?Chapter 981:


    Kaiden was bewildered.


    What did she mean? He hadn’t done anything wrong. Why couldn’t he go in?


    Kaiden and Marvin locked eyes. They leaned against the car and lit cigarettes.


    “What’s up with you?” Kaiden inquired. “Did you and Baylee have a fight?”


    “You’re not aware of the details, but Ellie has already shown me a cold demeanor,” Marvin replied with a bitter smile. The bond between the two women was evident.


    Kaiden raised an eyebrow. He was ustomed to Ellie favoring her close friend. For Ellie, the specifics of Baylee’s situation didn’t matter as much as her emotional state. His wife was someone of strong principles. One of Ellie’s principles was that she could treat a good friend with unwavering loyalty.


    Ellie rapped on the door twice. From the strength and rhythm of the knocks, Baylee recognized it was Ellie. She opened the door.


    Baylee was no longer crying, but her eyes were red-rimmed as she managed a forced smile. Seeing that smile pained Ellie deeply. She embraced Baylee and gently patted her back to offerfort.


    “If you don’t feel like smiling, don’t force it, Baylee,” Ellie said softly.


    Baylee was touched, burying her head in Ellie’s neck and crying quietly. Waiting patiently for Baylee topose herself, Ellie asked, “What happened?”


    Baylee recounted what she had overheard at the Hills’ house. There were no secrets between them.


    “Maybe those words weren’t what Marvin meant? Like you said, it could have been a trap set by Shelton specifically for you to hear,” Ellie suggested. She could see that Baylee genuinely cared for Marvin.


    “That’s definitely a trap,” Baylee scoffed. “But who could have made Marvin say those things?”


    No one else but Marvin himself.


    What mattered most to Baylee was that Marvin had spoken those words willingly. What someone said behind someone else’s back often held the most truth.


    Your escape begins with ga ln ov els .


    Marvin imed his love for her wasn’t influenced by Quincy, but in the study, he hadn’t said that. There was always a falsehood in one of them. Which im could she trust?


    Baylee had no faith in Marvin’s words. From Ellie’s perspective, what Marvin said in private seemed more truthful, while his public statements appeared to be lies. Though Ellie silently condemned Marvin as deceitful, she refrained from passing judgment in front of her friend.


    What Baylee needed most at that moment wasn’t shared animosity, but unwavering support and sce.


    “Baylee, whatever choice you make, I’m here to support you,” Ellie assured her.


    Drying her tears, Baylee started questioning herself, “El, am I just not cut out for love?” Since birth, Baylee had only experienced two memorable rtionships. She had given her all to them, yet both had ended in disappointment and betrayal.


    Even more ironic was being deceived twice by two men who happened to be cousins!


    With aforting hand on Baylee’s shoulder, Ellie looked into her eyes and said, “Baylee, don’t overthink it. You’re amazing and deserve the very best.”


    A few minutes passed. Baylee took a deep breath,posed herself, and asked, “Ellie, can you see any redness in my eyes now?”


    “The rims are still a bit red,” Ellie confirmed with a nod. Anyone with eyes could see that Baylee had been crying.


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