Chapter 1 How Dare You

• At the international airport, Bella Talley put her luggage onto the luggage cart while saying to her two sons, "Hold onto me, okay? I can't take care of you two since I have to wheel our luggage."
• "Alright, Mommy!"
• "Only a suckling would stray from their mom."
• Sebastian Talley immediately released his grip on Bella's clothes while looking at his brother, Samuel Talley, angrily. Hmph! I'm not a suckling baby!
• Bella darted a look at her cool son before smacking him on the head. "What nonsense are you talking about? You're only three years and four months old!"
• Having gotten smacked on the head, Samuel reluctantly reached out and held onto the hem of her suit jacket. Seeing him doing this, Sebastian also held onto his mother's clothes again.
• Glancing at the exit in the distance, Bella took a deep breath and tossed her hair before wheeling their luggage cart forward as her stilettos click-clacked across the marble floor. After stepping out of the airport, she looked up with a bright smile and let the sunlight shine on her face. Ha! I'm back!
• Looking down at the map on the silver-colored smartwatch on his wrist, Samuel said helplessly, "Mommy, you're heading the wrong way!"
• Bella was lost for words.
• Meanwhile, a black Porsche Cayenne was parked quietly by the side of the road near the exit.
• "Boss, Miss Talley has come out."
• Aaron Fowler casually darted a glance out of the car window. The next instant, he rolled down the car window and squinted at the woman stepping toward him. What's the matter with her face… Did she alter her appearance or something? Could the two boys be her sons?! His eyes were glued to the mother and her two sons.
• Bella was also startled the instant she saw Aaron. Her palms were drenched with warm sweat; little did she think the man would pick her up in person. The next instant, however, she regained her composure.
• Aaron's voice rang at the same time. "John, take a taxi back on your own."
• While John opened the driver's side door, Aaron opened the car door and stepped out of the car. Standing next to the car, he extended his hand to Bella. "Hi, I'm Aaron Fowler."
• "Bella Talley." Bella met the man's probing gaze and shook hands with him.
• Aaron pulled the car door open and placed his hand on the roof of the car. He said to her, "Please get in."
• Realizing that he wanted her to sit in the passenger seat, Bella tactfully declined with a faint smile, "Sorry, but I have to bring my kids with me." With that, she opened the door to the back seat and got her two sons into the car first.
• Aaron's eyes darkened as he watched her close the car door before he finally got in the driver's seat.
• Sebastian had just seated himself in the child safety seat and was letting Bella fasten his seatbelt when he saw Aaron, who had just gotten in the car, and asked, "Mommy, is he our daddy?"
• Bella's hands trembled; she subconsciously glanced up at Aaron. Seeing how grim and serious he looked, she suppressed her unease and replied impassively, "Didn't I tell you already? Your dad died at a young age and went to heaven shortly after I got pregnant with the two of you." Then, she darted a look at Sebastian, saying, "Are you trying to upset me again?"
• "Sorry, Mommy!"
• Bella stroked Sebastian's hair. "It's my fault. I'll work hard to get the best father in the world for you two."
• Sebastian pouted his lips. "Alright then, Mommy, keep up the effort. I would like to have a daddy to play with me."
• "Uh-huh, I'll keep it up!"
• Aaron was paying attention to Bella the whole time. Still, he didn't notice anything peculiar with her.
• Since they were uninterested in men other than their father, the adorable twins put on their earphones and started playing mobile games.
• It wasn't until Bella finished fastening their seatbelts that Aaron stared at her and said, "Nelly, you're really something, huh? You escaped from me four years ago, and now you're coming back with a different identity as Bella Talley."
• His offhand remark instantly knocked Bella back to square one. Feigning composure, she took her lipstick out of her bag and fixed her makeup in the mirror. Seeing that her mask was still intact, she felt somewhat emboldened. "I'm afraid you're mistaking me for someone else, Mr. Fowler," she replied with a distant note in her voice. "I'm Bella Talley; I grew up abroad as a child, and this is my first time returning to the country. I'm not one of your f*ck buddies, so please show me—as well as yourself—some respect."
• Aaron glanced at the twins through the rearview mirror. "Then, how are you gonna explain why your sons look just like the childhood version of me?" This heartless woman just cursed me by saying that I died young!
• She replied, "Is that so? Many had said the same thing as you did, Mr. Fowler. My sons are good-looking, after all." After finishing her sentence, she turned to look at the high-rise buildings that kept flashing past the car window. Then, she closed her eyes, making it obvious that she wasn't interested in talking with him.
• She knitted her fine eyebrows when the car pulled up in front of a villa. "What is the meaning of this, Mr. Fowler? If your company isn't sincere in working with me, then I'm sorry to say that I can't entertain you any longer."
• However, Aaron replied, "Don't overthink it, Miss Talley. I just thought it'd be inconvenient for you to negotiate the signing of our agreement at my company with two kids tagging along, no?" Then, he stepped out of the car and opened the car door for her.
• Bella stepped out of the car with a long face as she was at a momentary loss for a reply.
• As soon as they stepped out of the car, the restlessness that Sebastian had been suppressing during the flight instantly erupted. "Mommy, I wanna play in the garden!" he said before turning to look at Aaron. "Can I do that, Mr. Fowler?"
• She was caught off guard by the boy's sudden request.
• "Of course, you can," Aaron replied before turning to look at her. "Don't worry, my butler will be keeping them company."
• Bella nodded before entering the study after him.
• The door then closed, cutting them off from the outside world.
• Aaron casually tossed his suit jacket onto the sofa. Suddenly, he turned around, grabbed Bella's shoulders, and shoved her into the break room behind the bookshelf before locking the door behind him.
• Bella lost the initiative as the world suddenly spun around her. By the time she came to her senses, she was already pinned underneath the man.