Diversion tactics

Laila had thrown herself in Jake's arms to distract him enough to allow herself to grab his phone without him being aware. After that she would take him out of the room and leave the phone underneath one of the couch pillows. This would allow Maria to do her thing, while she would pretend to have Jake comfort her in a different room of the house.

As she was sobbing against his chest, asking him what she should do, her hands went to the pocket he always used to keep his phone. She was moving them around and rubbing her face against his chest to make her not seem suspicious as her hands were trying to grab his phone. Once she had the phone in her hands, she looked up at him with her tear-filled eyes and quickly shoved his phone underneath the pillow in his corner as she batted her lashes at him. Hoping that this would distract him enough to not notice what she was doing, before hugging him tightly once more. Pressing her bosom against his chest, making him flustered and confused.

All the while Jake was doing his utmost to comfort and reassure Laila. Telling her that all would be fine. That he would do whatever he could to help her out. That he knew some good lawyers that would help her get a comfortable alimony. He even offered that until then she could come live with him. That he would be more than willing to take care of both her and the baby. Even if it was Noah's offspring. A thought that seemed to bother him far more than he was willing to admit at that moment. Seeing how genuine Jake was with all his offers of help and his willingness to take her and her unborn son in as guests in his own home, Laila felt a bit bad.

Though she was glad to see that he wasn't all bad and that there had been some basis for why she had married him in her previous life, she could not show any weakness or mercy right now. There was too much at stake. But after this was all over, she would ask Noah to reconsider his punishment for what had happened at their hometown. He had deserved some sentence reduction for his display of character today. Though he was doing it out of selfish reasons, namely to get her away from Noah's reach, his concern was genuine and he had not asked for anything in return for all that he was offering her.

Once Laila had used all the diversion tactics at her disposal and the phone had been secured without his noticing, it was time to get him out of the room. She let go of him, wiped away her tears and said, "Thank you. You have been a great help throughout all of this. If I didn't have you here, if you hadn't opened my eyes, I don't know how badly things would have turned out. Now I discovered his infidelity at an early stage and I have only quit my job very recently. I can only imagine the predicament I would have been in should I have decided to agree with his suggestion. It was only a few weeks ago when he proposed for me to be a stay at home mom as we do not need both incomes and both believe in a parental presence in children's lives instead of relying on nannies to do all the work. Only for him to do this now."

"That is why I have been telling you he is a bastard. Just be happy that you are aware of his true nature and don't waste anymore of your tears on him. He isn't worth even a single one of them."

Laila smiled at him and said, "Thank you. You have been a great source of support today. I was worrying all on my own about everything but after talking things over with you like this. Simply saying what has been bothering me out loud. It has really made me feel so much better. I finally feel like all hope isn't lost and that I will find my way out of this. I appreciate all the help you offered and I'll be sure to let you know if I need to make use of any of those offers. To think that you would be so kind and be willing to go so far for me after the way I treated you just a few weeks ago. Let me thank you and apologize at the same time by making you a strawberry tartlet. I know how much you like those. I have gotten quite good at making those over the years."

Jake was happy that they were talking in such a friendly manner. It had been a long time since he wasn't being cursed out by Laila every chance she got. Now he was even getting one of his favourite deserts made by the woman he had loved for over a decade. He shook his head and quickly dismissed her worries. "Don't even mention it. Suzy means nothing to me neither does Savannah. Especially compared to you. I might not have liked the way things played out that day but nothing that I wouldn't be able to forgive you for."

Though it was all an act in the beginning, the further things went, the kinder Jake's words became and the more guilty Laila felt for tricking him this way. At this point she was convinced that if she had asked if he could tell her about Harold Richardson, he would tell her all that she wanted to know. He would gladly give her his phone and tell her to keep it should she want to. But she continued to put on a brave face and led Jake towards the kitchen so that Maria could make her way into the living room and plug the hacking device into his phone.