Baking With Boys |✔

43. Turkish Delight

The first thing I thought was that Kiki won't go with us. It should have paled in comparison to her next words, but that's what ran in my mind. I wanted Kiki and her bodyguards to scare Kate's ass. Or maybe beat her up. Which was wrong, I mean she was a girl. But if we talked about gender equality, it should be equal in all levels, right?

"What do you mean?" Bella hissed, standing up abruptly.

"Your father, Alard has nothing to do with this." Kiki repeated herself.

"How are you so sure?"

"How are you so sure?" Kiki emphasized 'you', asking the question back to Bella.

She took a step back, her face twisted into a stressed frown. "Didn't you hear the recording? My papa is paying that bitch to--"

"Hold it right there." Kiki raised her hand, stopping Bella's words midway. It was like a fight between two alpha females, and we, poor starved bystanders could only wait for it unfold. "Tyler?"

"Huh?" I straightened when she called my name.

"Play the recording again." She turned back to Bella. "This time listen to it carefully."

I did as she asked. Bella had forwarded the audio message to all of us, so I turned on my phone and hit the play button.

-you complied easily-

Kiki took the phone out of my hand and hit pause. Shaking the phone in front of Bella, she said, "Your friend. She went willingly."

"No--"

"Shh!"

"Giulia won't do that!" Bella insisted.

"You're wrong. I would have done the same." She sighed. In a low voice, that only Bella could hear (and unintentionally me because I stood so close), she said, "If it meant saving my love from pain, I would have done the same."

Heat rose up my cheeks at the private confession. Was it the correct time to take a step back and give them their room? I didn't do anything, instead Bella gulped giving Kiki a hopeful look which was adorable in a way.

"You think she did this for me?"

Kiki patted Bella's head. "Do you really doubt that?"

Bella shook her head, a smile on her lips.

Kiki played the recording again, forwarding it to the last part.

-pay me. That bitch's father. Wilson, come-

"What did you hear?" Kiki smirked.

Bella frowned at the question, taking her time to answer. The contents were so clear that I answered instead of her. "Kate said about Bella's father paying her."

Kiki smiled as if I had just proven her point. "Listen carefully, Tyler. She says he will pay her. Not that he has. Why do you assume that her father approached her, and not the other way around?"

"But that doesn't make sense."

"Enlighten me."

"How would she know about the pen drive if someone didn't help her?" I asked. She wouldn't be having prophetic dreams about scandalous pen drives, would she?

"I haven't thought that far. But if Alard had anything to do with this...Bella and Giulia wouldn't be in this country anymore."

"What do you mean?" Bella narrowed her eyes.

"Do you really think he would let a meagre girl threaten her daughter and her girlfriend?" Kiki's tone carried much contempt, unable to believe that Alard might stoop down to this level.