She Was Never Just the Wife novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Laylah’s Next Move

By the time the car turned toward the suburban villa, night had fully settled over the city.

Laylah sat in the passenger seat with the sleeping Ricardo in her arms, his cheek resting against her shoulder. Neon lights flickered over her face as the city streets streamed past outside the window.

“Beckham,” she said softly, sounding him out. “Was your father upset tonight?”

Beckham’s grip on the wheel tightened slightly. “No. Don’t overthink it.”

“Then why bring us here all of a sudden?” Laylah asked, her voice dropping even lower. “I thought the plan was…”

She let the words trail off, leaving Beckham to finish the thought for himself.

He kept his eyes on the road. “Laylah, I’m married now. If you and Ricardo stay with me for too long, people will start talking. That wouldn’t be good for you.”

Laylah lowered her gaze, hiding whatever flickered in her eyes. When she looked up again, all that remained was quiet understanding.

“You’re right,” she said softly. “I should’ve thought it through more carefully.”

She drew Ricardo a little closer. “I’m just worried. The way your father looked at Ricardo tonight…” She left the rest unsaid.

Beckham was quiet for a moment before he said, “My dad’s just being careful. Everything happened too fast. He needs time.”

Laylah felt her heart sink, but she didn’t say a word.

She only rested her cheek against Ricardo’s soft hair and turned back to the window. The rest of the drive passed in silence, and forty minutes later, they pulled into a secluded villa estate.

Agustin Sanford, the house steward, was already outside waiting with the staff.

Beckham got out, walked around to the passenger side, and carefully lifted the sleeping Ricardo from Laylah’s arms before taking them inside.

The villa was spacious and lavishly furnished, and every detail had clearly been prepared with care.

“The master bedroom is upstairs, and the room next to it has been prepared for the child,” Agustin said as he led the way. “Everything’s ready. Let us know if you need anything else, Ms. Stein.”

“This is more than enough. Thank you,” Laylah said gently.

Beckham laid Ricardo down in the room prepared for him, tucked the blanket around him, and stood there for a moment before turning away.

“You should get some rest,” he said to Laylah. “I’ll come by tomorrow.”

“Beckham.” Laylah stopped him and stepped in front of him, her eyes faintly red. “Thank you.”

Beckham looked at her as if he wanted to say more, but in the end, all he said was, “Don’t mention it. Call me if you need anything.”

Then he turned and left, his footsteps fading down the hall.

Laylah stood on the second-floor landing and watched him walk out the front door, get into the car, and drive off into the night. Little by little, the softness faded from her face.

She went back into the bedroom, locked the door behind her, and pulled out her phone. The screen cast a cold blue light across her face.

She opened an encrypted messaging app and sent a message to someone saved as K.

[Tanner’s suspicious. Tomorrow’s angle: love triangle. Beckham and I were childhood sweethearts. Make Celia the one who broke us up. I’m back with my son to find his father. Keep it clean.]

A reply came back instantly. [Got it. Materials are ready. 8:00 tomorrow. Boost accounts are in place.]

Laylah typed back: [No budget cap. I want reach.]

K: [Got it.]

But none of it changed how people in Silvergate saw her. To them, she was still the woman Celia had stolen a fiancé from.

Laylah refused to accept that. So she came back, and she came back with her “son.”

Beckham was her only way back, the last thing she still had to hold on to. Whatever it took, she had to stay tied to the Lucero family. Ricardo had to be a Lucero, and she had to become Mrs. Lucero.

As for Celia, she was nothing more than a stepping stone in Laylah’s plan.

Laylah walked to the vanity, opened the drawer, and took a sealed envelope from the hidden compartment.

Inside were the key documents, including the pregnancy timeline and the paternity test report.

Once tomorrow’s headlines hit, the pressure on Celia would be overwhelming. And once public opinion took hold, even if the Luceros had doubts, they would still have to go along with it.

The truth barely mattered.

Laylah let her fingers brush lightly over the documents, a cold smile curving her lips.

People believed what they wanted to believe. And she knew exactly how to give them a story they would buy.

She put the documents away, went back to the window, and looked toward Lucero Residence in the distance.

A few lights were still on, and one of them had to belong to Celia.

“Celia,” Laylah murmured, her gaze icy. “Tomorrow, you’ll know what real despair is.”

Outside, the wind was picking up. Thunder rolled in the distance. A storm was on its way.