Chapter 204
Chapter 204:
Jacob wasn’t born yesterday. It took him no time at all to sniff out Bella’s intentions.
If she wasn’t after some kind of favor, there was no chance in hell she’d seek him out willingly.
Bella, the picture of feigned innocence, bit her lip lightly, her expression carrying just the right amount of grievance. “I’ve been feeling so lost and upset lately. Honestly, I didn’t know who else to turn to, so… here I am p>
“What’s going on?” Jacob, a sucker for a damsel in distress, couldn’t help but feel the tug of his protective instincts. The hardened exterior he wore so well softened ever so slightly as he leaned in, curiosity piqued.
While Bella rambled on, Jacob’s fingers brushed against her ear, the touch playful and deliberate.
The effect was instant. Bella stiffened, her body betraying a fleeting shiver. But she bit back her discomfort, resolute in her mission.
No matter how much her skin crawled, she wouldn’t let a little teasing derail her.
She quickly recovered, her tone shifting to one of delicate helplessness as she leaned in closer, all doe-eyed and forlorn. “It’s my sister. Ever since she came back to us, she’s been making my life a living hell. She refuses to accept me as family and keeps setting me up. I’m at my wit’s end p>
“Ah, you mean that sister you mentioned before?” There was a flicker of interest in Jacob’s eyes now.
The sister, from what he remembered, had some nerve. She’d slipped through his guys’ fingers with a clever move or two, leaving them all red-faced.
That little stunt had caught his attention, though he hadn’t cared enough to dig deeper at the time.
“That’s her,” Bella confirmed, bitterness dripping from her words. “We had her cornered last time, but she managed to wriggle her way out p>
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝖈𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗮 gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⩶𝖼𝗈𝗺
Jacob’s brow arched. “Got a picture of her?” he asked casually.
Up until now, Yelena had been nothing more than a name on his radar—a small fry unworthy of his efforts. But the more Bella talked, the more intrigued he became.
Bella’s eyes lit up like she’d been waiting for this moment. She whipped out her phone, scrolling through her gallery with practiced ease.
Bella eased before handing the phone to Jacob. “Here she is. This is my sister,” she said, venom lacing her tone.
Jacob glanced at the screen, and his eyes widened as recognition struck like a bolt of lightning. “No way… that’s her p>
The woman staring back at him from the photo wasn’t some nobody. She was the same sharp-eyed young lady who had cost him a small fortune at the gambling table not long ago.
What were the odds of that?
Bella tilted her head, her confusion evident. “Yes. Have you run into her before p>
Jacob’s reaction puzzled her—he looked as if he’d seen a ghost.
“Oh, I know her all right,” Jacob said, his voice laced with bitter amusement. “I’d recognize her anywhere, even if she turned to ash. She played me like a damn fiddle once.” His expression darkened, and he let out a snort of disdain. For a moment, Jacob replayed the memory in his head. It was hard to believe that Bella’s sister and the audacious woman who had outwitted him were one and the same. He’d been toying with the idea of hunting her down himself—he wasn’t the kind to let anyone get away with making a fool of him.