Chapter 74 I Won the Bet

He looked displeased and pulled his hand back. "Can you stop speaking so harshly?"

"Harsh?" I looked at him seriously, my gaze inevitably aggressive. "Am I wrong? Aren't they just a bunch of useless people? You're the only one busy; even our family's money is involved, and still, you're the only one running around. Are you doing charity?"

John seemed taken aback, but before he could respond, I interjected. "I didn't invest in the company out of altruism! Frankly, your family enjoys comfort due to our assistance, yet your mother derides me as a beggar, a ludicrous claim. Moreover, it's worth noting that the Hall family hasn't contributed a cent to the company's advancement!"

I had given up on speaking politely and went straight to the point.

John noticed my tone was off and immediately softened his own, reaching out to wrap his arm around my waist, bringing his mouth close to my ear, and biting my earlobe. 

He softly whispered, "Honey, I'm sorry, I overlooked that! Weren't we just discussing the kids? Why did you suddenly bring up work?"

"Do you think you're right about the kids?" I retorted.

John smiled apologetically. "I thought my mom would have no problem looking after her grandson!"

I felt a wave of disgust and pushed his approaching body away. "Your mom?"

"No matter how much she fusses over him, she ain't Bobby's mom. He's your kid! You notice anything off about Bobby lately?" I locked eyes with him, dropping a subtle hint. "If you ain't watching out for your own son, who exactly are you watching out for?"

John was taken aback by my actions and felt a bit guilty. He asked, "What do you mean? What did I do?"

I sneered, "You call someone else your son and ignore your own. If my illness hadn't suddenly improved, Bobby's condition would have gotten worse!"

"You're out of line! When have I ever claimed someone else is my kid? Cut it out; don't read too much into things!" John retorted, his voice rising, as he looked away. "Fair point on calling me out; I'll step up my game moving forward!"

I said worriedly, "Bobby, I suspect he has mild autism!"

John immediately laughed dismissively. "Layla, don't exaggerate; it's not that serious; you're just scaring yourself!"

"Scaring myself? He's definitely been neglected by the Hall family, don't you know? When I went there today, your mom was harshly scolding him, and he's so young! What could he have done wrong? Does your mom have to speak to him so harshly?"

"He was scared, shrinking like a little mouse. I can't imagine what he's been through lately. You're his father; are you really doing your job? He's your biological son, and your mom treats him like this!"

The more I spoke, the angrier I got, and I sat up abruptly. "John, mark my words, we're not done here. I've let a lot slide, but your actions today? That's a letdown."

"Setting everything else aside, I won't budge on our kid. If Bobby doesn't snap out of it, John, I'm not backing down!"

"You're overthinking! My mom loves kids!" John was still arguing, which made me lose my patience.

"Don't you believe me? Did you see how your mom scolded me? She can treat me like that in front of our child; what else is she capable of? Tell me!"

"You've benefited from my kindness but don't appreciate it. The Hall family is really overbearing!"

John looked at me coldly, his emotions unclear, making me a bit uneasy.

After all, he wanted to kill me.

But this was a game of strategy. If I won, my child would be safe. If I lost, it would be a total loss.

I wouldn't let Sophie off the hook; she crossed my line.

I gambled on the fact that the Baker family still mattered to him, and he hadn't capitalized on it fully. If this advantage dwindled, I'd have no shot at flipping the script, no chance at breaking free from this standstill. I had to give it my all.

As long as the Baker family remained a priority for him, I could shake up this deadlock; it was my sole trump card.

From the moment I unintentionally brought Bobby back today, it became increasingly clear to me that my life didn't matter, but my children had to escape the misery they had set up as soon as possible.

I stood my ground against him, not giving an inch, and my momentum couldn't falter.