Baking With Boys |✔

44. Black Forest Eclair

"Sell it to the newspapers... Francis."

Her words sought attention, desperately. Slowly, and deliberately creeping up. But the rebel inside me urged me to ignore her, and not give her the satisfaction she wanted.

It was futile.

Those words still screamed attention.

Though it took time for me to register her words in my head at first, it eventually did. Like a sinking ship, my heart drowned, tingling panic filling the void it left.

So.

Kate. Just. Said. Francis?!

I pricked and poked at this information, finding it too foreign and indigestible. I went into denial mode. It couldn't be our Francis. Not like 'ours'. But the one we knew.

Why would he?

It had to be someone else who told her to do this.

I wanted to laugh. That maniac kind of laughter. Because as much as I didn't want to believe it, Kate's body language or confidence didn't suggest otherwise.

But that could be fabricated too, right?

"Bullshit," I muttered, not making my inner turmoil evident.

Her expression didn't change. There was noise from the other side of the line. Kate pulled the phone off from her ear, and pressed a few times on the phone screen.

Not giving her time to sprout more lies, I shrugged, and turned my back on her. "I don't believe you."

"Then, listen."

There was white noise and then the loudspeaker came on. I crossed my fingers, heart beating fast. Bella's mouth hung open and I winced at the sound of his voice. I wished I could escape this reality.

Or, for a change, have a choice in what I could hear and what not. The answer is obvious, isn't it?

It was Francis.

"Hello? Kate? What happened?"

Talk about words being weapons. His voice was the biggest weapon right now and it cut right through our trust and faith.

Bella stalked forward to snatch the phone away from Kate, but Kate pulled it away, disconnecting the call. "You're blackmailing him, aren't you?" she hissed, grabbing Kate's collar and pulling on her top. "Tell me!"

Kate smirked. "I don't have to explain anything to you."

Bella dropped her collar. Kate shrugged and brushed off the wrinkles from her shirt, unperturbed. From the likes of it, I suspected Bella would send all the bodyguards on Kate and have her end up as beaten dinner.

"Bella, let her go," I whispered, before she acted upon with anything harsh.

"I am not done with her." Her tone got more aggressive.

Everyone was nervous. I shot a worried look at Brandon, and he nodded. Roger still on the ground, he sidestepped and whispered to one of the bodyguards. The man nodded, took a step back and motioned to others. Without a word, all of them disappeared into the shadows.

"Goodbye Isabela." Kate grinned, taking a step back.

"You--" Bella followed her, but I pulled her back. This was not the time for this. If Francis was really behind this... I was desperate for him to vomit out the reason. "Let me go, Tyler."

"No. Kate won't go anywhere, and right now we need to clarify who is doing this."

"Fine." She pulled her hand out of mine with a jerk. "Giulia, let's go kick that scum."