10
Belle had imagined the scenes of meeting him again countless times and readied herself for such situations. But when he was right before her, she was shocked.
He had indeed changed a lot.
He was taller and stronger. And then she laid her eyes on his face. She recalled Brandan's words and agreed with him.
First Kiss was a story about two male group members. They danced and sang together, worked hard together for their dream, and made a debut together. They were friends, and then lost in love land.
They were going to shoot a scene when the role that Brandan played kissed the role that Louis played in the dancing room after their debut this afternoon.
Belle stood in the crowd, watching the two of them didn't stop dancing until they were drenched in sweat. The two of them were tired that they lay on the ground. After resting for a while, Brandan asked Louis to get him up. But to his surprise, Louis took his hand and got him on top of him.
She didn't dare watch them kiss.
The scene reminded her of how Louis kissed her against her will.
He was very aggressive. Every time he kissed her on her lips, he wouldn't let her go until she was out of her breath and he would even bite her lips.
She felt suffocated as she still recalled how terrified, furious, and helpless she felt back then.
Later, she found that it would only get her into bigger trouble if she went against him. Hence, she started to kiss him. Each time she started a kiss, he would blush because he was too shy. His reaction made her suspect that he had schizophrenia.
When Louis and Brandan finished their shooting, the director gave them some advice on their performance. Belle made her way towards them.
As she got closer, Louis who had his head lowered all the time raised her head and met her gaze.
She paused in her tracks and sank her nails into her skin without looking away.
If he came back for revenge, she knew that she had nowhere to hide. She had no other choice but to face it.
If he was a change man, she would let it go and hope that their paths would never cross.
If he was still that obsessed with her and intended to make the same mistake, she would throw him into prison again.
The moment she made eye contact with him, she thought a lot. However, he just looked at her for a second before he withdrew his glance from her.
He acted so natural that it almost convinced her that they hadn't met.
What was he up to?
Belle also averted her gaze from him. She continued to walk up to Brandan his gaze, and got him a bottle of water.
"You did a good job this afternoon, Reed in particular. I like it when you kissed Gibbson. But what's wrong with you, Gibbson? Why did you freeze? The role you played is top. You should kiss him. But it's okay. You looked natural. Keep up with the good work. Reed has no scene tonight, Gibbson has. Way to go, Gibbson!" Howard said.
After those words came out of his mouth, he stared at Louis approvingly. Then he greeted Belle and left to attend to other things.
Louis didn't stick around here any longer. After the director finished his sentence, he went straight to his nanny car. Belle could only see his receding figure.
"What game is he playing now? Pretending to be aloof?" Belle thought, baffled.
"Belle, that guy suddenly kissed me, which freaked me out," Brandan whined with a frown.
"What?" Belle said as she recovered from her shock. "Why were you freaking out? You play the role that is top. You looked as if you were weaker than a bottom."
"You have no idea. The way he looked at me was very scary. He looked as if he was gonna eat me alive. But he really touched my lips. Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!" Brandan said. He was straight. Even though it was just a play, he still felt weird kissing a man.
"Really?" Belle murmured.
In fact, she knew it better than anyone else. He looked like a timid cat when he didn't go crazy. But when he went nuts, he would look like a beast that most people didn't have the guts to meet his gaze.
Brandan was going to shoot scenes at night while Belle had a video meeting at night. Hence, she went to the hotel alone.
As soon as she arrived at the hotel, she suddenly became aware that the filming location was remote and there were just several hotels nearby, and that most actors would choose this high-end hotel.
Did Louis check into this hotel too?
At the thought of that, she felt panicked.
She didn't find that something was off when she saw him earlier that day. But that was the weirdest part.
She was a bit afraid of running across him here.
Then, God might be playing tricks on her. What she feared happened.
The second the elevator slid open, she knew that she was finished off.
Louis was in the elevator.
"Are you coming in?" His magnetic voice rang out, which made her put on alert instantly.
It sounded more like a threat to Belle.
Despite that, she plucked up her courage and got on the elevators. She wanted to figure out what he wanted.
However, he stood there in a suit, looking calm and collected.
"Which floor are you on?" he asked as he reached out to the buttons.
"18th floor." After she stopped talking, she thought the floor number was ominous though she didn't put stock in superstition.
His face was devoid of any emotion. After he pressed the buttons twice, he showed no sign of talking to her.
Belle found that he was going to the 19th floor.
Thinking that she had to be with him until she reached the 18th floor, she couldn't help holding her wrist. She once had bruises on it because he had tied her up.
Now that he didn't say anything, she wouldn't say anything either. She had to play it by ear.
She didn't know what he was up to.
Although they knew each other, there was no need to ask each other their current situations. Perhaps they might get hurt.
However, if something remained unsolved, it would always be there.
Then, to her surprise, the two of them acted like strangers until Belle got out.
They didn't have any conversation.
Belle didn't stay there. She strode towards her room, and when she entered it, she locked the door and closed the window.
After she left the elevator, Louis pressed the 17th button.
He raised his head slightly and his face was pallid and charming in the light.
His thin lips were red as if he was wearing lipstick.
"It has been a while, Belle." His low voice echoed in the elevator.
11
The next day, Belle also went to the filming location to watch Brandan shooting scenes.
Her mind wouldn't be set at ease if she didn't get there.
However, she wasn't sure if she was worried about Brandan or she needed to keep an eye on Louis.
Today, Louis and Brandan still got to shoot scenes together.
Brandan's character was almost the same as his role's, so he could quickly move into it.
She saw that Brandan hit on Louis and took advantage of him.
But Louis had always been indifferent. When he got pissed, he would purse his lips and turn around with his back facing Brandan.
He was so calm and celibate that he wasn't like the old Louis.
Belle thought the young man was nothing like that insecure and possessive Louis except for his appearance.
Was he living his role too well? Or did her memories deceive her?
She looked down at her wrist again. Although she had recovered, there were still some unnoticeable marks left.
She might remember it wrong, but the marks on her wrist wouldn't lie.
He had indeed changed. He was no longer like the old him.
Just like last night, she came across him in the elevator.
In the past, he would definitely not have let her go out of the elevator that easily. In fact, she had gotten ready to call the cops if he did anything to her.
But he didn't do anything.
He didn't say anything else.
He just watched her walk out of the elevator.
What went wrong? How did he come back? What was he doing here?
There might be a lot of coincidences in this world, but she didn't believe that it was a coincidence that he came back and met her again.
Lost in her thought, she watched them shoot. It wasn't until that Brandan patted her shoulder on his break that she snapped back to reality.
"Seriously, Belle?" Brandan waved his hand in front of her and followed the direction of her gaze and said, "Are you here to watch me filming or to feast your eyes?"
When she heard his words, Belle realized that it was inappropriate to stare at Louis like that. She looked away and hid her emotions.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" She shook his hand away and said, "You did a good job just now. You basically passed once."
Belle forced a smile and handed him a bottle of mineral water.
Seeing that the makeup artist and stylist were doing their jobs, she knew that it wasn't convenient for him to drink himself.
So she opened it and put it to his lips.
He lowered his head and gulped the water.
"Yeah. Reed is like an emotionless machine. He didn't look at me now and then. So I was doing well," he said smugly.
"I see. But don't you need to make eye contact? It's impossible for him not to look at you, is it?" Belle said as she closed the water bottle and held it.
"Yes, that's what bothers me. We'll need to make eye contact and have intimate scenes. I don't get it. Reed looks harmless, but his looks are so creepy," Brandan said. At the thought of the following scenes, he was worried sick.
"It's just a show. You're not really doing something to him. Why are you so scared?" Belle said, a bit annoyed.
"Give me a break, Belle. If I dare do anything to him, I will be dead meat," Brandan said with a scowling face.
The two of them chatted with each other during the break.
In the distance, someone was gazing at them, but they were ignorant of it.
Louis took the mineral water from his assistant and opened it. After he drank it, he felt a bit cold.
He sat there still emotionlessly, staring at Belle while playing with the bottle cap.
"Louis, you don't have any scenes to shoot this morning. Do you need to have some rest in the car?" Mike, Louis' assistant inquired.
Louis lowered his head and pondered for a while before he said, "Okay."
On the way to Louis' nanny car, Mike held a black umbrella for him to keep him from the scorching sun. Since Mike was much shorter than him, it was difficult for Mike to keep that position.
Louis stopped and calmly said, "Give it to me."
Therefore, Mike handed the umbrella to him.
When she turned to look at him, Belle could only see him disappear into the distance with an umbrella in his hand.
He looked like a noble gentleman. Even the way he held an umbrella was a feast for an eye. He was calm and composed, and kept his distance. He was nothing like that crazy Louis.
When Charles called and invited her out for dinner, Belle was taken by great surprise. She intended to refuse his invitation.
She felt that just Louis alone had already given her a headache. If she had to handle Charles too, she would be driven nuts by them.
However, after a while, Charles drove straight to her hotel.
He made her another call.
"You got 10 minutes to think about it. If you wanna accept my invitation, get to the garage. If not, then forget it." Charles hung up on her after finishing his sentence.
Belle was convinced that he wasn't dying to meet her. He sounded so calm as if he was certain that she wouldn't refuse his invitation.
What was wrong with him?
The second he ended the call, Charles sent her a message to her on WhatsApp.
It was a picture.
Belle hesitated for a while, and clicked on it.
When she saw it, she felt a chill down her spine. She tightened her grip on her phone.
She bit her lip and closed her eyes, suppressing the raging anger in her.
It was not until about five minutes later that she came back to her senses.
She texted him back: "I'll meet you in 10 minutes."
He texted: "See you then."
She smoked a cigarette, and five minutes later, she applied some makeup, put on a black slip dress, and wore perfume. After five minutes, she went out with her handbag.
When she arrived at the garage, she saw the black Lincoln. She paused for a second before getting in the back seat.
When Charles saw her enter the car, he stared at her from head to toe.
He didn't hide his emotions. Obviously, he was very satisfied with her outfit.
The black car galloped on the highway.
"How did you get that file?" She got straight to it.
"It can't be a problem as long as I want," he chuckled.
"She is flustered, yet she pretends to be composed.
"She is so captivating," he thought.
"And then? You pried into other people's private businesses. What do you want from me?" she said, staring him in the eye.
That document was about the company established by Belle's deceased mother and father. Back then, her mother's share of the company was 70%. But the contract clearly stated that her mother's stock was owned by her step-sister, Isabella Murphy.
Ever since they moved in with them, her stepmother and stepsister didn't see eye to eye with Belle. They made things difficult for her, and they even took her mother's inheritance away from her. She wouldn't let them get what they wanted.
Charles smiled and rubbed his forehead, saying, "I want you."
His words took Belle by great surprise.
"You're so playful, Mr. Reed," Belle said, smiling embarrassedly.
"I'm 30. I need a wife. My old man has little faith in me. He refuses to give more of his share to me unless I get married," he said frankly.
"So what? I guess you don't lack women. Why me?" Belle said. She thought what he said didn't make any sense. It was true that the Reed family was a big family and owned a lot of properties that the Reeds fought over. But she didn't understand why he would choose to marry someone randomly.
"Compared to them, you're more intelligent, more well-behaved, and more sensible. Moreover, we share common interests. After we get married, I'll buy the stock your mother left. What do you say? Do you think that you can get it back on your own?
"After we get married, we won't get in each other's personal lives. You make a good wife in public. And you can fool around with others secretly. What do you say? We both know we're not kind people. So don't feign being innocent and faithful," he said with a playful smile.
Upon hearing this, Belle clenched her hands into tight fists.
Humph! So that was what he wanted.
It was rumored that Charlies was a playboy. That turned out to be true. He was such a dreamer.
She admitted that she had lost her mind and came to him after she read through the file. But it didn't mean that she was willing to be humiliated like this and trade herself for what belonged to her.
"I don't think it's a good idea!" she responded, trying to maintain her elegance.
Seeing that she tried so hard to suppress her anger, he didn't get anxious. He turned his head away from her and lit a cigarette for himself, and asked, "You met my nephew, right?"
"Nephew?" she repeated silently.
She stared at him, waiting for him to continue uneasily.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. You're still in the dark. That pervert is my brother's bastard son. To cover up the scandal, we claimed that he was our distant relative to the public. Who would have thought... Hump!" he said with a sneer. Exhaling smoke, he noticed that she was surprised. Then he said deliberately, "What's up? Did you forget him? You once tutored him?"
He fixed his eyes on her and observed her carefully.
Belle clenched her hands again. Knowing whom he was talking about, she knitted her eyebrows.
What surprised her was that Charles called him a pervert not that Louis was an illegitimate child.
She didn't tell anyone about that. No one knew what kind of nightmare she had experienced.
But what happened to Louis?
Did he tell his family that? Were the Reeds aware of his evil deeds?
So they even knew what had happened between them when she got kidnapped?
At the thought of that, she gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes at Charles. She was not sure how much he knew, so she didn't know how to respond. As a victim, she felt embarrassed and broke.
Who would bring such a terrible thing up?
Seeing that she went silent, Charles exhaled smoke at her with satisfaction. Knowing that he should stop making fun of her, he went on, "It's a pity that pervert lost his memories for something. He is so obedient. He'll do whatever he is asked of. That's a benefit I got from his memory loss. You didn't recognize him, did you? Hasn't he changed?"
Louis had memory loss?
Belle caught the point.
She recalled that Louis was estranged from her and became calm when they met. It turned out that he had lost his memories.
Everything made sense now.
Only then was her mind set at ease.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Belle said after she regained her composure. "I have no intention of getting involved in your family affairs. As for your proposal, I will think on it. It's getting late. I'll leave you alone."
At this moment, she couldn't think about anything else. There was too much information that she needed time to process it.
For example, Louis had lost his memories. For example, Charles wanted to marry her.
All of them gave her a headache.
She was in no mood to dine with him.
"You can have dinner and then go home. You won't ruin the fun, will you?" Louis said. Just as she was about to open the door, he grabbed her hand.
Then, he gave her a longing look. The desire was evident in his eyes.
"No, thank you," Belle refused decisively. She wrested herself from his grasp and asked the chauffeur to pull over and drop her off.
After getting out, Belle got to a flower bed in her high heels. She sat on its edge with her head in her hands.
She couldn't think straight and felt exhausted.
After sitting quietly for half an hour, she finally pulled herself together. She dragged herself to the curb and called in a taxi.
Soon after, a young man in a black hoodie got to where she had been and sat down.
He was wearing a face mask with a pair of sharp eyes in the moonlight.
He stared at his shadow on the ground, lost in thought.
He touched the spot where she had sat over and over again. It was as if there was a trace of her body heat left there.
Looking up at the sky, he sighed, closed his eyes, and said, "You didn't behave well, Belle."
His voice echoed in the empty night.
