Chapter 194 

Chapter 194 

As the beloved daughter of the prominent Foley family in feabron, she was delighted white daydreaming about her romance. 

That year, in spring 

She accompanied her parents to visit the Bane manor. 

She sneaked into the manor and witnessed a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life. 

She saw a young man quietly sitting in a wheelchair. 

Dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, his expression was serene. 

He was a work of art, from his crisp white shirt to his chiseled features. 

He sat beneath the shady tree, bathed in patches of sunlight filtering through the leaves. 

A dotted pattern of halos danced on his shirt and across his features. 

Between the interlapping lights and shadows, he looked so cute. 

Bella stared straight at him, unable to take her eyes off for a long time. 

Perhaps this was what one called love at first sight. 

Later, she heard a servant calling him Jackson. 

Isn’t Jackson supposed to be a disabled man with ugly features? she wondered. 

However, the boy in front of her completely differed from what was rumored about him. 

He was clearly so wonderful 

Bella sneaked peeks for a long time until she saw Jackson being pushed in his wheelchair by a servant. 

She realized that Jackson was about to leave. 

Suddenly, she found courage from within and dashed from the corner straight towards him. 

“Here… you are…” Bella panted, her eyes soft and warm as she looked at Jackson. 

She held out a strawberry–flavored candy to him, her gaze sincere. 

Jackson surveyed her with a calm gaze, his face expressionless. 

He hesitated, not taking the candy Bella offered him. 

Seeing his reaction, Bella anxiously stuffed the candy into his hand. 

Then, she ran off shyly. 

All the way home, her heart was pounding. 

The next day, back at home. 

Her mother told her that one of Lionel’s sons had fallen for her at first sight and had even gone to beg Lionel to arrange a marriage. 

Her mother asked what she thought about it. 

Upon hearing this, Bella was both surprised and delighted. 

One of Lionel’s sons? In Bella’s mind, the image of Jackson immediately surfaced. 

Besides him, she had never met any other son of Lionel 

Could it be Jackson also… she thought, “The happiest thing in the world is when you have feelings for someone and suddenly realize they have feelings for you, too. 

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Chapter 194 

Bella nodded without any hesitation. 

She was willing to ally through marriage with the Bane family. 

On the day the Bane and Foley families forged their marriage pact, Pella wore an utterly othered beers 

She was incredibly eager to meet Jackson 

Thinking Jackson felt the same way about her, she felt so happy, like she was in a dream. 

However, in the Bane manor’s grand hall, the person waiting for her waseit Jackson but his dider brother Cate 

The man who fell in love with her at first sight was Claude, 

Claude told her that during his visit to the manor that day, he saw her blushing, and quickly running past tim 

At that moment, he thought she was so beautiful 

He originally wanted to say something to her, but she ran so fast he had no chance. 

Bella finally understood that it was when she shyly ran away from Jackson–The Claude vyruðter 

All of this was just a twist of fate. 

Bella wanted to escape, wanted to refuse. 

She did not want to be with Claude, nor did she want to settle a marriage pact with him. 

However, her parents didn’t give her a chance. 

They warned her that she had agreed to this and that thinking about backing out was impossible. 

Upon hearing this, Bella almost burst into tears on the spot. 

She liked Jackson. 

Unfortunately, misunderstandings had arisen, and there was no turning back. 

That was how the marriage agreement was set. 

Since then, Bella had always been indifferent and reluctant towards Claude. 

Claude had quarrels with her, but Bella stayed the same, until the Foley family faced a financial crisis, almost going bankrupt. 

Claude told her that to revive the Foley family, she had to become his girlfriend and marry him obediently. 

She couldn’t ignore him like before and had to treat him as a real boyfriend. 

Her parents pleaded with her to acquiesce to Claude’s demands, burdening her with the hopes and responsibilities of the Foley family. 

She had no choice but to compromise. 

She began to appease Claude by changing her attitude towards him. Since she didn’t want to get married, she desperately tried to convince Claude to try a trial marriage first. 

During those entangled days with Claude, she only saw Jackson once. 

It was when he left the Bane manor and moved to Garrison Mansion. 

She secretly ran to see him off, and just as he was about to leave, she rushed to him and told him to take care. 

The aloof young man, seeing her appear, rarely nodded at her. 

That was the only two interactions Bella and Jackson ever had. 

She didn’t know what Jackson thought but knew she had always deeply liked Jackson. 

But by then, he was already someone else’s husband. 

Would the result have changed if she had been braver back then, disregarding everything to pursue him? 

4:36 PM 

Chapter 194 

“You Suddenly, Bella clenched her fingers, her palms sweaty and nervous. 

She wanted to ask Jackson what she meant to him…. 

Just a passerby whom life had brought across his path twice, or someone a bit special. 

But she choked up when she tried to speak and couldn’t get the words out. 

Because she was afraid to hear the answer that would break her heart. 

“You….” After hesitating for quite a while, Bella suddenly changed the topic, asking, “Can we be good friends?” 

Jackson, hearing this, remained utterly expressionless. 

He stared at Bella with indifferent, piercing eyes, lips pressed tight. 

“No.” He spoke flatly without a moment’s hesitation. 

For Jackson, Bella, indeed, was a particular person. 

Because during his darkest and most painful days, she had once given him a piece of candy. 

That was also why he agreed to Bella’s request to meet with her privately today. 

But that was all there was to it. 

He had no other feelings for Bella, and since she was engaged to Claude, he didn’t want to get too involved with her. 

Besides, he could sense Bella’s subtle hostility towards Oneida at the birthday party today. 

Therefore, there was no possibility of he and Bella becoming friends. 

So, he told her this was an exception, and it would be their last private meeting. 

Like 

some dreadful news, the word “No” fell heavy on Bella’s ears. 

Her eyes suddenly widened, and her pupils shrunk. 

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Jackson estimated it was about time to leave, or else Oneida might be unable to find him. 

“I have to go,” Jackson stated indifferently, then wheeled himself away through another side door of the coffee lounge. 

Leaving Bella standing alone, motionless. 

She clenched her fists, tears suddenly shimmering in her eyes 

Outside the coffee lounge, Oneida slowly approached. 

She frowned tightly, her eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions. 

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