Taking Bella

Taking Bella THE VANTA COLLECTION HOLLY BLOOM Copyright © 2023 by Holly Fox writing as Holly Bloom All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Contents Please take note… 1. Bella 2. Jude 3. Bella 4. Jude 5. Bella 6. Jude 7. Bella 8. Jude 9. Bella 10. Jude 11. Bella 12. Jude 13. Bella 14. Jude 15. Bella 16. Jude 17. Bella 18. Jude 19. Bella 20. Jude 21. Bella Authors Note About the Author Also by Holly Bloom Please take note… Please be warned that this book contains dark themes that some readers may find distressing. You can visit www.hollybloomauthor.com to read the full and detailed content warnings before reading beyond this point. CHAPTER 1 Bella Felix returns with two Long Island Iced Teas precariously balanced on a tray. I prefer Mojitos, but they’re his favorite. I say nothing, though. This is our honeymoon, and I’m the luckiest girl in the world to be here with him. Felix Roberts is the kind of man most women would kill to marry. He comes from a wealthy, but not filthy rich, family and works as a hotshot lawyer in the city. He spends his spare time raising money for charity and never fails to go on a morning run, no matter the weather. He loves animals and stops to stroke every passing dog when on a walk. He has a great sense of humor, a body to die for, and the ability to start conversations with strangers. Overall, Felix is perfect… and I’m the one he chose to marry. Taking everything else into account, I could overlook the Long Island Iced Tea. Our wedding was intimate but classy. Less than fifty people attended, close friends and family only. Most of the guests were from Felix’s side, apart from a small selection of my work colleagues, but that suited me. It was better that way. In Felix’s eyes, I had no family, and that’s how it needed to stay. We met exactly a year before our wedding day when I started working as his secretary. It’s a cliché, but our romance was a whirlwind, and I couldn’t believe it when he proposed. Felix likes projects. A part of me wondered whether he got down on one knee because he felt sorry for me. Hannah—the new girl with no family, friends, or money. He wanted to be the one to give me a better life, and I hoped he would. Saying yes was easy. Felix could give me everything I dreamed about. I can picture it all now. We’ll live in a beautiful house, I’ll pop out a few gorgeous children and spend my days socializing with other wives over expensive coffee discussing books none of us have read. Over the years, Felix would have affairs. He’s a kind man, but he’s still human. Everyone knows men like him don’t stay faithful forever. When my looks fade, he’ll find a younger woman to screw on the side, but he’ll never leave me or his family. I’ll turn a blind eye because I’ll be taken care of and have our children to look after. I know better than anyone how important it is to protect children. “What’re you thinking about, babe?” Felix asks, taking my hand and staring into my eyes like I’m the only person in the busy bar. “I’m sorry we couldn’t go away for longer.” “It’s okay,” I reply, stroking his fingers. To everyone else, we look like the perfect loved-up couple. “I understand your work comes first.” Instead of going on a long vacation to celebrate our nuptials, we were taking a short break at a nearby lake for the weekend. We were staying at a beautiful lodge overlooking the beach. We spent today strolling along the sands, indulging in the spa, and eating as many decadent delights as we liked. I wanted to go overseas because I’ve never been out of the country before, but Felix has a fundraiser next week that we couldn’t miss. My husband is an important man. Felix kisses my hand and says, “You’re the best wife I could have asked for.” Me? A wife? My mother always told me I’d burn in hell, so I hope she is looking down on me now. Fuck you, Momma. My husband is someone people look up to, and he picked me. I cast my gaze down to admire our interlocked fingers. I’m still getting used to the huge diamond weighing down my hand. “I still can’t believe we’re married,” I gush. “Hannah…” Felix strokes my cheek to brush away a loose strand of hair. “I’m the luckiest man in the world to have married a beautiful woman like you.” Felix needed a trophy wife. I’m not delusional enough to think he married me for my scintillating conversation and personality. My looks are the only thing I’ve got to leverage. I squeeze his hand in reply and insist, “No, I’m the lucky one.” “Look around the room,” Felix says, reclining and extending his hands to gesture around. “Everyone is jealous that they aren’t the one sitting opposite you, Mrs. Roberts.” I giggle. How is this the kind of life and man I’ve ended up with? I worked hard to shed my past and create a new identity. All my efforts have finally paid off, and it’s time to start afresh. “I’ll be right back,” I say. I slide off my stool, and he watches my dress slip up my thighs to show off my tanned legs. Felix winks. “Don’t keep me waiting too long.” “I won’t,” I promise,