“Belle, can you go out with me tonight? Dinner?” Eric asked smiling. He decided to visit Belle as he hasn’t seen her for quite some time.
Eric is fond of her, he likes her. However, Tristan is like a brother to him. Though he wants to make a move on the woman, he can’t do it because of his friend.
“Sure, where are we eating?” Belle asked, not taking her eyes off of her monitor. She’s rushing an important presentation, as she has a big shot client visiting her office the next day.
“Royal,” the man who was busy playing with the pendulum on the table answered.
“Give me five,” then she quickly stood up and went straight to the restroom. “Let’s go!”
As soon as she stepped out, she just grabbed her bag and headed for the door. They rode in Eric’s car and he will drop her off after eating. She needs to go back to finish her work.
When they arrived at the Royal Palace, a waiter quickly led them to a table for two. Before they can place their order, someone called Eric.
“Hey, Tristan! Kismet?” he teased, Tristan just pats his shoulder before stealing a glance at Belle who is busy looking at the menu.
“Can we sit here?” he asked, eyes still focused on the girl she loves who can’t be bothered to even greet them.
“Sure!” Eric quickly responded before calling for a waiter to add two more chairs to their table.
They started conversing when the waiter left for their food and continued while eating. On the other side of the restaurant, Vernice and Esme are quietly watching the group with evil thoughts in their mind.
As soon as the group’s food was served, Vernice called Joyce and invited her over. Luckily, Joyce was close by so she readily agreed to the invitation without knowledge of the surprise that awaits her.
Joyce arrived right after the group finished their meal and in time for Eric to excuse himself for the restroom, and Jacob to the car to get his company phone. Tristan and Joyce were left alone, quietly.
When the woman arrived, she didn’t even make it to where Vernice and Esme are. Right as she stepped in, her eyes fell on the couple, sitting not far from the entrance of the restaurant.
She felt like all her blood rushed to her head. She went straight to Tristan and Belle and immediately pulled the woman’s hair when she got close to her.
“You just can’t stop yourself bitch! You really like being a mistress!” she was hysterical. Her eyes and face are red from rage.
Tristan tried to pull her away but as he did, Belle got pulled as well. When Eric arrived, he quickly helped Tristan break the two and they succeeded.
“What are you doing? Are you out of your mind?” Tristan asked thru gritted teeth.
Belle glared at Joyce while massaging her neck. She felt pain in the back of her head when Joyce harshly pulled her hair. Eric pulled her back, placing her behind him for protection.
“Yes! I’m about to lose my mind!” Joyce spouted in a loud voice. Almost everyone in the restaurant is now looking at them. “Why can’t you distance yourself from her? Is she good in bed? Does she kiss better than me? Can she do what I can for you?” the woman continued, disregarding all the attention that is now directed to her.
Tristan tried to pull her away but she brushed his hand off. As they thought Tristan and Joyce would leave, Eric tried helping Belle to her seat.
However, Joyce quickly picked up a steak knife from a nearby table and attempted to stab Belle from behind. Fortunately, Tristan was quick enough to push her and Eric was able to pull Belle away in time.
Tristan’s face darkened. He grabbed Joyce by the wrist and dragged her out of the restaurant. “You’re crazy!” he shouted at her once they were out.
Realizing what she did, Joyce started crying. She tried approaching Tristan, reaching for his hand, but the man he loves brushed her off.
She felt a pang of pain in her heart. Again, Tristan has never done this to her. Since Belle, Tristan’s been doing things he’s never done to her and it pains her, it breaks her.
She slowly took a step backward, eyeing Tristan from head to toe. ‘What’s happening to him?’ she thinks to herself. She can’t believe that this is the same man she loved for many years.
“Let’s go!” Tristan told Jacob as he comes back from the parking lot. The assistant creased his forehead but he immediately followed his boss, leaving Joyce behind.
“Are you ok?” Eric asked when she noticed Belle’s trembling hands.
The woman let out a long sigh of relief before facing him and nodding. “I was scared for a moment,” clasping her hand to stop it from shaking. “Can you take me back to my office?”
Eric quickly nodded at her. He even helped her off her seat as she’s looking pale. Eric’s worried that she might faint anytime.
When they reached her office, she asked Eric to wait for her. Belle put away her stuff, took her laptop and bag then she left with Eric, who was generous enough to drive her home.
“What happened?” Jacob asked Tristan as they drive to his penthouse.
“She tried to stab Belle,” Tristan’s voice was shaking. He still can’t believe what Joyce tried doing earlier.
He has always known her as sweet and gentle, but after what she did, Tristan suddenly felt like she doesn’t know her at all. She’s like a different person, a total stranger.
Jacob was in shock after what Tristan told him, he almost hit the break hard. Regaining his focus, he can’t help glancing at his boss from the rearview mirror.
He can see him clenching his jaw while looking outside the window. He’s worried for him, as he’s fully aware of his feelings for both women. He knows that everything that’s been happening is hard for his boss and friend.
When Belle got home and as soon as Eric left, she fished for her phone inside her bag. “How are you?” she asked the other person on the line.
Tristan wasn’t able to respond immediately, as he didn’t expect her to call. She’s been ignoring him since after the hospital incident.
“I’m ok, you? Are you alright?” he asked her too, worried that she was traumatized after what happened. She almost got stabbed for Heaven’s sake.
“Don’t worry about me, I wasn’t hurt anyway.”
“C-Can I come over?” Tristan was shocked at himself, as he doesn’t know where he got the courage to ask her that.
Belle, on the other hand, suddenly felt her heart thump. She wanted to say yes and let him know that she needs him right at that moment, but she stopped herself from doing so. It won’t do both of them any good.
“You can come over some other time. For tonight, just go ahead and rest, I’ll do the same.” She was calm when she told him that, but her heart was beating wildly as if it wants to say otherwise.
When the call ended, she plopped on her bed. As she closed her eyes, the thought of Joyce trying to stab her kept replaying in her mind.
She’s frightened for herself, but moreover, she’s frightened for Joyce. When she looked at her earlier, she doesn’t look normal. Joyce looked like she was about to lose it.
Thinking about that, Belle can’t help but worry for herself and Tristan as well. If Joyce can try to stab her, she doesn’t want to think about what else she can do when she’s in a fit of rage.