The Billionaire's Rental Wife Is A Hot Shot-Chapter 77: A Better Bait

"Did you join hands with her?!" Sophia asked stepping closer, her voice a mix of frustration and fear.

"I don’t join hands, Mom," Annabelle replied nonchalantly, texting Evelyn she would call right back. Smiling at her sweet mother, she continued, "I simply jump to a safer side. I mean after what happened to Monu and Uncle Nicholas, why I would still be whining by your side?"

Sophia gritted her teeth, her fists clenched tightly in pure rage. True, after what Zevian had shown he was capable of, it was fair for Annabelle to care for her life. Sophia needed be blame herself for being dumb and taking in this con artist brought by none other than her secret lover, Maverick.

"I will protect you! Just abort that baby and leave this city, I will make sure to handle everything and stir you clear of all dangers." Sophia tried to make a deal, desperate to have at least one by her until this heir war was over. William for some reason had been grown so possessive of his sweet daughter, hail Annabelle’s acting, and if she was by her side, he would too be compiled to do so.

Annabelle amused by the offer, chuckled out loud, causing Sophia’s expression to fall even harder. "Do I look that dumb, Mrs. Wright? Why would I blindly jump into a fire pit."

"Then what do you want to get out of here?!" Sophia grumbled, eager to make her leave this house soon. Now that Evelyn was no longer a headache, Annabelle had no role to play and it would all take a small reveal to get her thrown out instantly if she didn’t have this video that would potentially throw her out too.

"Nothing that you are eying for sure. Just let me marry that Blake guy, become his wife, and own that half of the shares Edmund had kept." Annabelle said, clear and loud. "Once I get it, you are free to reveal my identity to your husband and everyone else. I won’t give a fuck about it later."

"And what about the video?"

"Oh, I will keep it safe just in case we ever stumble again or you try to pick on me like you did on your sweet step-daughter, Evelyn," Annabelle replied with a humble smile, clutching the phone dearly to her heart.

Sophia gritted her teeth, raising her hand to snatch away the phone but Annabelle quickly moved back. With a smile, she added, "Oh, you are free to destroy it too, Mom. I own quite a few phones just like you. You never know who I might need to call with a new number every day, right?"

Annabelle’s smirk widened as Sophia’s mouth opened in shock, realizing she had been literally stalking her. The amount of burner phones Sophia had hidden in different spots of this house, Annabelle could get each one out in a heartbeat.

"I am sorry, Mom." Annabelle’s voice instantly shifted, feeling someone walk nearby. Sophia frowned when she even held her hands, her eyes shifting to the maids Elias had bought to clean up the mess.

Such a snake! Sophia gritted her teeth as tears streamed down Annabelle’s naturally, drawing pity even from her son who never liked her.

"I will try to clear this mess myself. Please give me some time." Annabelle murmured, her voice combined with a few soft sniffles. Taking a step back, she lightly bowed and left the room, leaving everyone staring at Sophia.

Elias sighed out loud, shaking his head. "It happened all because of you, mom. You forced all of them to meet that night, so stop taking on her." He scolded his mother, hating the way she had been behaving recently. "And she’s pregnant, you can’t treat her that way."

Sophia glared at her son, scowling in disbelief. "Focus on your own shit! Fail the university entrance exam and I will rip you apart," She grumbled, before storming out of the messy room.

’I can’t take things lightly now!’ Sophia thought, quickly texting the doctor handling William’s condition. She needed to push that man to make a decision quickly! ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

While Annabelle who was already back in her room, quickly called Evelyn again, wanting to meet her. She didn’t know but something in her said Sophia had caused a disaster again and she wanted to check if the poor woman was alright.

"Can we meet?" Annabelle asked, having been through a roller-coaster of emotions herself that she just wanted to confide in someone, even if it was her worst enemy.

"Alright. I will text you the location," Evelyn replied, feeling that there were things that needed to get resolved between them, about her birth mainly.

Annabelle smiled and quickly changed into a loose tee and baggy jeans. Picking up her sunglasses and a mask to hide herself from the media, she made her way out, to the location Evelyn had just sent to her.

An hour later.

"Sorry, I got stuck in traffic," Evelyn apologized reaching the old cafe down the town, away from the bustling city and prying eyes.

"No, I just reached now," Annabelle replied with a small smile, gesturing for the waiter to take their orders. Once they were done ordering, she hesitated before starting, "Erm, I am pregnant."

Evelyn smiled in amusement and, for the first ever saw a real expression on this replaced daughter of her family. "Yeah, you have become a sensation in the gossip circle already. But, congratulations!"

"Thanks," Annabelle awkwardly murmured, rubbing the back of her head. "I am really four weeks pregnant. When Evelyn raised an eyebrow in surprise, she continued, "We both were heavily drunk and went wild. But since Sophia was still a bug to me, I ran away and acted like nothing happened that night."

Evelyn slightly nodded, things making sense. But she was glad things turned out this way for her since people would be suspicious if she pretended to be pregnant just after a week of the scandal.

"Guess, karma decided to finally teach me a lesson," Annabelle added sarcastically, pausing as the waiter delivered their coffee.

"Hey, take it in a positive light. Maybe it’s giving you another chance to start over a good life, leave behind your past sins, and focus on your future." Evelyn tried to comfort her, feeling it odd that just a few weeks away they were fighting grabbing each other hair. Her birth revelation kind of made it even more easy for her, someone she could connect with her as both seemed to be orphans.

"Do you think Vincent will be accepted?" Annabelle murmured, shaking her head with a smile. Though Evelyn was right, she knew her road to hell had finally started with this pregnancy and it was not going to be easy for her.

Evelyn pursed her lips, silently agreeing with her. Sipping her coffee, she murmured, "I think it will take time, like maybe one good decade of redemption and groveling for you to win over him again." When Annabelle looked surprised, she continued, "We both were never able to move on from our past so things never worked for her. But, you have managed to stir emotions in me, Laila. You just need to give it a try."

Annabelle nodded, a warmth spreading through to hear someone call her real name. With a smile, she decided to tease Evelyn a little, "Enough about me. Let’s talk about you, Mrs. Reign. Does Mr. Reign still need some coverings for his bites?"

Evelyn’s face reddened a bit, but she wasn’t here for this talk. Taking a deep breath, she placed down her cup and stated, "I am not his real daughter, Laila. I was a fake one, just like you."

Annabelle’s smile faded, replaced by a frown at the shocking news. Placing down the cup, she leaned forward, "What do you mean?"

Evelyn sighed softly and explained everything that happened, hoping Annabelle could provide more information, clear the doubts and shatter the slightest hope that this might be a scheme too.

"No, fucking way!" Annabelle grumbled out loud, feeling the plot to be too much for a theater artist like her. "This must be Sophia’s scheme, Evelyn. I mean just think about it, she must have cooked up two messy stories and tried to put them together."

"A maid swaps his real daughter at birth and his real daughter turns out to be adopted? They just don’t sit together." Annabelle pressed, feeling it a little too much absurd.

"That’s why it makes even more clear, Laila," Evelyn replied with a sad smile. "He thought he lost his daughter in that accident and brought me in, showed me as his real daughter to the world. But Sophia brought you, convincing him that it was the maid’s child that died in that accident, while his real daughter was alive and in Maid Belly’s care all these years."

Annabelle slowly understood, recalling how William had expressed he had almost lost her in an accident. She even recalled how Sophia sometimes went crazy and shouted that Evelyn deserved nothing, not even a penny of this family.

"That’s why he is so loving to you. He almost got a reason to live again after Grace’s death." Evelyn murmured with a sad smile. William’s care and concern for Annabelle, though it would break his heart to learn that it was all a lie plotted by Sophia. His daughter was dead and so was his wife because of her.

"It must have been hard for you," Annabelle murmured, her heart aching for Evelyn.

"I am just glad I found out the truth. He got to live happily for a while at least, though it was all a delusion." Evelyn murmured thinking about William, and Annabelle also started pitying that old man a bit.

And just as they were busy feeling for him, suddenly both of their phones rang. Annabelle frowned to see Sophia’s name while Evelyn received Elias’s call.

"Evy—please! Come home, now!" Elias’ voice crackled through the phone, barely containing his sobs. "Dad... he’s not responding! The doctors... they’re saying it’s time to prepare for the worst."