All Chapters of Bella: Before everything : Chapter 11 - Chapter 19

Bella stood at the top of the stairs, glaring down at Riven, who was trying to get up, his fists clenched and growling at the pain that came with falling down the stairs. Her heart pounded a thousand miles per hour. Her breath hitched a little bit, like the air in the atmosphere had finally vanished like she was suddenly transported out of space. She bit her nails.Oh my. This man is sure going to kill me. First mistakenly shooting him, and now accidentally pulling him down the stairs.But I'm sure he's fine; he looks strong. If he can pull out a bullet all by himself, he can survive this, Bella thought to herself as she watched him.Ace, who was standing at the door, marvelously stared at Riven and Bella his eyes darting between Riven, then Bella, then back to Riven, like he had just seen a cow giving birth to a lion."Dude, are you okay?" Ace asked, stepping forward to help him get up, but Riven refused. His hand held his stomach next to his ribs as they screamed in pain. In disbeli

"Is there something wrong with him?" Bella signed, confusion, hurt, and anger weaving across her delicate features."It's complicated," Ace replied, a small smile forming on his lips one that tried to mask the hint of defeat buried deep beneath it. Bella was too naïve to notice.…This girl. Barely twenty-four hours with me, and already she's managed to hurt me so badly. I think my ribs are seriously broken. But no way am I going to a doctor. I am Riven Romano I don't need anyone to patch me up. If I do, they'll perceive me as weak.*Riven thought to himself as he dressed, each motion deliberate, precise, and restrained. He slipped into a dark blue modern suit that molded perfectly to his broad frame sharp, powerful, dangerous. The fabric hugged his shoulders just right, neither too tight nor too loose. He looked every bit the man of authority he was composed, dominant, and impossible to ignore.A faint scent of his cologne, rich with undertones of smoke and amber, lingered in the air

"You see, Bella, your father is not whom you think he is, unfortunately. He’s just a wolf a cold-blooded monster, almost like me, but far worse. Because of his cold-hearted greed, he turned me into the man I am today. Yet, I must give him credit for that, or else I would have been a pathetic, weak man. He saw danger coming, yes, but it came with deadly consequences, didn’t it, Mr. White?" Riven asked, his tone sharp, his stare dead as he walked toward Bella and stood close too close, enough to irritate Mr. White.“Step away from my daughter, Riven. She has nothing to do with this,” Mr. White muttered through clenched teeth, his fists tightening.“Oh, oh—” Riven mockingly gasped. “It’s unfair, isn’t it? Unfair because now it’s happening to your daughter, mmm? You’re just lucky I’m only ruining her life. Otherwise, I would have ruined you and your entire bloodline just as you destroyed mine. You eliminated my whole family, and it’s unfair, Mr. White! Every action you take has its cons

"Where am I? Who are you!!!?? Why am I in this place?! Is there anyone there? Do you know who my father is?! He won't spare you!!! You've made a great mistake!!"Lilly’s voice ricocheted off the metal walls, slicing through the stifling silence of the abandoned warehouse . Her wrists ached from the ropes. Cold concrete pressed against her back. The air smelled like rust and dust.Outside, three of rivens men Ave, Kane, and Victor stood guard across the broken doorway."Oh my, this woman is soooo annoying," Kane groaned, dragging out the word as if it pained him physically to say it.Victor rolled his eyes so hard it almost made a sound. "The mute girl was far from this girl. She seems like a cheap rat," he sneered, arms crossed, leaning against the crane."I said, get me out of here, you low-life losers!!!" lilly shouted again from inside ."If she shouts again, that'll be the last thing she'll ever do." Victor muttered through clenched teeth , voice thick with threat Ave, usually t

While Ave and his man drove Bella to her home, the silence sat heavy between them. Mr. White sat in his car; the engine purred, steady, indifferent. The driver steered toward the office. He did not feel like going home. He felt hollow. What he wanted most was to kill the ego that gnawed at him to kill the small, hot failure that burned low in his chest. He brought his hand up and slammed the screen in front of his seat. The glass cracked, then spidered, then surrendered. Tiny shards tinked like distant rain.“WHAT THE HACKKKK…” The sound tore out of him, long and rough. Veins rose on his forehead, slow and swollen. His face flushed, heat spreading across his cheeks. His jaw locked. His fists thickened as if carved from stone. Rage unfurled in him, slow and animal.“I AM MR. DOMIKOV WHITE.” He spat the name carefully, tasting each syllable. “A sly viper. A maker of widows. A man who makes his enemies tremble.” He let the words sit. He drew breath. “Not a weak, pathetic pest.” Another b