CEO's Exclusive Maid: Your Love Binds My Heart

"Ah!"

Bella Song found herself somewhere dark. Only the eerie glow from the streetlamps illuminated the place. Out of nowhere, a woman, covered in blood, slowly limped towards her. The woman had disheveled hair and her eyes burned with hatred. She spoke but her jaws barely moved. "You! I died a remorseful death because of you! You'll have to die in a miserable way!"

"No! Go away! It's not my fault. I didn't do anything wrong to you!"

Bella Song suddenly woke up. It was all a nightmare! She was covered in cold sweat. She couldn't tell how many times she had found herself waking up from a bad dream. Deep inside, she knew that this was all because of what she had seen in the past; that man and his accusations had haunted her ever since.

She stared at the ceiling, took a deep breath, and hurried to the bathroom. Her clothes were drenched with sweat.

Today was supposedly one of her rare, God-given day-offs, but the manager, Randy Chen, asked her to accompany him to a dinner party. He insisted that it was her business plan and it would be best if she was present when the plan was being discussed among the attendees.

The truth was, she just wanted to spend this rare holiday with her son. After all, she only had the weekends for rest and family time. She would have even less time to be with her family if she worked overtime.

She finished packing up and quickly took her son to Louise Yun's coffee shop. She smiled apologetically at her friend and said, "Louise, I'm really sorry I have to bother you again."

"No, not at all! Don't think about it, Bella. I love taking care of your son. We're good friends." Louise Yun beamed at her friend, but when she saw the concerned expression on Bella's face, she couldn't help but ask apprehensively, "Bella, you don't look very well. Today is a weekend. Where are you off to?"

"I have a business meeting to attend. Oh, you don't have to worry. I swear I'll be back soon enough!"

She had no idea about what waited for her at the party.

Bella Song had already finished drinking several wine glasses. She turned around and whispered to Randy Chen, "Manager, when will the party end?"

They left the private booth so that they could talk.

"Why are you in such a hurry? The big guns haven't even arrived yet!" He glanced at her and flashed a smile. He had an evil plan in order to get promoted.

"Manager, I have other plans for tonight. Can I excuse myself from the party, now?"

"Bella, are you telling me you're giving up this month's bonus pay?" His expression grew more serious. He was aware of how important money was to her. Just as he expected, she lowered her gaze almost immediately. She looked completely dejected.

He tried to comfort her. "I know you don't like to be here and neither do I. If I could only sit at my office all day and wait for my paycheck, I would've done that already. Unfortunately, I still have to go to parties and meetings to interact with clients and business partners. As my subordinate, can't you think about my situation?"

"But..." Bella Song wanted to say something more but stopped herself.

"That's right, don't say anything. Go inside the washroom and fix yourself. You look too pale. You'll embarrass us later if you go out there looking like this!" He gave her a stern look, threw away his cigarette butt, and returned to the booth.

Bella Song looked herself in the mirror and applied makeup. Despite her looks, she was breaking down inside. She was still haunted by the nightmare she had earlier. The thought of that incident and that man's hatred had clawed its way to her soul. She felt very guilty.

Louise Yun had reminded her many times that it was not her fault, but Bella Song couldn't stop blaming herself. If only she hadn't witnessed that scene, everything would have been fine. She wouldn't have had to leave her hometown, and she would have had a chance of being in love.

She brushed away her worries and rubbed her cheeks until they were pinkish. She finished applying her makeup and soon made her way to the booth.

She had just entered the door to the booth when she was stunned by what she saw.

Standing at the center of the booth was a man like no other. His face was chiseled to perfection. His deep set of eyes and lush eyebrows commanded everyone's attention, and his dark hair glistened in the evening lights. His every move was elegant and noble at the same time.

He seemed untouched by time. On the contrary, he looked more impressive and handsome than she remembered.

"Bella, there you are!"

Randy Chen approached her from the crowd wearing a grin. When he was near enough, his grin turned sour and he scolded her in a low voice, "Remember what I told you? Always smile and be polite! This is not the first time that you've attended a party with me. Why are you acting so careless?" Having assured himself that Bella Song wouldn't be making any further mistakes, he relaxed a little bit. A malicious grin spread across his face.

"Manager, I'm sorry!" Bella Song apologized.

She followed him back to their table. Unfortunately, she was seated right next to an obese, middle-aged man. As soon as she sat down, the man offered her a wine glass. The stranger took the opportunity to brush his fingers against her fair and delicate hand when he handed her the drink.

"You..." Bella Song would have immediately shaken off the man's hand if not for Randy's stern gaze. He was warning her not to cause a scene or else it was the end of her.

She was left with no choice but to swallow her pride. She distracted herself by thinking about the handsome gentleman at the banquet.

She was a pretty attractive lady so it was no surprise that plenty of guests gave her a toast. Unfortunately, it also meant having to drink one glass after another.

After having about seven or eight glasses of wine, she couldn't take it much longer. She was starting to feel sick. The man next to her, Mr. Wang, offered her a toast. She barely contained herself from belching when she politely declined the man. "Mr. Wang, I'm really sorry but I can't afford to drink another glass."

"Miss Song, I know you can still drink some more. It's still early. How could you be drunk already? Waiter! More wine, please!" The waiter brought a fancy bottle of red wine and placed it on the table. Mr. Wang addressed the fine-looking gentleman next to him, "Am I right, Mr. Su? Miss Song drank too little. It hurts my feelings."

Not a word escaped the other man's lips. Instead, he took a sip of his wine.

Bella Song noticed his coldness. She assumed that he must have still been harboring a grudge against her. Throughout the party, she had thrown several glances his way, but he completely ignored them. Was she such a heinous woman for him to treat her so coldly?

Teary-eyed, she stood up with the bottle of wine in both hands and said, "Mr. Su, can I offer you a drink?"

Russell Su just stared at the wine bottle. His eyes wandered to the fine, and he turned a deaf ear to her offer.

'He's avoiding me like I'm some venomous snake!' she thought. She finally surrendered any attempt to woo this man. She raised the bottle to her lips and gulped its contents. Everyone, except Russell Su, was amused at her boldness.

No amount of divine intervention could stop her from emptying the bottle of wine.

Randy Chen looked around and smiled awkwardly. He didn't know what to say. Just then, he caught Mr. Wang's lustful eyes staring at Bella Song, and he was relieved. If there was one person who must be pleased tonight, it was Mr. Wang.

"Fabulous! Miss Song is a really bold lady. I like that! Randy, this is the first time that you've brought her to my party. You should've brought her to me a long time ago," Mr. Wang playfully remarked. He gazed lustfully at Bella Song from head to toe. She had the ideal body of a woman in her prime, a pair of charming brown eyes, and straight, jet-black hair. The longer he stared at her, the more he coveted her. Just a while ago, he was worried that Russell Su would develop a crush on her, but from his reaction, he understood that he had no interest in this lady.

Russell Su would only look at something that fascinated him.

"Excuse me. I have to go now." Bella Song ran to the washroom. She was breathing hard and was completely exhausted when she got inside. She thought about how he hated her for all these years and how he would just sit and watch her get drunk and be flirted around by strange men.

Tears welled in her eyes. She leaned against the wall and slowly slumped to the floor. She kept her gaze up to stop the tears from running down her cheeks. She didn't want to look like a complete mess.

A few minutes passed by. She recovered for a bit; however, her eyes were still red and puffy. She had just walked out of the washroom when she saw the handsome gentleman pass by the door.

"Russell, wait!" Somehow, she mustered the courage to call his name. What she didn't realize was that her voice was full of longing. His name sounded so sweet.

"Why didn't you answer me when I called you? We..."

Bella caught up with him in no time and grabbed him by the suit. She begged him to give her some time to explain what had happened in the past.

Quickly and unexpectedly, Russell took off his suit, which left him only wearing a black, slim fit shirt. He remained silent but his eyes were full of disgust. It was as though he was looking at a steamy pile of garbage.

"Russell, please!"

"Excuse me! Do I know you?" His response clearly meant that he had cut off any ties with her.

Bella was still holding onto his coat when tears streamed down her cheeks. She was left motionless as she watched him hastily leave the venue.

"Russell, I really want to explain everything to you. Why can't you just give me a chance?" she murmured in between sobs. Bella slowly couched down on the floor. She felt weak and dejected.

She noticed that her phone was ringing so she picked up the call. Randy was on the other end of the line. He quickly blasted, "Bella, where are you? I'm warning you, if you don't come back here, I'll be very rude to you the next time we meet."

Randy quickly hung up the call. Bella didn't have the opportunity to respond.

She dragged herself to the washroom and tidied herself up, then hurried back to the banquet. Mr. Wang couldn't help but feel sorry when he saw her dispirited and fragile appearance. He held her hand and said, "Miss Song, did you drink too much? Anyway, just drink this glass of excellent wine. I promise, this will be your last drink for tonight. I won't allow anyone else to give you a toast."

Bella felt disgusted and was about to shake him off when she caught Randy's glare. She had no choice but to keep her emotions at bay. The pain and bitterness that she felt would have to wait.

"Just drink this glass of wine!" Mr. Wang insisted. Bella pulled herself together and picked up the wine glass. She shoved the clear, amber liquid down her throat without uttering a word. Then, her body felt like it was on fire. She worried she might explode from the intense heat inside her.

She sat in a daze. Mr. Wang seemed like he had melted into the background. She squinted hard, but the faces surrounding her remained blurred. She could still hear their voices as they were discussing the business plan. Just like what Mr. Wang promised, none dared to approach her for a toast. They seemed to totally ignore her presence.

After a long time, they finished the discussion. A sigh of relief escaped Bella's lips.

Randy helped her get up. He looked at her and produced a card key from his pocket, and abruptly said, "Go upstairs and wash yourself. People might say that I bullied you if you went home in this state. Remember, don't enter the wrong room!"

"Don't worry, I remember. It's Room 886!" she replied. Bella appreciated Randy's effort to be considerate. Everyone knew that he was stingy, but he was surprisingly generous tonight. The party was held in the most prestigious hotels in the city. Normally, she couldn't afford to stay in one of its luxury suites.

Bella was just relieved that she could tidy up and wash the scent of alcohol off. She didn't want to look like a mess in front of Louise and her son.

She stumbled and bumped into other hotel guests on her way to the elevator. She got off on the eighth floor and searched frantically for the room. Her mind was a mess. When she saw one that had two 8s, she quickly went inside.

Her temples were throbbing and everything was swaying. As soon as she entered the room, she threw herself on the luxurious bed. Her face was very pink and she felt hot all over. She undid the sash that wrapped around her waist and undressed completely. She felt that she would die if she hadn't removed her clothes.

"I feel so sick! Too much wine is not a good thing. Oh Russell, why can't you listen to my explanation? Back then, I was..." With a hiccup, Bella forgot what she was mumbling about. All she wanted, that instant, was to vent out her anger and grievances. She had already suffered for the past five years.

When he heard the noise outside, Russell turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He was still dripping wet when he got out of the shower. His fair skin glowed attractively.

'Was that a woman's voice?' he thought. He didn't remember asking for room service that evening.

"Whoever you are, get out!" he shouted harshly.

"Why should I get out? You're an awful person for disturbing my conversation with Russell. I'm going to get you for this..."

The woman's drunken response filled the room. The voice struck a sensitive cord in Russell's heart, and he recognized its owner. 'Damn it! She followed me here on purpose, ' he thought.

He walked straight to the bedside. He saw the clothes sprawled on the floor carpet, and couldn't help but smirk. He cleared his throat and his deep voice boomed across the room. "Bella, even after all these years, you're still as cunning as I remember!"

Russell found her lounged on the bed and with her eyes closed. Without any signs of sympathy, he carried her to the bathroom and dumped her in the tub. He turned on the faucet and ice-cold water gushed out. His voice was just as cold when he said, "Bella, you and your manager got the wrong target. You're a really vile and self-destructive being!"

Bella, who was just in her undergarments, felt the freezing water as it filled the bathtub. "It's so cold! Let me out!" she screamed. Russell pinned her by the neck to prevent her from getting up. Bella could feel his strong grip around her throat. She could hardly breathe. It was getting more and more painful. The icy water didn't help; it felt like needles were stabbing her.

Russell realized that her face had turned purple so he loosened his hold. As soon as he relaxed his grip, the woman managed to wrap herself around him.

Bella grabbed his hand and whispered with a smile, "You smell so nice and reassuring." She was clearly delirious.

"How dare you get close and pretend that nothing's wrong! Bella, I warn you, you can't get away with this even if you sprout wings this instant!" Russell was trying to shake the drunk woman off him when his bath towel fell. She clung tighter to his cold body.

Russell felt the warmth of her body, yet he felt revolted at the thought of their situation. This woman was really a slut!

"You make me feel comfortable..." Bella stared at the blurry vision of the man, and suddenly asked him, "Do you know Russell? You look just like him. Can you help me apologize to him?"

"Apologize? It's too late for your apology. You should have died back then..."

Russell cried out in agony. Once again, he grabbed her neck. The force of his grip made the woman gasp for air. Her breathing got short and irregular, and her lips got pale.

Russell saw the pained look on Bella's face, and felt his anger boil. This time, his rage was directed at himself. He hated himself for not teaching her a good lesson back then. He regret letting her go. He shouldn't have been easy on her!

"It's not my fault!" Bella managed to cry out. She somehow imagined herself in her nightmare again. She thought she was talking to the bloody lady, but only this time it was a man. It was Russell. She tried her best to defend herself from his accusing glare. She kept on screaming that it was not her fault.

"How dare you say that it was not your fault!" he blurted out. Russell let go of his grip. He didn't want to touch this shameless woman any longer. He became disgruntled at the thought that they were in the same room, alone.

With little effort, he pushed her away and she fell on the floor.

Standing over her, he said, "Bella, I will never stop until I make your life a living hell!"

"Bella, I will never stop until I make your life a living hell!"

These words echoed in her ears for a long time like a curse. It was as if someone begged the devil to torment her mind and soul. She almost considered that death would have been a sweet gift.

When Bella woke up again, she found herself alone in the hotel suite. Sleep sobered her up a little bit. She realized that the stranger she had mistaken for Russell was actually the man she was looking for. She messed up, again. The man she had longed for so many years had left. He abandoned her once more.

She was damp from her encounter with Russell earlier and she felt a burning pain all over her body. She crawled to the bathroom and hoisted herself up using the door knob. She slipped into the bathtub filled with cold water. She hoped that the cold would numb her sore body, and her heart. Without a warning, tears fell down like rain.

All she could think about was that man. He haunted her dreams for all these years. He would cast her a look as though she had done nothing good in her life. His eyes and his voice were always full of contempt. She cried herself to sleep.

The next day, she looked at the mirror, only to find a different woman staring at her. This version of Bella had puffy eyes and sunken cheeks; she looked several years older. She couldn't believe what she saw.

She left the hotel, went to Louise's place, and apologized for the trouble. She went home with her son and prepared for work. Even though she didn't feel well, she couldn't afford to miss work. The bonus pay for perfect attendance was at stake.

She was unaware that Randy had already been waiting for her in his office for quite some time.

As soon as she rushed into the building and clocked in, the manager's secretary, Ingrid Liang, whispered to her, "Hey, Bella, the general manager is looking for you. Did you do something to upset him yesterday? Why did he look pissed off when he arrived here? His expression scared me to death!" Ingrid Liang couldn't help but clutch her chest after recalling what happened that morning.

"Nothing serious," said Bella, remorselessly.

If anyone did something wrong, it was Randy. He encouraged her to get drunk. He gave her the card key. Everything turned into a mess because of him.

If he was angry, then she was angrier. She was not his servant. She already humored him by coming with him to the party, despite it being a weekend.

The more she thought about the reason for his anger, the more confused she got. She reached his office and knocked. She heard Randy yell, "Come in!"

She took a deep breath and opened the door. She was astonished to find the bulky figure of Mr. Wang inside the office.

She remembered how Mr. Wang made inappropriate advances to her last night. She began to feel uncomfortable.

Randy's voiced boomed in the office. "Bella, what's wrong with you? Didn't I tell you to go straight to Room 886 last night? Where on earth have you been all this time?" Apparently, Mr. Wang scolded Randy in the wee hours of the morning. That was the reason why the general manager went to his office in a very foul mood.

"I went and stayed in that room last night. Is there any problem?" Bella was confused.

"Of course there is a problem! I asked you to go to Mr. Wang's room and apologize to him for your rudeness!" Randy couldn't contain himself and blurted this out.

He was already in panic. If he couldn't secure this deal, the board of directors would take this against him. He was already warned several times this year due to his lackluster performance. His position as general manager was on the line.

"Wait, you expected me to go to Mr. Wang's room?" Bella realized the truth; her unnecessary presence in the party, the harassment she suffered, and the strange wine were all suspicious. She was sold to Mr. Wang in order for the deal to push through.

She realized that due to her drunkenness, she went inside the wrong room last night. Randy's act of generosity and thoughtfulness was just a trap!

Deep inside, she was relieved to have taken the wrong room. Despite all that happened, she believed herself as lucky. She stared straight at the two men standing before her.

"Hey! Why are you glaring at us? Bella, do you understand that I could fire you this instant?" Randy was fuming mad. He had to show Mr. Wang that he was in control.

"Well, you don't have to fire me. I quit!" Bella unceremoniously took off her company uniform and threw it hard at Randy. It was the final straw. She had been holding back her anger and frustration for a long time.

Randy was stunned when the clothes hit him. He couldn't believe that this normally submissive woman could show such fierceness. He was enraged by her utter rudeness and disrespect towards him, the general manager!

"Bella! You must apologize to me and to Mr. Wang!" After barking that order, Randy nervously turned to his guest. Mr. Wang, who had retreated to the couch, seemed to be amused at what was going on. Randy fawningly said, "Mr. Wang, this woman is too uncivilized and ungrateful. I'll find a more suitable woman for you tonight. I assure you that you'll be very satisfied!"

"You're an animal!" Bella screamed. She couldn't stand this crap anymore.

Just then, Mr. Wang pushed Randy aside and lumbered towards Bella. He grinned and coaxed her, "Miss Song, please don't be angry. Let's have a nice talk. If you don't want to stay in this company any more, then come with me. I promise I can give you a very comfortable life!" When he finished talking, Mr. Wang had closed the gap between them significantly. She could clearly hear him breathing. He was licking his lips like a wild beast. He reached for her hand.

Bella noticed this and darted away. She flashed a very disgusted look at the two men and ran out of the room.

As she was furiously packing her things, the news about her being a gold digger spread throughout the company like wildfire.

Ingrid Liang, who was a good friend of Bella's, came to break the news to her. She said in a worried voice, "Bella, Randy called a special meeting just now, and announced that you had been romantically involved with a rich man. He said that you're a gold digger. Is that true?"

"I don't care if you believe it or not!" She was absolutely appalled at Randy's behavior.

"Bella, how could you say that? I thought we were good friends!" Ingrid Liang was hurt by her friend's response.

"I'm sorry about that. I really don't mind what they say about me; besides, I'm leaving this place!" She packed her things faster. She was even more fired-up to leave this hellhole immediately.

But before she could leave the building, an announcement was made to all company staff to proceed to the ground floor lobby to welcome the new president, who would be arriving shortly.

It was just bad timing to move out. With a suitcase in tow, she inched her way through the parade of office workers. The building lobby was already packed with people so it was impossible to push her way out. She stayed inconspicuously at one corner of the lobby and waited for her chance to leave.

She reminded herself that she was no longer an employee so there was no need for her to bow and lick the feet of the new president.

A few minutes later, the hall erupted with cheers and applause. The female employees were especially thrilled and their shrieks overwhelmed the rest of the noise. 'I thought the new president was coming. Why does it sound like a famous celebrity has arrived?' Bella mused to herself.

Surrounded by his group of bodyguards and personal staff, Russell walked in the building and stopped in the middle of the lobby. He glanced at the large crowd around him.

From somewhere in the throng of employees, Randy came out and obsequiously addressed the new arrival, "Welcome, Mr. Su!"

Russell didn't say anything. He polished his watch with a neat handkerchief. Nathan Mu, his assistant, inquired, "Are you sure you have gathered everyone in the company?"

"Of course!" Randy had already ordered his secretary to perform a head count. Despite the overwhelming number of people in the hall, he was impressed at Russell's powerful aura and commanding presence. He was soon covered in sweat.

He had never expected that the handsome gentleman at the banquet last night would become the new company president. He was also surprised that he came to inspect the company, today.

To everyone's surprise, Nathan Mu produced a tablet containing the list of employees and read out a name, "Bella! Bella!" Silence. "Bella isn't here?" Nathan asked Randy coldly after his calls went unanswered.

Randy was so frightened that he almost fell on his knees. He discreetly glanced at Russell's face. Fortunately, the president's expression remained unchanged.

"Bella has been recently fired from the company because she is a gold digger and her actions hurt the company's image. Everyone here could attest to the fact!" Randy suddenly felt confident, and his action, justified. It was a good thing he made the announcement about Bella's dismissal earlier.

By this time, the employees had begun discussing Bella in hushed voices. They didn't expect her to be a wily woman and a gold digger. It was really shameful.

"I received the list this morning and Bella was still on it. She must still be in the building. Find her as soon as possible!" Deep inside, Nathan Mu was also anxious. He didn't expect that Bella got dismissed from work. He didn't dare look at Russell's face. Fortunately, his boss had been focused on polishing his watch.

Nathan Mu had been working for Russell for many years. He knew how much Russell hated Bella.

He had just received the order to buy Clouds Group last night. When he acquired the employee list and saw Bella's name, he immediately realized something. Five years had already passed, but Russell still hadn't moved on.