Bait for a Gentleman novel Chapter 62

He muttered, "Alright, alright, I'll tell you. It's not that simple, so give me a little more time. I at least need a decent excuse, don't I? I can't just literally go pry open my old man's safe."

"Make it quick."

The moment the words left his mouth, Sebastian hung up the phone.

He then shot a text to Layne:

[Bring some things over for me tomorrow morning.]

He followed it up with a detailed list of items.

At 2:00 AM, the ever-dutiful assistant replied instantly: [Understood.]

...

Late that same night, Zachary was also wide awake.

The bedroom was pitch black, the curtains drawn tightly to keep out any trace of light. He lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, his mind only grew clearer.

Audrina had told him she was working late tonight.

When her message came through, he had been reviewing files. He glanced at it, casually sent a reply, and went back to signing documents without thinking much of it.

But a phone call from Tamara earlier in the day had left his thoughts in a jumbled mess.

On the other end of the line, his mother had spoken with grave sincerity. "You need to make a decision soon. As for Vera..."

"I'll handle her," he had interrupted, not wanting to hear it.

He had managed to placate Vera Yates for the time being, so she shouldn't cause any trouble in the near future.

But Tamara was right; he needed to act fast.

If Vera's pregnancy started to show...

That was why he hadn't interrupted his mother's next warning. "Don't take this lightly. If Waldo finds out about the child she's carrying, think about the consequences. Since you've decided to have a baby with Audrina, you need to hurry up."

Zachary had casually agreed at the time, his thoughts drifting to Waldo Sutton.

His grandfather might be getting older, but his mind was sharper than anyone's.

If Vera actually caused a scene in front of him...

Zachary suddenly wondered if she was being a little too perfect.

She didn't check up on him, didn't snoop through his phone, and never asked where he was going, who he was with, or when he would be back. Every single guy he knew—married or just dating—was kept on a tight leash by their partners.

In stark contrast, Vera would bombard him with texts and calls constantly...

What kind of woman would just let her man run wild?

The answer was: a woman who didn't love him.

A long ash formed at the tip of his cigarette.

Zachary narrowed his eyes, snapping back to reality as he took one last drag.

The red ember flickered brightly for a second before he crushed it out, exhaling a cloud of smoke. He lay back down, staring at the ceiling once more.

Thinking about it now, was she truly that forgiving, or was she just putting on an act?

If it was the latter...

Was it possible she hadn't been working late at all tonight?