Chapter 993

Seeing how Jack had fallen silent, Bella asked gently, "What's wrong? Are you afraid that I'm going to eat you up?"

She offered the wine glass to him, but Jack didn't accept it. He didn't understand why Bella wanted to drink with him. Didn't she have a boyfriend? And wasn't their relationship progressing smoothly?

Furthermore, Feena was waiting for him in their room. There was no way he was in the mood to drink with Bella.

Jack shook his head and said, "This isn't right, Bella. Either you give the wine to me, or I'll go downstairs to buy a bottle myself."

A hint of hesitation flickered across Bella's face. "Even though we already broke up, we're still friends, aren't we? Don't tell me that you don't even want to talk to me?

"Don't worry, I'll only keep you for ten minutes at most. I won't let Feena misunderstand anything. We'll just chat about how we've been recently, okay?"

Seeing how Jack seemed to be overcome with the urge to just bolt from the room, Bella became upset. "So you're not going to give me even this little bit of your time?"

Jack's facade finally cracked, showing a small hint of reluctance. Bella was secretly pleased with herself when she noticed the minute change. She sneakily pressed the wine glass into Jack's hand before strolling over to the balcony. She leaned against the railing and grinned at Jack.

"Big Bun, take a look at Tarthy City's gorgeous night view. You can treat this encounter as just two old friends enjoying the beautiful scenery together."

Her words were like a trigger, sending Jack back in time, back to when he had first met Bella. A well of memories surged within him, filling his heart to the brim. The way she had called him "Big Bun" only softened his heart even more.

He figured there was no harm in spending a few minutes with her.

Jack unconsciously walked over to the balcony as well and stood shoulder to shoulder with Bella, watching the breathtaking scenery beyond the window.

A light breeze blew past them, carrying with it the familiar yet distant fragrance that wafted from Bella's body Her long hair danced in the wind looking as if she had stepped out of a dream, making a myriad of complicated emotions churn in Jack's heart.

Bella lifted her wine glass and clinked it against Jack's. After taking a sip, she retrieved a cigarette from her pocket.

Jack's brow furrowed when he

noticed. He didn't expect Bella to be the type to get addicted to

cigarettes. The current Bella wan et

starkly different from the feisty yet innocent Bella in his

Mentone He

guessed she must have experienced a lot in the past two years to have changed so much.

However, how Bella lived her life no longer concerned him, which also meant that he had no say in what she did. Jack chose to avert his gaze, looking into the distance to ignore the frustration in his heart.

Bella had noticed the changes in Jack's expression. She was stunned for a moment before she discreetly pocketed the cigarette Why arent you talking? Aren't you surprised to see me smoking? Don't you think that the me now and the me of the past are two completely different people?"

Jack shook his head and said with a smile. "No. You're walking the path of a celebrity now, and I know that it's a difficult road to tread. I can understand why you would smoke when you're stressed."

Bella was stunned momentarily. Jack's words did not make her happy, on the contrary, it made her feel a little dejected. "To be honest, if you told me not to smoke, I would stop."

She always listened well to what Jack wanted her to do. That part of her had not changed, whether it be in the past or the present.

Jack didn't want to think too deeply about the meaning hidden in her words, so he changed the topic. "How has your life been in Montclair Conservatory for the past few years?"