BAD WIFE

Chapter {32}

Niko eased into one of the leather chairs beside Baylee, his gaze shifting between her radiant face and the glowing monitors in front of them. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she watched the screen, her mouth tugged into a hopeful grin. He loved seeing her like this—happy, alive—but part of him braced for impact.

He didn't want her hopes to soar so high only to come crashing down again.

"You asked for my help," he said calmly, "and this was the only thing I could think of. But... it's not likely to work."

Baylee narrowed her eyes at him in defiance. "You never know. Love prevails."

He turned to her slowly, one brow arching in surprise. That didn't sound like her at all. "Think, Baylee. If Lola came on to your fiancé, and he didn't tell you about it... then you found out later—could you honestly let it go?"

Her lips parted slightly as she hesitated.

"This is different," she insisted, grasping for belief. "He loves her. And he was loyal to her."

"Love isn't the most important thing in a relationship," he replied, voice steady but laced with weight. "It's trust. And he didn't tell her. That's not loyalty."

Her throat tightened. She rested a hand on her stomach and leaned back into the chair, visibly deflating. She hadn't thought about it that way. She didn't want to think about it that way.

But he was right.

And now she felt foolish.

The high she'd been on dissolved into doubt and regret. Was this all in vain? A desperate stunt? A terrible idea?

She couldn't bring herself to look at him. Her eyes reluctantly shifted to the monitor again—like someone about to witness the death of their favorite character.

On the screen, Lola's hands were flying in agitation, her voice clearly raised though muted. She was pointing at Conner, who stood still with his arms crossed, absorbing her fury like a statue.

Baylee's heart clenched. "Maybe... maybe I should've stayed out of it," she murmured. "Maybe I should just let them go."

Niko leaned back and pulled his phone from his pocket. "We're already here," he said, then glanced at her with gentler eyes. "Chinese, right? What do you want?"

"Anything," she sighed, her appetite shriveling. "Can you put the volume up?"

Just as he reached for the controls, the red phone on the desk rang sharply. Niko checked the screen—it was Lola.

He picked up. "Hello."

"LET ME OUT RIGHT NOW!" Her voice exploded through the speaker. "How dare you? How could you? YOU of all people—"

"I'll let you out once you calm down and have a civilized conversation," he replied firmly. "I'm not asking you to forgive him, just... talk."

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? LET ME OUT!"

He hung up calmly and turned to Baylee, who looked deeply unsettled.

"Whatever happens in there," he said, "even if it doesn't fix anything... at the very least, it'll give them some kind of closure."

Baylee let out a shaky breath, pressing a hand to her chest as a wave of nausea hit.

"Hey..." He reached over and touched her shoulder, grounding her. "You're okay."

Her voice trembled. "This could make things worse. She might stay mad at you forever."

He turned her chair gently to face him and ran his hands down her arms in a slow, calming gesture. "That's not going to happen. Relax, alright?"