They had been cautious, but they couldn’t stop Kailee’s cunning scheme.
“Tell me!” Laney cried out, desperation evident in her voice. “Did you know about the affair between
Garrett and Kailee? Why did you all lie to me?”
At that moment, the baby began to babble, indicating that she was waking up.
As Laney looked at the sleeping baby beside her, she bit her lower lip, trying to hold back her tears.
Ian couldn’t bear to see the grief-stricken look on her face any longer. “We didn’t mean to lie to you,” he
confessed. “We had our doubts about this matter. It’s very likely that Kailee nned everything. Mr.
Harding might not have had an affair. We wanted to gather irrefutable evidence before telling you the
truth.”
“The truth? What truth?” Laney’s voice was cold as she picked up the photo and waved it before Ian.
“Don’t tell me Kailee kidnapped Garrett and forced him to take the photo on bed!”
Ian let out a sigh. “Mrs. Harding, you used to be a top professional bodyguard. You should have seen
through these schemes.”
Laney managed to force a smile and said nothing.
As a professional, she should have been able to analyze the situation rationally, but she was still an
ordinary person, affected by her emotions.
She had also just given birth and was not prepared to hear that her husband had cheated on her. How
could she have possibly reacted calmly to that kind of information?
The recording, which revealed that Garrett married her out of sympathy, only added to her heartbreak.
She had her doubts whether Garrett married her out of pity.
But now she knew the heartbreaking truth.
Even if Ian was right and Garrett had been framed, Laney couldn’t understand why he had hidden it
from her. Was she so untrustworthy? The more she thought about it, the more exhausted she felt.
Laney didn’t want to argue about the truth but rather wanted to calm down. “I’m tired,” she said, her
voice barely above a whisper. “You can go now.”
“But, Mrs. Harding…” Ian hesitated, concerned for her well-being.
I’ll be fine,” Laney said, her head lowered in sadness. “Don’t worry about me, I just need some time
alone to calm down. Please don’t tell anyone that I saw the photo.”
Once Ian had departed, Laney reclined on the bed, her expression a mix of nkness and despair. The
bittersweet memories of her and Garrett, from the moment they met to the blossoming of their love,
cascaded through her mind.
But now, with the photo and the damning recording as herpanions, the memories had lost their
luster, tainted by newfound heartache.
Laney was uncertain how long she had been immersed in her thoughts when the baby’s cry snapped
her back to reality.
The room was enshrouded in darkness, with only the gentle touch of moonlight stealing in through the
window.
Determined, Laney switched on the light, briskly patted her cheeks, and mustered the strength to face
her responsibilities. She tenderly cradled her daughter and began to feed her.
As she drank, the infant’s cries subsided.
The baby girl eagerly drank her mother’s milk, her wide eyes gazing up at Laney’s weary visage.
With a sudden gesture, the infant stretched her chubby little hand to caress Laney’s cheek, as if
offering sce.
This simple, tender act quieted the storm within Laney’s mind. As she looked down upon her
daughter’s angelic face, a wellspring of strength surged within her.
For her daughter’s sake, she couldn’t let despair consume her.
Original from N?velDrama.Org.
The following day, Laney reached out to herold friend, Teresa Walsh, a former fellow bodyguard.
Teresa, an aplished professional bodyguard, now worked in another city.
She had been saddened when Laney’s marriage and pregnancy took her away from their shared
profession, but she had nheless wished her the best.
Time and distance had not weakened their bond.
When Teresa picked up the phone, she was taken aback. “Laney! What brings you to call me? How
have you been?”
Laney felt a pang of guilt for neglecting their friendship since her marriage. She managed a wistful
smile. “I’ve been well, thank you. What about you?”
Teresa’s voice radiated exuberance and energy.
“I’ve been working with friends to establish a securitypany. I handle both business and training
new female bodyguards. My days are hectic, but the fulfillment it brings is immeasurable.”
Laney felt a hot sting of tears at the corners of her eyes as she listened to Teresa describe her vibrant
life.
She had once been so spirited and content. Those feelings had ebbed away after her marriage to
Garrett.
As one of the nation’s leading female bodyguards, her days had been filled with demanding employers
and ever-present danger. It had been exhausting, but she had felt alive.
Once she married into the Harding family, her career came to an abrupt halt. She was confined to the
Harding estate, forced to endure the rigidity of their aristocratic teachings.
Pregnancy only intensified her captivity, as she was assigned handlers by the Harding family.
She felt like a caged bird, monitored and stripped of her freedom.
Was this truly the life she yearned for? Teresa’s concerned voice cut through Laney’s reminiscence.
“Laney, what’s wrong? Did someone hurt you? I’ll make sure they pay!”
“I’m fine,” Laney insisted, unwilling to reveal her vulnerability.
She hastily wiped her tears and steadied her voice. “I just need to ask you a favor.”
“Of course, anything,” Teresa assured her without hesitation.
Laney retrieved the recorder from the bedside table and spoke with icy determination. “I need you to
recover an edited recording for me.”
“Consider it done,” Teresa agreed without missing a beat.
As a securitypany, they had their own skilled technicians; restoring the recording would be well
within their reach.