Marry Me, Miss Villainess - Chapter 91：ROY WANTS BELLE BACK

Albee stared at the tombstone in front of them. After a couple of hour drive, they finally reached this cemetery. But something isn’t right. The name on this tombstone read “Howard Finn”. Who is Howard Finn? Aren’t Belle’s surname Reid, just like his mother? Isn’t their father Carl Reid like his mother mentioned?

Albee placed the bouquet of flowers in front of the slab of stone. Was her mommy Belle adopted? It’s the only explanation he could think of. The boy looked up to see the woman’s face. She looked sad but didn’t cry. Maybe they weren’t that close?

“Mommy… how did he die?”, he asked. He looked so innocent when he uttered those words. But how could she answer that question? He’s just a little boy. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” the boy added when he noticed Belle couldn’t say a word. Grown ups have so many secrets. Is it normal for them to keep a lot of things from them kids? He’s really curious though! He wanted answers to his questions!

Not so far away from them, a man was standing behind a tree. He clenched his chest as he watch Belle from afar. She’s alive. After so many years, he was able to see them again. It’s not a waste to wait for her here for three days. He knew she would come and she did.

“Come on, Albee. Let’s go home. We will just come again some other time.” she told the kid. She wasn’t able to attend his father’s funeral. She can only visit his grave now. He wasn’t a good person, nor a good father, but she’s still his daughter. She needs to pay him a visit from time to time.

Albee held Belle’s hand and they both returned to the parking lot. The two of them entered the car with the little boy sitting on the back. The car has just started pulling away when someone suddenly jumped in front of them shocking Arabella who immediately stepped on the break.

“Are you crazy?”, she yelled before getting out of the car to check if the person was injured. She instantly froze when she recognized the person though. It was Roy. Slumped on the ground was the man she loved with his white shirt seeping with blood. Did she hit him too hard?

“Oh my God! You’re injured!”, she exclaimed. She kneeled infront of him to check his wound but was so shaken she didn’t know what to do. Roy on the other hand was so love stricken he just stared at Arabella’s face the whole time. He couldn’t believe she was only inches away from him.

“Is he dead?”, suddenly, Albee appeared from behind Arabella. The boy’s face was devoid of expression when he said those words pulling Roy’s attention away from Belle. “Oh! It’s you. Glad you’re alive.” he added.

“You know me?” Roy uttered.

“Yes. Aren’t you Roy Vander? Mommy keeps a picture of you in her drawer.” The boy said. Roy turned to Belle and caught her blushing. The mommy this boy was talking about was Belle? And Belle has been keeping a photo of him?

Belle looked away speechless. How much does this kid know?

“Belle, who’s this kid?” Roy asked all of a sudden. Was he his? Was he someone else’s? He badly wanted to know.

“I’m Albee. Mommy Belle is my aunt.” The boy said before walking towards him and taking off his back pack. He then took out a box of medical kit that he always brings around with him. He took out a scissor and cut away the part of his shirt that was soaked with blood. He then worked at replacing his blood soaked wound dressing and bandaged it with a new one.

“Wow, you’re so good at this, Albee!” Belle exclaimed.

Albee nodded. “I know.” he mumbled. He should be if he wanted to be a successful doctor someday. “But we should take him home and let him rest some more. A gunshot wound can get easily infected.” he added.

“Gunshot wound? What happened?” Belle asked worriedly.

“Mommy, let’s get him home first, shall we? It’so cold here and his skin is so clammy. I think he haven’t had something for a long while. Give him some water if you have some. He’s showing signs of dehydration.” Albee interjected. He then lifted his head, glanced at Roy and winked at him before smiling foxily. Albee then stood up and returned inside the car.

Roy raised his brows. What a cunning kid. Did he just create an opportunity for him to be with Belle? He owe him one then. But who’s son is he? He never heard Belle had other siblings.

“He’s your nephew?” he asked after they were seated. Arabella just helped him get to the shotgun seat.

Arianna had a child? It’s understandable then. Guess Belle helps looking after him because her mother was blind.. Was it with Yago? He does look like Yago. What a damn lucky b*stard! He cursed in his mind. He wished he had a child too. But just having Belle beside him would already make him the happiest man in the world.

***

When they reached the house, Arabella settled Roy to her bedroom. She called for a doctor to check his wounds and made a porridge while he was getting checked. Albee stayed with him in there, watching the physician at work. He was so focused that Roy found it amusing.

“Why did you leave her?”, he asked after the doctor left the room.

“You mean Belle? I didn’t leave her. She’s the one who left me.” he replied as he lay on the bed.

“Then why did she leave you?”,he then asked. “Did you hurt her?”

Roy thought for a while then shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t love her enough. Maybe she thought I didn’t love her.” He then laughed at himself after saying those words. What was he doing telling these things to a child?

“Well do you love her?”

Roy looked into the boy’s eyes and then noticed something past him. He then with all seriousness, nodded. “I’ve only loved one woman in my life. I must be crazy because I still can’t let go of Belle after all these years. Although she have rejected me countless of times, I’m still waiting for the day she would learn to love me.” Those words, Roy didn’t say that for Albee to hear, but for the woman listening outside the door behind Albee at that moment. Albee knew of it too since the door opened slightly a while ago, and so he fired those awkward questions in succession.

Arabella was muffling her sobs behind that door. Did he really wait for her all these years? Was she wrong when she decided to leave him? Should she regret it?

Belle wiped away her tears and pushed the door open with a forced smile. She was carrying a bowl of porridge which she put down on the table beside the bed. She then pulled an overbed table into the room and adjusted it for Roy to use.

“Here. Eat first and then tell me what happened.” Belle said as she transfer the bowl of porridge to the overbed table.

With downcast eyes, Roy became momentarily speechless. He ate a few mouthfuls of porridge before looking back at Belle. “I didn’t kill him.” he stated. “I didn’t kill Howard Finn.”

Arabella first stared at Roy and then sighed, looking away. “So what exactly happened? Who killed him?”

Roy lowered his eyes on the bowl in his hands. Many things have happened. Where should he start? “When you disappeared in the Star cruise more than four years ago, I was there. I was there to find you and convince you to come back. I was very hopeful that I can finally see you, but when I finally located your room, what greeted me was a messy room with drops of blood on the floor. As the person who discovered that scene, I was accused of murdering you and then disposing off your body.” Roy told her and then paused for a while to take a peek at Arabella’s expression. She was looking outside the window but chewing on her lower lip flap. “I was cleared of the accusation after the authority found insufficient evidence against me. But Howard Finn went on believing that I got rid of you after we fought inside that cabin, and that I threw your body in the ocean to destroy evidence. He sent people to kill me a lot of times but I didn’t retaliate. Instead, I dedicated my time on visiting the places you liked, unable to accept that you were gone. I’ve stayed in Europe this past three years, touring Switzerland, France, Netherland and Germany, hoping to come across you one day.”

“Why did you think I’ll go to those places?”, Belle asked. She didn’t tell anyone she’s fascinated in the life in Europe! And did he really searched for her among those places? She was so moved she wanted to cry but she held it in. Not yet. She needs to hear all he has got to say first.

“You once wrote in your diary that… you wanted to visit those places.” he answered. Belle nodded. Yes she did. She didn’t go to any of those places though… She wanted to but Arianna told her living in Austria would be a better choice, so they settled there. “All I want is to have you back. But Philip, my right hand man thought otherwise. He got tired of Phantom Eagle sending people to mess with us, so he acted on his own and had Howard Finn assassinated…. I’m very sorry… “he uttered, lowering his head again as he ended his story.

“Your wound… did my father caused that?”she probed, looking at the bandaged wound just below his heart. It could have been fatal. How scary…

Roy too glanced at his wound. “This? This one is new. Maddog’s masterpiece. He’s the person who took over Eagle. I think he’s seeking revenge for Finn. Philip told me I should keep clear of Dan city while the Phantom’s are still on hot pursuit but I want to wait for you here so I runaway from the base and kept watch on the cemetery instead.”

Belle was speechless. What can she say? The guy was really a nutcase! He stayed in that place, in this cold season with that kind of wound? She’s surprise he’s still alive.

With a sigh, Arabella stood up. Without saying anything, she went on tidying the table and pushing it away. She wouldn’t make eye contact with Roy, while the man’s gaze was fixed on her the whole time. Was she about to cry? Was she avoiding the awkwardness? He was about to say something as he saw Arabella about to leave when suddenly, Belle halted her steps. She turned back with downcast eyes and ran towards him, pouncing on Roy, hugging his waist and resting her head on the man’s right chest as she began crying uncontrollably. Roy was so startled he just stared at the sobbing woman in his arms. What happened?

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I caused you all this…” she said in between sobs.

She was feeling sorry for him? He felt a bit disappointed but still smiled and patted her back. “It’s alright. Don’t blame yourself.” he mumbled.

Although those were tears of pity, he was still glad he was able to hug her again like this. He closed his eyes and hugged her tighter. Can they just stay like this forever? He wished, but no. Because just seconds later, the door suddenly swung open followed by a loud cheerful voice.

“Daddy! Is my daddy really here? Where’s my daddy?!!” exclaimed a small voice.

Arabella and Roy both turned to the door at the same time and saw Aaliyah standing there looking ecstatic. She focused her eyes on the man on Arabella’s bed. Her eyes widened upon seeing the familiar man. It’s true! Albee wasn’t lying!! The man in the picture really came!

“Daddy!!!”, she yelled.