The Ex-Wife He Couldn’t Afford to Lose（9）

Chapter 9

Bella gripped the steering wheel with one hand, her foot firmly pressing the gas pedal as she zoomed down the road.

The powerful beat of Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor” blasted from the speakers, and she let the rhythm fill her as she sped away.

The thought of Justin following her didn’t faze her.

It was almost ironic—why had he started showing an interest in her only after their divorce? For three years, he had ignored her, dismissing her as if she were invisible.

But now, he was chasing her down as if she were the only thing that mattered.

She frowned as she glanced at the rearview mirror—Justin’s Lamborghini was still trailing her.

“Hah! He thinks he can catch up to me, huh? Dream on!” Bella sneered, flooring the gas pedal.

Her Bugatti shot forward like a bolt of lightning, leaving the Lamborghini far behind.

“Quick, follow her closely!” Justin barked, his tone tense as he urged Ian to step up the pace.

Ian, clearly panicking, pushed the car to its limits, his heart racing with every turn and acceleration.

He finally managed to see the faint taillights of Bella’s car, but Justin’s expression remained unreadable, though a flicker of relief passed through his eyes.

“Mr. Salvador, the young madam has such amazing driving skills! No wonder she has the Fujiwara Tofu Shop sticker!” Ian remarked in awe.

“What tofu shop?” Justin frowned in confusion, not understanding the reference.

“Look at her bumper!” Ian clarified quickly, but Justin’s face darkened in an instant, thinking the worst.

Ian, realizing his mistake, immediately apologized.

“Sorry, I meant her car bumper…”

Upon closer inspection, Justin saw the white “Fujiwara Tofu Shop AE86” sticker on the back of Bella’s car.

He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

“Don’t you know? The young madam loves anime, especially Initial D. That’s always playing in the living room whenever I visit,” Ian continued, eager to share his newfound knowledge.

“I never expected the young madam to be such a skilled driver. I always thought she was this fragile girl who couldn’t take care of herself.”

Justin couldn’t help but feel a twinge of irritation.

It seemed like his secretary knew more about his wife than he did.

But there was no time to dwell on that now.

“Oh no! The young madam is speeding up!” Ian warned.

“Follow her! If you can’t keep up, I’ll deduct your annual salary!” Justin barked, his jaw clenched in frustration.

He looked as perfect as a sculpture, even in the midst of his anger.

Ian, terrified of both losing his job and causing an accident, pushed the car as hard as he could.

But despite their best efforts, Bella made two sharp turns and disappeared from view, leaving them with nothing but empty road ahead.

“I lost her…” Ian muttered, shrinking back.

Justin pounded his fist against the car window, veins bulging on his forehead.

His mind raced.

Anna, what are you hiding from me? What is your true identity?

Meanwhile, that evening, Asher and Axel arrived at their sister’s private villa.

The Thompson brothers were busy cooking in the open-concept kitchen, while Bella sat comfortably, sucking on a lollipop and playing video games.

“Woohoo! Aced it!” Bella cheered, watching her score on the screen, her pride evident.

“You’re not at all rusty, Bella,” Axel remarked with a charming smile, his eyes gleaming with admiration.

“Look at my score! It’s perfect!” Bella beamed, her innocent joy radiating as she leaned over, excitedly showing off her achievements.

She was so cute as she knelt on the chair, swinging the lollipop like a magic wand.

Axel, unable to resist the challenge, retorted, “Hah! How smug of you! Let’s play a game, and I’ll put you in your place!”

“Bella won by so much last time that your name’s no longer on the ranking.

So, don’t embarrass yourself,” Asher teased as he fed Bella a piece of steak he had cut up.

He always took care of her with such gentle attention.

“Hmph! That was only because Drew backed out! He had a mission, or else we would’ve won!” Axel shot back, clearly not willing to accept defeat.

“I’m going to start cooking.

Bella, you should wait in the living room since you’re allergic to smoke,” Asher gently reminded her.

Bella froze, her heart clenching.

The words stung more than she expected.

She had been hiding this from her brothers—she had been cooking for the Salvadors for the past three years, despite her allergy to smoke.

She had never once told them how the cooking fumes had bothered her, how she had endured them silently.

The thought of it made her want to cry.