Chapter 649 Beneath the Surface
There was a flicker of bitterness in Wyatt’s eyes.
“So, I accepted Nora to satisfy Paul’s twisted sense of control. I thought that if he felt secure enough, he’d treat Yunice better. Because if he didn’t, there was a chance she might leave him–and that would’ve been a win for me. The more I appeared to covet Yunice, the more he clung to her.”
Laurie sighed. “You thought Yunice loved Paul so much she’d give up her life for him. So even knowing what kind of scum he was, you still helped bring them closer.”
Wyatt’s cigarette had already been reduced to bits of torn tobacco between his fingers. He continued, “Whenever we ran into each other, Paul would deliberately flirt with Yunice right in front of me. It only confirmed my suspicion that Nora was planted to test me. When Nora started spreading rumors that she was my girlfriend, I knew about it. I just didn’t clarify anything. Nora played both sides. Eventually, even Paul couldn’t tell who I truly liked–Yunice or her.
I knew Nora was building up to something. Paul had leverage on her, so she had no choice but to help him sabotage me. So the day you exposed her and caused that scene, I played along, denied everything, and fired her. Behind the scenes, I arranged for her to disappear–my way of compensating her for being used. But she was too ambitious. She wouldn’t let go. Her persistence ultimately led to the steel mill accident. And that just happened to be the moment the Powell family was trying hardest to crush me. I had to show weakness to get them to ease up, so I kept pretending to be deeply in love with Nora. Later, they used her as leverage, threatening her life to force me into becoming their pawn.
But I used that to my advantage. I let them lower their guard and quietly built up my power right under their noses. Yunice came back into my life just as I was getting ready to strike back. So once I was sure I could marry Yunice, I revealed my hand and cut ties with the Powell family. They couldn’t control me anymore. All they could do was send Nora back, begging for crumbs. It felt like… the moment Yunice got close to me, everything started falling into place.”
Laurie looked at the spark in his eyes and sighed. These businessmen–always living in shadows. Their lives were an endless game of lies and half-truths. The deeper their tricks, the deeper their masks. They fooled the world–and in the end, even themselves. She’d chased every lead, only to find that the one who started the rumors… was Wyatt.
Laurie rolled her eyes. “All of this? You should’ve told Yunice a long time ago. What’s the point of telling me?”
Wyatt said, “I never had the chance. Even though we’ve been married for a while now, Yunice’s heart’s never been with me. She doesn’t care whether I love her or not.”
Laurie couldn’t help but scoff. “You’ve already learned the hard way once–keeping your mouth shut just hurts you more. If you never say it, how’s she supposed to change how she sees you? How’s she supposed to feel anything for you?”
But before she finished, Wyatt gave her a knowing look. “You think I sat here talking to you all this time for no reason?”
He let out a faint laugh. “That thing in your hair–you really think it looks like a hairpin?”
He’d noticed. She was wearing a recording device. She’d recorded everything he just said. Wyatt had known the whole time. That’s why he let it all spill.
Laurie shut off the recorder, glaring at him. “So you were using me to clear your name?”
Wyatt said calmly, “She prefers talking to you. She’s more likely to believe what you say.”
Coming from him, even the truth would sound like an excuse. But through Laurie, it might actually reach Yunice’s heart.
Laurie pointed at him, expression unreadable. Then, her face changed, and she held out her hand. “Pay up. I don’t work for free.”
Wyatt, unfazed, pulled out a chequebook. The moment he wrote down a number, Laurie snatched the check away.
She raised an eyebrow. “One more. That girl’s my apprentice. Selling her out like this goes against my conscience. Gotta charge extra.”
“…You’re getting greedy,” Wyatt muttered, but he wrote out another check anyway.
Laurie looked at the number and smiled with satisfaction. “My daughter’s starting school. Tuition, tutoring, extracurriculars–it all costs money.” She flicked the edge of the check, smiling at the crisp sound it made. “Whatever other kids have, my daughter deserves too.”
Wyatt said, “Bring Sandy to Pavilion Hall sometime. Yunice wouldn’t mind–she’s not a stranger.”
Laurie replied with a distracted hum and walked out of the restaurant, leaving Wyatt unsure if she’d really taken his words to heart.
He sat there, fingers tapping lightly on the table. His thoughts lingered on that bright look in Laurie’s eyes when she talked about her daughter. Like Sandy was her anchor, her reason for everything.
If he and Yunice had a daughter someday…