CHAPTER 83: MORE LIES

Bella shut the door behind her with a soft click, her back pressing against it as if to keep the storm inside from spilling out. The walls of her office suddenly felt too close, the air too thin.

Her hands trembled slightly as she moved to her desk and set her tablet down, taking a shaky breath. She could still hear Jake’s voice echoing in her head—"I’m sorry I stood you up."

That was all he said. That was all he thought had happened. How couldn’t he have known when he sent her his address? Didn’t he think she’d go there and see him? Or hadn’t he known he’d left his door ajar?

Her chest tightened painfully. Either he was pretending not to know and choosing to lie straight to her face or... he genuinely didn’t know what had happened. But that didn’t excuse the fact that he’d led her on.

Bella sank into her chair, staring blankly at her desk. Her heart felt heavy, her thoughts looping endlessly between disbelief and confusion.

He had looked so lost. So sincere. The way he’d said it — the raw confusion in his eyes — it didn’t sound like a man who’d just spent the night with another woman.

But then, she had seen it.

She saw Helena in his bed. She saw his arm around her. She saw the scene so vividly that even now, the image made her stomach twist.

"Why would he act like nothing happened?" she whispered to herself. "Why pretend it was just a missed meeting?"

She pressed her palms against her face, trying to steady her breathing. Every time she thought about it, her heart splintered a little more.

Maybe... maybe it hadn’t been him who texted her.

The thought came unbidden, slow and cautious — but once it appeared, it refused to leave.

She remembered the message he’d sent last night after missing several of her calls. Although it had only been a few weeks but he knew Jake would have at least picked to talk to her.

What if... Helena had done it? Perhaps, she’d taken his phone and sent her the text without his consent. But what about the missed calls?

The possibility made her lift her head slightly. If Helena had gotten access to Jake’s phone somehow, she could’ve been the one to message Bella. It would explain everything — the message, the timing, the open door...

But then, why? What would she gain from something like that?

Bella leaned back in her chair, eyes glassy with unshed tears. None of it made sense. Her heart wanted to believe Jake, to hold onto the man who’d been gentle, patient, and kind. But her mind — bruised and trembling — whispered that she’d already been fooled once.

She couldn’t afford to be wrong this time.

A dull ache spread across her chest, and she rubbed it absently. The office suddenly felt suffocating. She needed air. She needed to step outside, even if only for a few minutes.

She stood, grabbing her phone, and moved toward the elevator but before she could get there, a shadow fell across her face.

It was Raymond. What was he doing here? Did he have an appointment with his brother? Or had he also seen what she saw?

He closed the gap between then with his usual charm — crisp suit, confident smile, that air of warmth he always carried. But Bella, already on edge, noticed the sharp gleam in his eyes, something quietly calculating beneath the surface.

"Bella," he greeted smoothly. Then he frowned. "Hey. You look... a little pale. Everything alright?"

Bella quickly composed herself, forcing a small smile. "I’m fine. Just... a bit tired, that’s all."

Raymond studied her for a second, tilting his head slightly. "You sure? You don’t look fine to me."

"I am," she insisted, straightening. "Just didn’t sleep well."

He smiled faintly, though his gaze lingered on her a bit too long. "Alright. If you say so."

He leaned casually against the wall, crossing his arms. "Actually, I came to see my brother. Thought I’d check on him before my next meeting. He was a little... out of it last night."

Bella’s stomach clenched. "Out of it? What do you mean?"

Raymond nodded lightly. "Yeah. We met for a drink. He had a bit too much, and I dropped him off at home. I figured he’d be nursing a hangover this morning, so I thought I’d stop by and make sure he’s still alive," he said with a soft chuckle.

Bella tried to keep her expression neutral, but her heart raced at his words. "Oh," she said quietly. "He’s in his office."

"Thanks," Raymond said easily, pushing off the wall.

He turned toward the door, but then paused, looking back at her. "Hey," he said softly. "Are you really okay?"

Bella blinked at the question, startled by the concern in his tone. "Yes, I am," she replied, forcing steadiness into her voice.

Raymond nodded slowly, as though weighing her answer. "You seem... tense. If Jake’s been hard on you lately, you can tell me, you know. He’s my brother, but I don’t always agree with his methods."

Her brows furrowed slightly. "No, he hasn’t been hard on me. I told you — I’m fine. You really don’t have to worry."

Raymond smiled again, the kind of smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Alright, alright. Just making sure. You know I care, right?"

Bella managed a faint nod, though his sudden friendliness after that day he saw her with Jake, felt strange.

He gave her one last lingering glance before walking down to Jake’s office.

"I’ll tell him you’re in the ladies’ if he asks where you are," he said smoothly, without turning back.

Bella exhaled, a slow shaky breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding as she watched him head towards Jake’s office.

Something about the way he’d spoken unsettled her.

She returned to her desk and sat down, trying to push it away — but her thoughts wouldn’t settle.

Raymond said he dropped Jake off last night.

If that was true... then how had Helena ended up there? He had called her, obviously.

What had she been thinking? That Helena had magically ended up there? Just like he’d drunkenly texted her his address and asked her to come, he’d also texted Helena.

That was the only explanation to any of this and now, she could let him be, knowing she’d been the fool.

Meanwhile, Raymond walked toward Jake’s office with deliberate calm. His steps were unhurried, his face composed, but inside, his nerves pulsed with adrenaline.

He’d seen Bella’s pale face. Her confusion. The flicker of pain in her eyes when he mentioned Jake.

It was working.

Everything was falling perfectly into place — though the part of him that still remembered being Jake’s brother, not his rival, ached faintly.

He shoved that thought down. He couldn’t afford weakness.

If Bella believed what she saw — if she started to pull away from Jake — then his plan was moving exactly as intended.

And the guilt clawing at his gut? That could wait. In fact, it’d fade off once he gets Bella and Jake, Helena. It was a win win, unlike what Jake had done seven years ago, leaving him hurt and broken.

Thinking about it, it was all because of it he’d turned into a nuisance, clubbing and getting into scandals which had eventually caused him his share. It had been all Jake’s fault.

He pushed the thoughts aside as he reached Jake’s door. He paused, smoothing his tie and slipping back into his usual mask of warmth. Then, with a soft knock, he pushed the door open and stepped in.

Jake looked up from his desk immediately. His eyes were tired, shadowed.

"Raymond," he said, his voice a mix of surprise and irritation. "You’re here?" He’d thought it was probably Bella.

"Yeah," Raymond said lightly, closing the door behind him. "Wanted to make sure you didn’t drink yourself to death last night. I also want to know why you called, asking me those questions. What happened?"

Jake frowned slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don’t know, Ray. I just don’t seem to remember half of what happened last night. I’ve been trying to figure out what happened but I just can’t."

Raymond’s brows rose, feigning curiosity. "You don’t remember?"

Jake shook his head. "Just the lounge. Then nothing. You said you dropped me off, right?"

"Sure did," Raymond said easily, slipping into the seat across from him. "You were practically asleep before we even left. I figured you needed to rest, so I didn’t stick around."

Jake sighed, frustrated. "Yeah, well... something weird happened. I woke up and Helena was there, in my house and in my clothes."

Raymond widened his eyes just enough to look shocked. "Helena? In your house?"

Jake nodded slowly, his voice low. "Yeah. She said I called her over, but I swear I didn’t. I don’t even remember having her number."

Raymond tilted his head, frowning thoughtfully — though inside, his pulse quickened with panic. "That’s... strange," he said carefully. "Maybe you were drunker than you or I thought?"

Jake exhaled, still visibly uneasy. "That’s the thing. I didn’t even have much to drink. You were there, right?"

Raymond smiled faintly, hiding the twist of guilt behind his teeth. "I was. It’s just.... don’t worry, brother. You probably just needed a night to loosen up. Happens to the best of us. I’m sure whatever happened between Helena and yourself can be sorted out."

But Jake didn’t look convinced. His eyes drifted toward the window, distant, and lost.

And as Raymond watched him, a part of him wondered just how long he could keep up this lie before it came crashing down.