Chapter 13: Uninvited Guests

"Hello my dear sister." She grinned at me and then looked at Adam and batted her eyelashes.

"Mr. Thorne! You're even more handsome in person!" She fake-smiled at him and batted her eyelashes, flipping her hair. She wore a very short dress, emphasis on VERY, and I was embarrassed just by looking at her throwing herself at him. But then who was I kidding, this was Olivia for crying out loud.

"She's your sister?" Adam asked me, confused.

"Tristan's. Not mine." I answered looking her straight in the yes, making her squirm. I'm glad I didn't have my glasses on.

"Oh come on Belle, Tristan's your brother isn't he?" she asked, although rather nervously.

"Yes. Yes he is, but not you, so get out." I hissed at her but she just frowned. Then she looked back at Adam and smiled playfully.

"I'm so sorry for my dear sister's behavior Mr. Thorne, she's not usually like this." She said innocently and I scoffed, earning both their gazes.

"I'm sorry Ms. Edward, but we're needed in the project room, so we'll be leaving." Adam said without any emotion and she just looked at him surprised.

"Already? But I thought we could talk. I'm your BIGGEST fan by the way." She squealed but then stopped short when she saw my hand in Adam's, and scowled.

"Belle! What are you doing? Have you no shame? Leave his hand immediately!" She hissed and I chuckled.

"Why should I?" I grinned at her and Adam smirked, then Adam tugged at my hand.

"Shall we?" He asked still grinning.

"We shall." I answered him, smiling, and he led me to the project room with his hand in mine, leaving another fuming and furious Olivia behind.

BOY that was Exhilarating!

I could hear the stomping of heels behind so I knew she was following us, and I glanced at Adam looking forward and then at our linked hands and could feel goosebumps on my skin. He held the open for me and I walked in, letting go of his hand and walking over to my brother with him right behind me.

"Are you done with the designing Belle? We need to take a look." Lance asked me smiling but then his smile disappeared when he looked behind me at Adam, then at the door which opened suddenly and a fuming Olivia walked in.

She stomped over to me and before she could reach or touch me, Lance came in front of me and glared at Olivia who stopped in her tracks.

"Don't you dare touch her, or I'll make you regret it for the rest of your very short life. I'm warning you for the last time." He threatened her and she backed away, while Adam watched us with a rather surprised expression.

"Tristan. Take her away before I do something I won't regret." Lance said through clenched teeth and Tristan quickly came out front, taking Olivia's arm.

"I told you clearly NOT to come here." He hissed at her and she scoffed, and the next moment she was dragged outside by Tristan.

"I apologize Mr. Thorne for the inconvenience. It won't happen again, I'll see to it myself." Lance told him and Adam nodded, although it sounded more like a threat than an excuse.

"You okay love? Did she touch you?" Lance turned to me worried.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." I reassured him.

"She used her name to get in." Adam added, looking at me and we all looked at him.

"Okay, I'll deal with her later" Lance said clearly distracted and we all got back to work.

We were there for another three hours, working continuously without break. I looked up from my papers and saw Lance and Adam discussing something and Lance nodding to him.

"Things must be going well." I said to myself, and my eyes went to Adam, who had now taken off his coat and had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the first two buttons of his shirt opened and his tie loose, exposing part of his chest.

I sucked in a sharp breath and memories of what happened between us in his office came flooding back until I heard fingers snap and I looked beside me to see Arthur with a strange look.

"What are you staring at Bee?" He asked me and my head turned towards Adam who was now giving me his full attention and smirked.

"Shit." I muttered, knowing fully well I was caught. Adam, previously leaning on the table where Lance was sitting now stood to his full length and grinned, showing me his perfect set of teeth and a tore my gaze from his, only for Arthur to come in front of me and hold my chin up.

"Why is your face red?" He asked, confused

"What?" I touched my face and then ignoring his chuckles, continued working. After a while someone cleared their throat from in front of me and I saw Adam standing, as if waiting for something/

"The designs, Ms. Edward." He raise his eyebrows at my confused face until I realized what he said and quickly handed him the papers.

"Hmm.. These are good. We'll start working on them right away." He said and smiled at me, making me smile like a kid who was just handed a bag full of candy. We left a while later and headed home.

I was talking to Taylor on my phone, sitting in my window.

"So your'e saying that Adam Thorne was about to kiss you today... Right?" She asked me curiously.

"No, I meant that we leaned towards each other and that's it... Then his P.A came in and the whole Olivia incident happened." I sighed and could hear her chuckle.

"Seriously though, how could they just let her in even though you were already there?"

"I have absolutely no idea, but if I do know something, it's the scene she's going to create at dinner about me holding his hand."

"Right, that too. If Lance lets her talk, and judging from what he said to her earlier, I think he's pretty pissed at her already." She said laughing.

"Yeah, I think so too." I replied truthfully, thinking how people could be so stupid as to make an enemy of Lance. His reputation precedes him. Just then someone knocked on my door.

"Hold up Taylor, someone's at the door. Come in!"

Mr. Baker came inside and smiled. The guy was basically like another father to me, and he's been here my whole life. I was fond of a lot more than I was of Josephine or Olivia.

"Isabelle dear, Lance is calling you down for dinner."

I nodded my head and told him I'd be there in a few minutes.

"Taylor I've got to go now, dinner's ready but I'll talk later, okay?

"Okay then, take care Bee." And she disconnected the call. I freshened up and went downstairs and sat at my usual place, beside Arthur.

"And how's work going for you darling?" My dad suddenly asked me and I smiled.

"It's going great dad, my designs were approved today at the first glance by Mr. Thorne, and my Boutique is to reopen next month." He nodded and smiled at me, while Olivia gave me death glares.Lance noticed this and set his glass down on the table a little forcefully, making us surprised and when Olivia looked at him, I could see the fear on her face as she turned pale.

"Keep your glares to yourself, Olivia, I do not give second chances." He hissed at her and she looked down immediately.

"Why would you scare the poor girl Lance, have you no respect for those younger than you? Oh wait, you do, for Isabelle dearest only, because others don't matter to you do they?" Josephine said with a poisonous tone, making me look at her.

"That's right. No one matters to me than her, and if you care for your daughter, keep her in line because I will not tolerate such behavior and distractions in my work. If you know what's good for both, you'll do as I say." He warned her and Josephine shut up and glared at her daughter.

"Now what's this all about Lance?" My dad asked him concerned.

"Ask her." He replied, looking towards Olivia then left the dinner table. I felt like this was all my fault but then when it comes to Olivia, she's the only one at fault, believe me.

"Mr. Baker, kindly prepare a tray for Lance and me, I'll take it to him." I requested him politely and he nodded.

With the tray of food in my hand, I headed to Lance's room to see him sitting on his desk working on his laptop. I put the tray on the table in front of him and he looked up.

"You didn't have to do that Lance. I could handle it, like I always did." I told him, but he didn't believe me.

"Take what Bee? The torture you had to go through just because we weren't home? The numerous times you were beaten or starved because you were the favorite child or when she used to hit you and you had bruises on your body when we went to England?" He snapped and I felt tears forming in my eyes.

"It's okay Lance, I'm over it now." I whispered.

"Are you though?" He got up from his seat and came to me then pulled me in for a hug, and I could feel the tears falling down my face.

"I'm never going to forgive them for what they did to you Bee, never. And I'm never gonna forgive myself for leaving you here when you should have been with us. I'm so sorry." He whispered, his words full of anger and guilt, and I patted his back.

"It's okay Lance, it's gonna be okay." I pulled away form him and smiled, and he smiled back, wiping my tears.

"Now come on, eat something. We don't want you dying of starvation now do we?" I passed him his plate and sat on the chair across him and ate my own. The silence that filled the air was all I needed. I felt safe here, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

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A heart-to-heart with Lance seems like the perfect remedy for Belle, doesn't it? But why do they hate Olivia and Josephine so much and not Tristan?

Keep reading to find out!

Question of the Day: What is your biggest regret that you would fix if you could?

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