomed without hesitation.
"Of course," she said softly, rising to her feet.
"Good." Raymond’s satisfaction was evident, as though he had neatly tied up an unfinished thread. He glanced at Helena again, his smile warm. "I’ll leave you in Bella’s hands then. She’ll take you straight to him."
"Thank you, Raymond," Helena replied, her tone as gracious as her smile.
And with that, Raymond pressed the elevator button once more, casting one last approving look before stepping inside. The doors closed behind him, leaving Bella and Helena in silence.
Bella smoothed her skirt and opened the door to Jake’s office, her movements calm on the surface though unease rippled underneath. "Please, go right in," she said.
"Thank you," Helena murmured, giving her a polite smile before stepping inside.
The soft click of the door closing seemed to echo louder than it should have. Bella returned to her desk slowly, her thoughts churning.
Helena. Sent by their mother. A family friend.
The title should have comforted her, but instead, it gnawed at the back of her mind. Why here? Why now?
Her pen tapped against the desk in an erratic rhythm as a dangerous thought crept in.
What if Helena had been the reason Jake had gone out earlier? What if he had planned to meet her, and when she hadn’t shown up, he had seized the moment to corner her instead? He had also said an important guest recommended by his mother.
Could it be just mere coincidence? The possibility twisted sharply in her chest.
Bella bit her lip, forcing her gaze onto the documents before her. She reminded herself firmly — she was only his assistant. Nothing more. Whatever happened between them was in the past and it had been purely transactional. She shouldn’t be worrying herself over any lady he talked to.
Whoever Helena was, whatever ties she had to Jake, it had nothing to do with her.