Bad Husband novel Chapter 201

Third Person POV

An hour later, Jackson left Blackwood Manor looking like the cat who’d gotten into the cream. The second his carriage disappeared, Sophia bolted for Blake’s study,

She collapsed into a chair the moment she

walked in. “I think I’m gonna

throw up.”

Blake rose to close the door, but Ava touched his arm. “Give us a minute?”

Blake nodded, understanding. ‘I’ll be right outside.”

Once they were alone, Sophia’s carefully constructed mask finally cracked. She buried her face in her hands. “God, Ava, you were right. You were right about everything.”

Ava moved closer, her voice gentle. “Sophia…”

“No, let me say this.” Sophia looked up, tears streaming down her face. “I had doubts. Deep down, I always had doubts about him. There were moments when something felt… off. The way he’d look at other women, how he’d dismiss my opinions, how everything always had to be about his career.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “But I told myself I was being paranoid. That love meant trusting completely.

Ava sat down across from her. “Your instincts were trying to protect you.”

“Women always know, don’t we?” Sophia let out a bitter laugh. “That gut feeling that something’s wrong, but we talk ourselves out of it because we want so badly to believe in the fairy tale.” She shook her head. “He’s not with me because he loves me. He’s with me for Dad’s influence, for the power that comes with being your son–in–law.”

“I’m sorry,” Ava said softly. “I know how much that hurts.”

Sophia studied Ava’s face. “You tried to warn me, didn’t you? Not directly, but… the way you looked at him, the way you tensed up whenever he was around. You knew what he was.”

“I knew what he was capable of,” Ava confirmed. “But I also knew you had to see it for yourself.”

“Smart.” Sophia managed a watery smile. “If you’d told me outright, I would have defended him and hated you for it.”

“We women… we have this incredible intuition,” Ava said, leaning forward. “But we’re taught to doubt ourselves, to prioritize being nice over trusting our gut. Your instincts were screaming at you about Jackson. You just needed permission to listen to them.”

Sophia nodded, something shifting in her expression. “From now on, I trust my gut first. No more making excuses for people who don’t deserve them.

Blake knocked softly on the door. “Everything okay in there?”

“Come in, Dad,” Sophia called, wiping the last of her tears. “We’re good.”

Blake stepped inside, Tyler close behind him. Aya moved back to her original seat, but the air between her and Sophia felt different n warmer, more solid.

“You almost had me convinced there for a minute,” Blake said, settling back into his chair.

Ava smiled at Sophia. “She did great.”

Sophia rubbed her temples like her head might explode. “Playing along with his BS… I wanted to punch him in the face so bad.

Blake perched on the edge of his desk. But it worked. He bought every word.”

Sophia let out a bitter laugh. “Even told him I’d sweet talk Dad for him. She shook her head. “And he’s all worked up about the wedding timeline.”

Blake frowned. “Means he’s in a hurry.”

Tyler cut in right then, carrying fresh intel. ‘Boss, our guys confirmed Jackson’s heading back to Shadow Creek this afternoon.”

Blake stood, walked to the window again. “He’s rushing back to lock everything down.”

Ava’s voice was thoughtful. ‘All our pieces are where they need to be.”

Blake stared out at the mountains. “Everything’s ready…”

“Just waiting for the north wind,” Ava finished.

Sophia looked confused. “North wind?”

Blake turned back. “Lyra’s intel. The border stuff about William’s case.”

Hope flickered in Ava’s eyes. “Once that comes through, we hit Jackson from both sides.”

Understanding dawned on Sophia’s face. “His new crimes and his old ones.”

Blake’s smile was all teeth. “Then we strike back.”

That evening, Sarah worked in the Hayes family’s little lab, grinding herbs that masked werewolf scent. The powder got everywhere–her clothes, her skin, even under her nails. She didn’t think much of it until she heard carriage wheels outside.

Jackson was back.

She finished up, dusting off her hands, then headed down the hall to clean up. That’s when she heard voices coming from Richard’s study. She paused, realizing something weird–she couldn’t smell herself anymore. The herb powder had killed her scent completely.

Jackson’s voice drifted through the door, excited as a kid on Christmas. “Dad, it’s going even better than we hoped!”

Richard’s voice came back, satisfied. “Tell me everything.”

“Sophia’s totally convinced. Even offered to put in a good, word with Blake.”

Richard chuckled, low and pleased. “After all these years, our patience is finally paying off. You know, originally… William was actually our best

bet.”

Sarah’s heart jumped. William? What are they talking about?

Jackson’s voice turned nasty. “William? Guy’s done for. Who’s gonna believe him now? Can’t even protect himself, let alone fight for Alpha.”

Richard’s voice dropped to almost nothing. “You did good. Long as nobody digs into that whole mess, William’s never getting back up.

Sarah’s hands flew to her mouth. What mess? Could William’s situation really be….

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