Chapter 8 BELLE'S TOUCH

As Belle stepped back and leaned her back against the wall, the sound of flesh hitting flesh began to be heard. Sounds like chairs floating against the wall followed later. She was horrified to see the fight and just crouched down while covering her ears. It was terrible. She never thought that she would become the reason why the men were fistfighting around her.

Bruaaghhh

"Kyyyaa..."

Belle pressed her back against the wall tightly when suddenly Millo's body was thrown in front of her. The man coughed and spat blood from his mouth. The rancid smell of blood began to waft into the air, mixed with the smell of cigarette smoke and the sweat of the club visitors.

"Get up, you damn bastard. You said you were stronger than me, huh?"

"Heh, you smashed my face!"

"I'm more than capable of destroying your entire body and throwing you in the trash."

Gabrielle stood towering over Millo's body, which lay helpless on the floor. Millo's face was battered and covered in blood. Belle suspected that Millo had at least suffered a broken nose and other facial injuries. And before things got worse, Belle moved quickly to grab Gabrielle's hand and drag her away from Millo.

"What are you doing? Let me go. I have to beat up that damn bastard again."

"Enough Gabrielle. People will come and you will get in trouble."

"I don't care. That bastard deserved to be beaten."

Belle ignored his harsh words and kept dragging Gabrielle to the backyard. She didn't know where she was going. But she saw a sign on the ceiling of the hall, and she followed it.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle was still trying to neutralize his panting breath. Negative emotions surrounded him to the point that he looked like he was going to explode like dynamite. That damn young man was really testing his patience.

When Gabrielle had calmed down enough, he lowered his head. He saw Belle's soft palm wrapped around his wrist. She walked leading in front of him with her straight body, as if she was the strongest woman ever.

"Are you okay?"

Gabrielle blinked, and he had lost the softness of Belle's palm on his wrist. It took him a few seconds to realize he was in a quiet backyard. There was no one but them there. And the silence made him able to hear his own heartbeat.

"Are you okay, Mr. Rolland?" Belle repeated her question when Gabrielle didn't answer and instead stared at her intensely.

"Yes, I am fine. No need to worry about me."

"I'm grateful. I was worried that you would get hurt because Millo hit you."

"I'm fine, you-"

"Hey... The corners of your lips are bruised and bleeding."

Belle reflexively moved closer to Gabrielle and held his chin. It made everything around them seem to stop moving. They were trapped in a time zone where only the two of them exist.

Gabrielle stiffened at the touch of Belle's fingers to her lips. The throbbing pain from Millo's punch was nothing compared to the strange beat in his heart. His entire body felt like it was on fire as he stared at Belle's face. He was fixated on a single point that seemed to beckon him to come closer. Belle's full, luscious pink lips.

"You need gauze and peroxide."

Belle's voice trembled as she finally managed to control herself from the nervousness under Gabrielle's piercing blue eyes that flashed with danger.

"I told you I'm fine. No need to worry about me."

Gabrielle almost wiped the blood at the corner of her mouth with his sleeve, but Belle stopped him and pressed a tissue to clean the blood at the corner of his lip which was starting to swell.

"Don't use your shirt to wipe off the blood. We don't know what germs are stuck there. You could catch a serious illness by pressing a germ-ridden sleeve into an open wound."

Gabrielle laughed at Belle's explanation.

"That's so ridiculous. Is it because you are a doctor that you are very hygienic?"

"Do not laugh. I'm serious!"

She tossed the bloodstained tissue into the trash, then touched Gabrielle's chin one more time to make sure there wasn't any blood left on it.

"You have a scratch on your chin. Wait a moment."

"Seriously? You don't have to do anything to me," Gabrielle said lazily when he saw Belle start rummaging through her bag.

"Should be here. Hmm... oh there it is!"

Belle held up a very funny yellow cartoon plaster. Gabrielle almost slapped the plaster away from him when he found out what Belle was going to do with it.

"That's disgusting and childish."

"This is to avoid infection. Don't move."

Belle grabbed Gabrielle's tie and pulled it hard until Gabrielle's face fell right in front of hers. Belle's gaze was only focused on the wound at the corner of Gabrielle's lips, and she had no other thoughts in her head other than putting a plaster on the wound.

Gabrielle, on the other hand, was distracted by another thought that was really bothering him. Belle's expression was very serious as she put plaster on the corners of his lips and looked very sexy. He had never seen a woman who cared so much about the little things as Belle.

"Done. You can take the plaster off in about three days."

Gabrielle pulled his face away and straightened his body. He felt the plaster at the corner of his lips and felt a subtle shiver run through his body because he remembered how Belle had put the plaster on his wound.

"How could you suddenly show up and beat up Millo?"

"You were too busy exchanging nonsense with him that you didn't notice me sitting near you."

"I didn't see you there. But thanks. I'm so freaked out. He would drag me to the second floor because I rejected him and trampled on his sky-high ego."

"A man like that should be kicked to hell. A gentleman does not force a woman."

"Wow, what about you? Are you the pushy type?"Belle asked mockingly.

"I don't force women to be with me. I'm only with women who are willing to be with me."

"That's why you don't force your wife?"

"I don't understand?" Gabrielle frowned deeply.

"Forget it. Why don't you stand next to your wife, instead of being alone at the bar?" Belle changed the topic quickly.

Her legs were starting to ache. It seemed that because she was too panicked, she forgot that she had been running around in six-inch heels. Now her calves started to throb painfully, and they asked her to find a seat immediately.

"Do you mind if we sit down? My feet hurt."

"Absolutely not. I also need to sit down."

They walked hand in hand towards the bench. She sighed softly as she leaned her very tired back against the back of the chair.

"This is better. I'll be home after sitting down for a while."

"You didn't really enjoy the party?"

Belle turned and shook her head slowly.

"I tried, but the party just wasn't for me. What's worse, I had an incident."

"Did you get traumatized?"

"Millo didn't traumatize me, but I'll be more careful after this."

"I overheard your friend telling Mark that you're looking for a man to be your boyfriend."

Gabrielle didn't know why he should be interested in Belle's life. The words just jumped spontaneously from his lips. And now it was too late to cancel his words.

"Yes, but I'm in no rush."

"Do you want marriage?"

"Don't all women want marriage?"

"Not really. Most women are now more concerned with their careers."

"I am not one of those women. I want marriage. I don't want to grow old alone without anyone beside me. I want to marry someone I truly love and who truly loves me."

Belle cursed under her breath. She shouldn't say sentimental things to strangers. Moreover, that man was Gabrielle Rolland. She had only been saved once by Gabrielle, and suddenly she thought of Gabrielle as someone very close to her.

"I must go home." Belle hurriedly stood up and smoothed her dress which was slightly exposed above her thighs.

"Thank you for saving me. And I hope you don't get into trouble because of what happened earlier."

"Don't worry, Millo is just an arrogant young man who doesn't dare do anything to me. Do you need a taxi?"

"I drive. Erm... I hope you and your wife will soon get the offspring you want."

Belle was a little awkward saying that, but she just wanted to try to wish Gabrielle something good.

"Well, thanks, but that's not happening anytime soon."

"Don't be pessimistic. You don't know what God is planning. Maybe your wife will change her mind after this, and you will soon get the child you really want."

"Fleura loves her career very much. She is currently busy with her drama project."

"Believe me, nothing is impossible if it is because of God's power. Good luck to you. See you."

Gabrielle said nothing and just let Belle go, leaving him alone in the back garden. He was no longer in the mood to return to the hall. He was sure the party must have spiraled out of control. Now Belle's words were ringing in his head and he was starting to wonder to himself, would God really give him a child? Or should he continue to wait for Fleura until he finally has no patience left in him?

"Gabe! I've been looking for you ever since."

Fleura's voice seemed to jump out of his mind and suddenly the woman was standing in front of him with a thick expression of worry. Gabrielle had never liked making Fleura worry or be sad. But now it felt like he didn't really care anymore.

"I need some fresh air. What is it?"

"Millo was involved in a serious fight. No one knows what happened to him, but he was found battered and in need of help. Oh my God, what's wrong with your lips?"

Fleura grabbed her husband's chin and forced Gabrielle to look up at her.

"You..."

"I was trying to help your friend. Millo, right? He was beaten for harassing a woman. He accidentally punched me in the face."

"Oh my God, that must hurt."

"I'm fine. Someone has treated me."

"I guess so too." Fleura looked disappointed when her husband blatantly brushed her hand away and forbade her to touch the yellow plaster that was conspicuous at the corner of his lips.

"I'm tired, Fleu. Tomorrow I have important work at the office."

"Go home. I have to stay with my friends until the party is over."

"Hmm, be careful."

"You too. Good night. Sweet dreams, honey."

Fleura kissed Gabrielle's lips gently, being careful of the hurt on his lips. She patted him on the back as Gabrielle walked away. Fleura felt something strange in her husband. Unfortunately, she didn't know what it was, and she was too lazy to think about it.