Return to Monharvest

Chapter 03: Accompanying Bella

Bella sighed with a hint of disappointment, which she tried to hide but was clearly visible to Leon.

"For a moment, I thought you were an old friend. Your face and voice are quite similar to his," Bella explained.

In her heart, she was slightly relieved to see a man who resembled Leon—even though the man in front of her was the person she was thinking of.

Ten years had passed, and she still occasionally thought about her close friend since that tragic night. As Grasella had said, since Billy Vint died, Leon had run away from home and was rumored to have jumped off a cliff out of frustration.

Bella didn't entirely believe it. Although everyone knew that Leon was dead, she still hoped in her heart that Leon was still alive, somewhere. She didn't even know the answer herself.

Leon smiled faintly and said, "Is that so? Other people have said the same thing, thinking my face is the same as their acquaintances or relatives. Maybe my face is too generic, so it resembles the person you're thinking of."

Bella just remained silent, staring for a while at Leon's handsome face. If the man in front of her was Leon, she probably would have jumped for joy and hugged him tightly.

After a few moments, she turned her gaze towards Vander and said, "Just let him wait. I'll take care of it if he causes trouble again."

Vander's eyes widened slightly. He was already furious at Leon for being arrogant and beating up two of his subordinates. However, because this was Bella's request, he could only accept it reluctantly.

"Yes, Miss," Vander said.

After that, the atmosphere in the lobby slowly returned to normal. Some of the guests and employees there continued their activities, although some of them were slightly uncomfortable with Leon's presence.

The man in the brown suit looked at Leon for a while before finally leaving, still wondering about his fear of Leon.

Not long after, Bella exited the Pirette Group building, about to get into her maroon car. However, she was suddenly startled when someone grabbed her left arm.

"You?" Bella blurted out, frowning slightly.

"Ah, sorry."

Leon immediately released his grip on Bella's wrist.

"What is it?"

"Are you quite close to CEO Chloe?" Leon asked.

"Yes, of course. But I can't help you meet her directly. Rely on yourself. I have other business to attend to."

"No. I don't mean it that way."

"Then?"

Leon paused, and said, "Can I come with you?"

Bella's expression instantly changed when she heard that. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if uncomfortable with the statement.

"What do you mean? Why should I take you? Remember, just because you look like an old acquaintance of mine doesn't mean you can act however you want with me. Get lost!"

"Um, I mean... no. Wait a minute. I don't have any bad intentions whatsoever. I just want to offer my services. I just came from the village, and my money is tight. Nowadays, it's very difficult to find a job in the city. The employees here said you're going to meet a client. If you want, maybe I can be your bodyguard. Just for today."

In reality, Leon didn't lack money to live for two to five years in this city. He even had a magical storage pouch that could hold dozens of mountains. Just to store gold nuggets, it was easy for him.

He seemed insistent on going with Bella because, with his Heavenly Eye Technique, he saw a black aura surrounding Bella's body—a sign that danger was lurking around the beautiful woman.

Bella paused for a moment, examining Leon from head to toe. She then narrowed her eyes slightly, becoming suspicious of the man in front of her.

Leon, realizing this, suddenly raised his right hand parallel to his ear, with his fingers pressed together, and said, "I swear in the name of heaven and earth. If I break this oath, may I be struck by lightning from the Nine Nethers and my soul be destroyed, unable to reincarnate."

For a moment, Bella seemed stunned. She suddenly couldn't help but giggle because she found Leon's expression funny. Plus, his words sounded very ancient to people in this day and age.

Leon looked confused when he saw Bella suddenly laughing at him.

"What's wrong?" Leon asked, innocently.

"Never mind." Bella then tossed her car keys to Leon. "You can drive, right? Get in the driver's seat. I'll show you the way."

Bella opened the back door of the car and was about to get in. However, she stopped when she realized Leon hadn't moved an inch.

"What's wrong? Let's go!"

Leon smiled awkwardly. "I can't drive."

Hearing that, Bella felt like hitting herself in the forehead. She sighed deeply and immediately walked towards Leon to take back the car keys.

After that, Bella immediately walked to the driver's seat door. When she saw Leon walking and about to open the back door of the car, she immediately scolded him.

"Hey? What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting in the car," he replied.

Bella sighed in annoyance. "You think I'm your chauffeur, huh? Sit in the front!"

Leon smiled faintly, seeing Bella as if she wanted to eat him alive. Actually, he was just teasing Bella. It had been ten long years, and this time he could feel close to his old friend again.

"By the way, I'm Bella Lavozo. Just call me Bella. I'm the marketing manager of Pirette Group. What about you?"

"I'm Leon."

"Just Leon?"

"Yup."

"Huh. Even the name is the same. My old acquaintance was also named Leon. He came from one of the most respected families in Monharvest."

"Is that so? How close were you to him? You seemed so eager to meet him when you thought I was that guy."

Bella paused, then looked at Leon with a blank expression. "We just met. Are you trying to dig up my personal information?"

Leon suddenly flinched.

"Ah, no. I didn't mean it like that. That's my fault."

Bella didn't comment and returned her focus to the road. There was no conversation after that. Only the sound of the engine and car horns from outside filled the awkward atmosphere inside.

A while later, they arrived at one of the fancy restaurants in Monharvest.

When they were on the third floor, in front of the VIP room, Bella asked Leon to stay outside while she went inside alone.

Leon didn't mind. He leaned against the wall, not far from the door, with his arms crossed over his chest. His left leg was slightly bent, crossed over his right leg.

With his spiritual awareness, it was very easy for him to monitor every move inside.

At a large round table, there were at least five men in luxurious suits. One of them looked familiar to Leon. He recognized the blond man with the flat-top hairstyle there. That man was Shaun Murph, the sole heir of the highly respected Murph family in Monharvest.

Friendly smiles radiated from the faces of the men there when they saw Bella's arrival. However, Leon knew what the men were thinking, just by looking at their greedy eyes.

"It's an honor to meet Miss Bella, the prima donna of Pirette Group. I'm Brian Rakka, the founder of Neopolis Data Center."

One man interjected. "I'm Felix Huge, from the Huge family, the owner of D'Ocean Hotel."

Bella just smiled politely at the men.

A few minutes later, the dinner slowly tensed up when some of the men asked Bella to join them for a drink.

"Come on, Miss Bella. Just one glass won't hurt you," Felix said, with a forcing tone while smiling widely.

The men there encouraged Bella to drink. Because this was a business meeting, she had no choice but to act professionally. She picked up a shot glass not far beside her, then filled it with wine.

The men looked at each other and laughed together. The drinks they were drinking began to affect their awareness.

Bella's expression instantly contorted as she swallowed a shot glass of wine. She really couldn't handle it—she felt like throwing up. However, to maintain her image, she tried her best to resist it.

"One more glass! One more glass!"

Bella was forced by circumstances to drink more than one glass of wine. Leon, who was monitoring from outside, couldn't stand to watch the scene any longer.

"One more glass!"

"Sorry. I can't anymore," Bella replied, slightly panting. "I drove here. I can't drink too much."

"Come on, Miss Bella." Shaun gently put his arm around Bella's shoulder, while looking at her with a meaningful look. "The last time we met, you seemed indifferent. Now, I have the opportunity to pay my respects to you. Don't waste this sincere intention."

"But Mr. Shaun, I have to drive."

Shaun didn't seem to care about Bella's reason. Just by looking at the aura emanating from Shaun's body, Leon could see the man's evil intentions.

"You don't need to drive tonight. I've already booked a room."

"Mr. Shaun? Isn't this a bit much? Besides, your face is too close."

"Huh, who cares. Come on, just one sip. I promise, after this, I won't force you anymore."

Brian then interjected. "Come on, Miss Bella. It's an honor for you that the young master of the Murph family is offering you a drink."

Bella's chest was beating quite fast, making her uncomfortable. Her emotions were almost out of control. Fear was slowly gnawing at her.

"Uh... but—"

Shaun suddenly gritted his teeth and grabbed Bella's shoulder rather hard, making Bella flinch.

"I said drink, drink!" Shaun snapped. He then whispered in a pressing tone, "Remember, Bella. This project is very valuable to Chloe. If something goes wrong, you'll bear the consequences. Most of Monharvest is my territory. Even Chloe Pirette has her limits."

Hearing that made Bella's heart beat even faster. The hairs on her body felt like they were standing on end. What should she do?