All Chapters of Silent Secrets Burning Love: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Bella's POV“Bella, wait up!”I heard Lucas’s voice calling after me, his footsteps getting closer, but I didn’t stop. My legs moved faster, almost like they had a mind of their own, pushing me toward the door. I couldn’t let him catch up. I couldn’t face him right now. But despite my attempts to outrun him, his hand gripped my wrist, forcing me to stop in my tracks.“Bella, please,” Lucas’s voice was desperate, but there was something in his eyes—something soft that made my heart twist. “It’s not what you think, I promise you. I don’t know how she got here.”That’s when I saw it.A glimpse of the gun he was holding.My heart skipped a beat, fear rushing through my veins as I staggered back. “Oh my God, what are you doing with that?” My voice cracked, the panic clear in every word I spoke.Lucas reacted instantly. He tossed the gun aside like it was nothing but a forgotten toy. But my mind was racing, the adrenaline surging, and that was when I realized how disoriented I truly felt. M

Bella’s POVI grabbed the teacher’s shirt in frustration, my hands trembling with a mixture of fear and anger. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I was desperate. She had to tell me who took my son, and where they had taken him. She tried to pull away, but my grip tightened each time she attempted to move.“Who took him? Who took my son?” I screamed, my voice cracking as I yelled at the top of my lungs. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I couldn’t contain the whirlwind of emotions that threatened to consume me. My mind was spiraling. Was my son kidnapped? Or, worse still, had Derek sent someone to take him as some twisted form of payback?“Ma’am, please calm down. I’m not his teacher. I don’t even know who took him. You have to go to the principal’s office,” the teacher said, her voice shaky, trying to ease the tension, but her words barely registered in my fog of panic.I didn’t let go of her. I couldn’t. My mind was clouded by the worst possibilities. My baby boy was missing. I could a

Bella’s POVI was frozen, too shocked to speak. All I could feel was Lucas’s hands gently pressing down on my shoulders, steadying me as if I might collapse at any moment."Who came to bail him?" My voice trembled as the words slowly forced their way out. I couldn’t make sense of what had just happened."The lawyer, his friends… they were all here earlier," the officer replied with a shrug. "The station was packed—journalists, press everywhere. And if there’s one thing you should know, it’s that they painted him as the victim. He acted like the victim. But at least he didn’t say anything that would implicate you."His words didn’t reassure me at all. In fact, they felt empty. The officer had a way of rambling on about irrelevant things, and I could feel Lucas’s patience wearing thin."Why would they grant him bail? He was arrested for assault!" Lucas’s voice cut through the tension, his frustration echoing in the cold, sterile office space. "Didn’t you see what he did in the office? H

Lucas’s POVI was furious with Bella, but I couldn't say anything to her. I knew that no matter what I said, she'd find a way to defend Derek, and it would break me. I wasn’t ready for that. After parking, I walked ahead, heading straight for the house, not wanting to wait for her. But as I approached the door, a pang of guilt hit me. I knew I was being too harsh on her. My heart softened when I heard her footsteps dragging behind me. I couldn't keep being angry with her.When she caught up to me, I tried to stay mad, but it was impossible. Every time I caught a whiff of her scent, it soothed my anger, replacing it with a strange calmness. I tried to be the tough guy, to stay angry, but her eyes—those damn eyes—pierced through me.Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, I opened the door and found Jason on the couch, glued to his favorite cartoon. When he rushed over to hug me, all the anger and frustration melted away. I hadn’t realized how much I missed him until he wrapped

Bella’s POVGetting Jason to bed was always a battle. He kept asking one question after another, never giving us a moment of peace. After asking us to sing him a song, just when we thought it was over, he hit us with another.“What is a divorce, Dad? Are you leaving Mum? Are you going to let us live with that boring man?”“Jason, go to bed,” Lucas said, his voice thick with exhaustion. “I’ve had a long day, and Miss Bella here would like to go to bed too. You’re asking too many questions for someone your age. We’ll talk tomorrow, I promise. Now, go to sleep.”With that, we left the room, and as soon as I grabbed my phone, I dialed Jael’s number, needing to check in on my son.“Hello, Ma,” Jael’s voice came through, warm and concerned. “You’re still awake? You should be resting; it’s past midnight.”“I’m fine, Jael,” I replied, my voice tinged with fatigue. “I just took a shower. I’m about to sleep. Is Henry still up?”“No, Ma. He’s already asleep. He didn’t stay up past his bedtime. I