Fated To The Beast (English)

Chapter 6

BELLA walked in silence, gazing at the sky where the full moon glowed brilliantly, surrounded by shimmering stars. She hugged herself as the cold night breeze caressed her skin. Time had passed quickly, and just as planned, she and Mara had gone swimming at five in the afternoon. By past six, they had left the water and headed straight to the cottage for dinner before finally changing into dry clothes.

Afterward, she and Mara spent some time chatting in the villa. But when Mara announced that she was heading to the beach bar again—most likely to see the new lead vocalist of the band Danger Zone—Bella decided to stay behind to rest. She already knew how obsessed Mara was with that singer.

However, after tossing and turning in bed for what felt like hours, Bella found herself unable to sleep. Eventually, she gave up trying and stepped outside for a walk.

It felt like only yesterday when they had arrived on the island. Time flew by so fast that she hardly noticed its passing. Still, she was grateful—grateful that in just a short time, this place had somehow helped heal the wounds in her heart. This vacation, even briefly, had distracted her and allowed her to forget about Hans.

And now, as she wandered alone, it wasn’t because she was sulking—it was simply because she wanted to take a walk.

Bella sighed. She realized that no matter how difficult or painful something was, time would eventually ease the burden. She continued strolling along the shore until her attention was caught by something gleaming in the sand.

Curious, she bent down and picked it up, discovering that it was a small bottle. It was beautifully designed with mixed colors and sparkled as if sprinkled with glitter. Bella frowned, examining it closely. Driven by curiosity, she decided to remove the cap and check if it contained anything.

"Could this be a message in a bottle? Or maybe a genie is hiding inside?" she murmured to herself, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Thoughts of fairy tales she had read and watched played in her mind.

"What if this bottle really has magic?"

She quickly shook her head. "Come on, Bella! What are you even thinking? Just open it already!" she scolded herself, rolling her eyes at her own imagination. She knew fairy tales weren’t real—they were just products of human creativity.

"But what could be inside?"

Finally, she removed the cap and tilted the bottle over her palm. A small, rolled-up piece of paper slipped out. She quickly unrolled it and read the message.

"If you happen to pick this bottle, that means you’ll be my valentine."

Bella frowned. "What is this?" she muttered before laughing softly. She placed the note back inside the bottle, sealed it again, and tucked it into the pocket of her shorts.

"Good thing I’m wearing something with pockets today," she thought.

"Oh, right. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day."

She sighed. To her, Valentine’s wasn’t something to be excited about. Aside from the fact that she was unlucky in love, it was just an ordinary day. After all, if you truly love someone, every day should feel like Valentine’s. She even found it amusing how some people celebrated the occasion yet weren’t genuinely happy in their relationships.

As she continued walking, her steps suddenly halted when she spotted someone wading into the ocean. The water had already reached his waist, and for some reason, an uneasy feeling crept into Bella’s chest.

Panic surged through her when a scene from a movie flashed in her mind—someone attempting to drown themselves.

"Oh my God! He can’t do that. First of all, taking your own life is wrong. Second, my conscience won’t be at peace if he really does it. What if he ends up haunting me?"

Without hesitation, Bella rushed into the water.

Her heart pounded wildly, though she wasn’t sure if it was just fear or something else entirely. On her first day on the island, she had also entertained the thought of ending her life due to depression. That’s when she understood that even if someone didn’t want to die, they could still be pushed to the edge if their heart was weak.

Fortunately, she had managed to think rationally that day and stopped herself.

Bella didn’t want anyone else to go through that same darkness. She had realized that life was still worth living, and no problem—no matter how painful—was a good enough reason to end it all.

By the time the water reached her waist, the man was still moving deeper. Panting, she stopped for a moment before calling out to him.

"Hey! What are you doing? Whatever it is, please don’t go through with it! I’m begging you!" she shouted.

The cold seawater sent a shiver down her spine. She crossed her arms, rubbing them for warmth.

"Please! Come back!" she pleaded again.

But the man didn’t respond—he didn’t even turn around.

Determined, Bella pushed forward until the water reached her chest. When she finally caught up, she grabbed his arm from behind. The moonlight provided just enough illumination for her to see his face when he turned around.

Bella’s jaw dropped in shock.

"You?!" she gasped, stepping back and letting go of his arm.

Of all the people she could have encountered—why did it have to be him?

The man didn’t say a word. He just stared at her, his expression unreadable.

After a few moments of silence, Bella averted her gaze, biting her lower lip as she squeezed her eyes shut.

What made things worse was the realization that she might have just embarrassed herself—because, judging by his demeanor, it didn’t seem like he was planning to take his own life at all.

If anything, she was the one about to pass out from the intensity of his dark gaze.

Suddenly, a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Why, lady? Do you have a problem with me? Let me ask you—what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice teasing.

Bella swallowed hard, avoiding his eyes.

"W-what? N-nothing! I just… I mean…" she stammered, unable to form a proper response.

Her face burned with embarrassment.

"What the hell, Bella? What were you thinking? Instead of doing something heroic, you just ended up making a fool of yourself!"

The man chuckled.

"What? Don’t tell me you’re stalking me?" he taunted, his grin widening.

Bella’s embarrassment instantly turned to irritation.

"Excuse me?!" she snapped.

His mocking laughter only fueled her annoyance.

"Then what? If you’re not stalking me, why are you here? Hurry up and explain—you’re wasting my time."

"And what about my time? Do you think I didn’t waste mine following you here? How was I supposed to know you weren’t actually trying to ki—"

She stopped mid-sentence when he laughed again.

"Seriously, miss? Don’t tell me you thought I was going to take my own life?" amusement laced his voice.

"Well, how would I know?! If you had done it, you might have haunted me for not stopping you!"

"You still believe in ghosts at your age? Besides, even if ghosts were real, why would I haunt you? I don’t even know you."

Bella fell silent. No matter how she looked at it, she had completely lost this argument.

Frustrated, she huffed and turned away.

"Whatever! Since you’re not planning to kill yourself, then go ahead and do whatever you want. Ciao!"

She was about to leave when he suddenly grabbed her arm.

His grip tightened as he pulled her closer.

Bella’s breath hitched when their skin touched. She instinctively stepped back, managing to free herself.

But before she could escape, he moved behind her, his breath warm against her bare shoulder.

"You didn’t answer my question, lady. I asked you—where do you think you’re going?"

Bella trembled—not from the cold, but from something else entirely.

And for some reason… she couldn't move.