4

Bella shook her head and tried not to think about the mother she didn't know. That woman was a stranger to her.

After a while, Bella's phone rang.

It was her best friend, Nancy Deanshanger, calling.

Bella answered the call.

"Hi! It's been a long time since we video-called. Why have you been avoiding me?" Nancy complained. She sounded sad as she rested her cheek on her hand and said, "Are you sure you want to go to the UK, Bea? What if someone bullies you there? I can't protect you from that far away.

"Also! I heard that guys mature early overseas, and there are co-ed school dorms! You have to be careful, Bea! Do you understand? Forget it, I'll just be direct with you. If you see any attractive foreign guys, remember to use protection!"

Bella could see Nancy sitting in a small restaurant on the screen. It looked like she had just ordered food and was waiting for it to arrive.

There was a large TV screen on the wall behind Nancy. It was showing entertainment news with a clear caption that said a 56-year-old tycoon had recently had a daughter, but no one knew who the mother was.

"Bella? Are you even listening to me?"

Nancy saw that Bella had gone completely still on the screen and seemed upset. Nancy shook her screen and said, "Bella, can you hear me? What's wrong? Don't scare me!"

Bella was feeling sensitive right now. She had promised herself not to think about the child she had carried inside her when she left the hospital. But how could she forget?

That baby was part of her.

Bella felt like she was losing control. She was on the verge of losing her mind.

But what good would it do to dwell on it? She had to stop thinking about it.

She hung up the call and splashed cold water on her face.

It didn't calm her down.

Maybe it was because she had been abandoned by her mother as a child, but Bella associated her own experiences with her baby.

She couldn't forget her cold and lonely childhood. She didn't have a mother, only her grandfather and father. Her father was always away for work, and her grandfather was getting older. The neighbors gossiped about her parents, and their negative voices haunted her childhood.

She was bullied and felt ashamed of herself.

She didn't know why not having a mother made her a target, but she heard the hurtful words thrown at her.

Sometimes, she hated her mother.

When she closed her eyes, all she could think about was the middle-aged tycoon on the TV news. He had recently had a daughter, but no one knew who the mother was...

Now, she had become the kind of woman she despised the most - a mother who gave birth but didn't take responsibility for the child.

She stumbled back to her room and picked up her phone again, searching for news about that tycoon and his child.

The reports said he was fifty-six years old, balding, but in decent shape. Bella couldn't tell if this old man was really her baby's father.

She tried to find videos of that tycoon to hear his voice. She wanted to know if it was the same voice she heard those nights.

But even after searching for a long time, her phone ran out of battery, and she couldn't find a video with his voice.

Despair filled her.

...

In the east side of A Pack.

At the house of the Craig's, one of the most powerful families.

It was dinnertime, and the dinner table in the castle was filled with delicious food.

Almost every family member was there. Two nurses brought in two baby cots and placed them beside Old Master Craig.

Old Master Craig, sitting in his wheelchair, looked at his great-grandson in the cot. "This child looks just like Alpha Lucian. He will grow up to be a great figure!"

The old master was pleased.

The other Craig family members smiled, hiding any anger they felt.

Old Master Craig played with his great-grandson for a while before addressing the whole family. "If it weren't for Alpha Lucian's hard work in the past two years, the Craig family would have lost its glory! Any objections?"

No one objected, but no one explicitly agreed either.

Even at his old age, Old Master Craig had sharp eyes. He looked at everyone's expressions and said, "I'm old now, and it's time I pass on the family business to the younger generation." He turned to Daniel Craig and said, "Daniel, you should learn from your older brother from now on."

"Sure," Daniel replied nonchalantly before falling silent again.

"Dad, what do you mean?" Helen Hackney stood up, filled with resentment. "Alpha Lucian is your grandson, but Daniel is also your grandson! You're hurting Daniel's mother! How is my son any worse than Alpha Lucian?"

Helen only dared to speak up because Alpha Lucian wasn't there that day.

Old Master Craig only had one son, who had two sons - Alpha Lucian and Daniel Craig.

Alpha Lucian was mature and down to earth, but he could be ruthless when he needed to. No one dared to say a word against him when it came to doing business.

Daniel , however, was known for being a playboy. He was not stupid, but he used all of his wits on getting girls.

Other than himself, no one knew if he had any ambition or desire for a career.

Old Master Craig ignored Helen ’s protests. Choosing an heir was a matter of utmost importance, and if he let his emotions get in the way of his decision-making, if he made a single mistake, he might end up destroying everything the Craig s built up over the years.

“Start a video call. There’s something I want to discuss with Alpha Lucian ,” instructed Old Master Craig to his servants.

Someone immediately started a video call and placed the device instead of the old master.

“What’s the matter, Grandfather?” Alpha Lucian asked from the other end. He was on an outstation trip, and it seemed he was sitting in a solemn-looking office right now.

“It’s about time we gave my great-grandson a name. I have an idea, what do you think of Clarence? Clarence Craig . I want him to grow up with a clear eye, to have a mind that is pure and white!” said the old master.

Helen was furious at being ignored, but she did not dare to say anything, so she sat down crossly without a word.

On the other end of the call, Alpha Lucian did not respond to Old Master Craig immediately. Instead, he frowned on the screen and stayed silent for a moment before saying with determination, “Grandfather, I get what you mean about a pure mind and a clear eye. In that case, how about Isabella instead? It also means pure white.”

Isabella Craig .

“Sounds good!” The old man immediately looked at his great-grandchild’s face in his cot. “You have a name now, Baby Bea.”

Old Master Craig was not going to interfere with his great-granddaughter’s name because her father felt that daughters should be pampered like princesses. She would be allowed to choose her own official name once she could decide for herself.

…

Time flew by quickly.

Before they knew it, it was time for them to go abroad.

Bella didn't travel with Marisa because Jessica had arranged for Marisa to go to the UK one month earlier to help her adjust to the new life there.

As they stood at the airport, Tomas said to Jackson Deanshanger, a tall and handsome man who was Nancy's older brother, "When you're over there, I'm counting on you to take care of Bella and Marisa."

Jackson had always planned to go overseas for his studies but couldn't decide where. When he heard that Bella was going to the UK, he made up his mind to go with her.

Every person might have someone special in their heart, someone as amazing as their first love. For Jackson, that person was Bella.

Nancy hugged her brother tightly and whispered in his ear, "Take care of yourself. But forget about Marisa, she's not worth your time."

Jackson didn't know how to respond.

As they stood in line at the immigration checkpoint, Bella turned around repeatedly, tears streaming down her face as she waved goodbye to her aging father.