Chapter 730 - 729: Conquering Her Heart (13)

Chapter 730: Chapter 729: Conquering Her Heart (13)

The wolf rides a bamboo horse, circling the bed and playing with green plums.

Living together on Changgan Lane, they had no suspicions or doubts as children.

Bella Acker watched the two children walking ahead and suddenly thought of these somewhat absurd lines.

Ethan was not yet eleven, and Talia was only four. Had she watched too many TV dramas, filling her head with all sorts of fanciful thoughts?

"What are you thinking?" Bella lightly tapped her forehead and muttered unconsciously.

"What is it that you’re thinking about?" Damian Sinclair asked.

"What?" Bella hadn’t realized she had muttered her thoughts aloud and was momentarily stunned.

"You were saying what you were thinking about?" Damian reminded her.

"Huh?" Bella snapped back and awkwardly shifted her gaze. "Nothing... I wasn’t thinking about anything."

With a demeanor that didn’t quite match her words, Damian observed her but chose not to prod further.

Only then did Bella notice that her hand remained clasped in Damian’s. "Mr. Sinclair, can you let go now?"

"I don’t really want to," Damian said, tightening his grip.

Bella glanced at the people around them and forcefully twisted her wrist to pull her hand from his grasp.

Fearing he might hurt her, Damian didn’t hold on tightly.

Bella retrieved her hand and shot Damian a glare.

"Bella?"

A voice suddenly cut in from the side. Bella turned her head and saw Aunt Rhodes leading a child who appeared to be around ten years old across the hallway.

Bella hadn’t expected to meet Aunt Rhodes here and was momentarily taken aback before smiling warmly, "Aunt Rhodes, it’s been a long time. This must be Bonnie? She’s grown so much."

Aunt Rhodes, clutching Bonnie’s hand, hurried over, barely able to contain her excitement. "Bella, when... when did you return to Creston? How come..." How come after all these years they hadn’t kept in touch, and now she came back without even a call?

Ever since Bella discovered her true identity, their contact had dwindled to less than when they were just friends.

Though her biological daughter stood before her, there was no recognition. Aunt Rhodes felt a mix of bitterness and sorrow.

"Just got back recently." Bella didn’t want to dwell on their lack of communication, so she changed the subject, "Bonnie has grown so quickly; time really flies."

"Yes," Aunt Rhodes nodded, her eyes rimmed with tears, and gently nudged Bonnie beside her, asking softly, "Bonnie, do you remember Bella?"

Bonnie, around Ethan’s age, had physically grown into a young lad, yet his gaze remained as vacant as it once was.

Seemingly shy and fearful, Bonnie leaned into Aunt Rhodes, sneaking a glance at Bella, then shook his head.

At the time, though over five, his intellect was immature, less than that of a three-year-old. Of course, he didn’t recognize Bella after so many years.

"It’s okay if you don’t remember." Bella smiled gently, "Bonnie, we used to play together all the time. Ultraman, little monsters..."

"Ultraman!" Bonnie’s eyes suddenly sparkled.

Aunt Rhodes smiled sadly, "Bonnie still loves the Ultraman you gave him. He continues to play with it. In fact, he insists on having it by his bedside every night before he can sleep."

"Really?" Bella said softly, "Then how about Bella gets you another Ultraman, Bonnie, would you like that?"

"Yes," Bonnie nodded, grinning foolishly, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.