Unexpected Marriage With Mr. Leighton: Rebirth of the Villain-Chapter 141: A BLOODLINE OF A TRAITOR

Suddenly, Laurel stopped sobbing and stared blankly at the ceiling. freёnovelkiss-com

"Why did he do that? We have been together since our young age. We went through everything together. I endured everything for him. I thought of my stepson as my own," Laurel lamented, her voice cracking with pain. "But why does it have to end up like this?"

"It’s not your fault. I know this sounds cheesy, but seriously, if someone wants to cheat on you, no matter how good you are to them, they will find a way to do it."

Laurel turned her gaze away; the agony was evident in her eyes. "I envy you, Hazel. You seem to have everything: love, support... But you are an asshole."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hazel frowned, squeezing the urge to pinch her so she would be a little bit sober. It felt not right to be annoyed by a drunken word.

Laurel continued, her voice filled with anger. "Yeah, you can do whatever you want. I saw how Ranon backed you up, how he defended you. You could afford to be an asshole and still have someone to rely on." A flare of frustration in Laurel’s words.

Hazel knew better than that; she shouldn’t have engaged with drunk people, but she spoke anyway. There was a good chance Laurel wouldn’t remember this conversation.

"You think I don’t have my own struggles?" She replied, keeping her voice even. "Trusting people has made me the asshole I am today. Maybe you need to be less trusting."

After their exchange, Laurel continued to ramble, but Hazel was generous enough to stay and listen until Laurel finally succumbed to sleep.

By the time the first light of morning crept through the windows, Hazel decided she wanted an early breakfast. Her energy was depleted.

She made her way to the kitchen, her mind still occupied with the events from the night before. Renna was surprised to see her there.

"You are up so early!" Renna remarked, raising an eyebrow because Hazel used to be a sleepyhead during this pregnancy.

"We have a guest in the guest bedroom. She is drunk; don’t bother her."

Renna prepared a vitamin for Hazel, reminding her of how often she forgot to take it. "Who is this guest then?"

"It’s Laurel, Ranon’s sister," Hazel answered.

After she finished with her breakfast, she returned to her bedroom, fatigue crashing over her like a wave. She had stayed up all night, and her baby was kicking, making sleep a challenge.

Hazel later woke up in the afternoon to find two calls and a single text from Ranon.

[Call me when you wake up.]

She concluded he must have reached out to Yara or Nolu to check on her, or it was also possible that they reported to him about what happened last night, which explained the lack of a barrage of messages.

Hazel dialed his number, and he picked up almost immediately. "Are you in a meeting?" She asked without so much as a hello, stretching her lazy limbs on the bed, letting Ranon know that she just woke up.

"Why did you go to a bar late at night?" He asked her instead.

"Well, I picked up your sister. She looked very distraught," Hazel explained.

"I thought you didn’t like her," Ranon noted.

"I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I would leave her to blackout in a bar without anyone there. It could give the Leighton family a bad image." She justified her action.

Ranon smirked. "So, you care about this family?"

"What to do? I am part of it now. Of course, I care. I always care, don’t I?" Hazel teased him playfully, then recounted everything that had happened the night before, even though she knew Ranon might have heard bits of it from Nolu or Yara.

"Okay, you can continue with your meeting then. You shouldn’t have picked up my call if you were in the middle of one," she added with a hint of playful sarcasm.

Ranon didn’t respond directly but instead said, "Don’t forget about your vitamins and take them regularly."

After that, he hung up, leaving Hazel with a smile. "Well, that was sweet," she thought, appreciating his concern.

***

Arlo remained by Aubrey’s side. She was feeling better, but she was on a mission to punish him for what he had done; she began asking for the most outrageous things.

It was as if she craved drama and, in doing so, caused him inconveniences.

Regardless of whether it stemmed from guilt or genuine care, Arlo stayed by her side, dutifully fulfilling her cravings.

He went to great lengths to obtain anything she desired, no matter how ridiculous it seemed.

One day, Aubrey suddenly declared that she wanted a burger, but it had to be from a specific place. Arlo obliged, and when he finally returned with it, she took a single bite before abandoning the food entirely.

That was only one instance among hundreds of ridiculous requests.

"Are you sure you love me?" Aubrey asked one evening when she cuddled with him on the bed and took his hand to rest it on her stomach gently, feeling the baby moving inside.

Arlo repeatedly convinced himself that the arrival of this child was worth the price of losing River. It was a mantra he recited in the quiet moments, trying to drown out the regret that crept in.

"Of course I love you," he replied; he kissed the crown of her head tenderly, hugged her body closely, and gave a little squeeze, hoping to provide some comfort as she mewled in his arms.

Aubrey let out a soft moan, the tension easing in her body, and almost immediately fell asleep against him.

Arlo held her close, the warmth of her body against his reminding him of how wrong it was. This was not the body that he wanted to hug.

She didn’t feel right. Her scent didn’t feel right. Her voice was not right.

Wrapped in his thoughts, Arlo remained vigilant, knowing that their lives were about to change significantly. His father had made a move...

***

Arthur had just hung up his phone after a tense conversation with one of his men. He had learned from his informant that the Barlowes were planning to betray his family.

They were trying to stab him in the back. He could feel his blood boil as he immediately picked up his phone to call Lyle.

"I want you to do something," Arthur instructed, his voice low and menacing. He outlined his plan, speaking with a chilling resolve about taking Hazel. "I need to talk to her."

"Sir, what do you mean by taking Mrs. Leighton?" Lyle asked, confused. He had met Hazel once when her sister was in the hospital, and while they seemed to know each other, he wouldn’t say they were friends.

"Do we really need to resort to taking her away?" Lyle questioned, apprehensive about the direction this conversation was heading.

"Yes," Arthur confirmed, a grim determination set in his expression. He had considered the implications carefully.

He knew the Leighton family would assume he was behind the attack on them. After all, that was what Jack wanted them to believe. But Arthur had different motives; he wanted to show the Leightons that messing with him came with consequences.

More so, he wouldn’t be able to invite her to have a peaceful conversation with her. Ranon would shoot him if he knew he was a few steps away from his wife.

Actually, Arthur had another reason why he had to take her.

First, he wanted to convince her to inform Ranon that he wasn’t the one behind the attacks on the Leighton family, but more importantly, he wanted Hazel for another reason entirely.

He needed information about River, and it would be a long conversation.

According to Olivia, Hazel was the only person who had maintained contact with River, and Arthur was desperate; his only hope of discovering River’s whereabouts lay with Hazel.

The gravity of his plan set in, and this action had to be taken swiftly with precision. He believed he had the leverage he needed, but he would have to tread carefully.

"I will tell you what to do next," Arthur instructed, his voice dripping with authority. "Just prepare everything and ensure our people are ready. Not a single word of this leaks to the Barlowe family."

The thought of their betrayal enraged him.

Not to mention there was an added sting to the situation; his favorite daughter was now pregnant with Arlo’s child, and Arthur seethed at the thought.

If it were up to him, he would demand Aubrey abort the baby. He had no intention of tainting his family’s bloodline with the offspring of a traitor.

The urge to confront Arlo was almost overwhelming, but Arthur knew he had to maintain his composure. He had to investigate further to determine whether Arlo was truly involved in this betrayal or not.

They had managed to keep their relationship civil for quite some time, but cracks were starting to appear.

***

Marcus was struggling with his own demons. After a period of stability, he had started drinking again, and the stress of this situation led him to the bar.

He often joined the group support for those who recovered from alcohol and their addiction.

However, Marcus found himself downing drink after drink, feeling the alcohol dull the pain he couldn’t quite articulate.

Just the day before, he had wrapped up another job, leaving him with only two more jobs before he was done with it.

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