I Married My Ex's Billionaire Father-Chapter 274: She Must Be Protected

The holding cell was colder than Ken expected, sterile, echoing, the kind of cold that crawled under skin and settled deep. He sat at the metal table, wrists free but pride shackled, jaw tight with frustration. The fluorescent lights hummed above, their pale glow casting harsh shadows across the cinderblock walls.

The door buzzed.

And to his relief, a guard led Bella in. He had worried that she would get mixed up in this farce and get arrested also, he would not have been able to forgive himself if she had gotten in trouble because of him.

She stepped through briskly, her heels clicking on the linoleum. Her hair was slightly damp from the rain; her blouse wrinkled, her purse slung carelessly over one shoulder. She looked tired, but determined.

Ken’s shoulders eased for the first time since the arrest. "Bella."

"Ken." She sank into the chair opposite him, exhaling. "Took them long enough."

He studied her, brow furrowed. "How did you even manage to convince them to let you in? They have been stonewalling me all night."

Bella smiled sharp, smug, a gleam of reckless delight in her eyes. "I told them I’m your lawyer."

Ken blinked. "But you’re not—"

"A criminal lawyer, yes I know." She shrugged, trying not to laugh. "But they don’t."

Ken stared at her in amusement, feeling light in the midst of the darkness that suddenly surrounded him.

She lifted a shoulder innocently. "They didn’t ask what type of lawyer I am. Entertainment law, criminal law... details, details." Her grin widened. "I mean, come on. They heard ’lawyer’ and practically rolled out a red carpet."

A short breath escaped him, half disbelief, half admiration. "Bella... you know this could get you in trouble."

She waved a hand. "So could letting my friend rot in jail for something he didn’t do. Between you and the law, I’ll always bet on you."

Ken looked down at his hands for a moment, guilt and gratitude warring inside him. "Thank you."

"Don’t thank me yet." Bella leaned forward. "I’m afraid I haven’t brought you good news."

His jaw tightened. "What did you find?"

She exhaled. "I’ve tried every angle, called the hotel twice, tried to get a back-channel in. But they’re refusing to release the security footage. Not even a timestamp. They won’t confirm or deny anything."

Ken’s eyes narrowed. "How convenient."

"Suspicious," she corrected. "Something fishy is going on."

"Same thing," he muttered. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

She nodded grim approval. "If they’re locking down footage of the hallway leading to your suite floor, it means someone else is pulling strings."

Ken’s expression turned sharp, lethal. "Ophelia."

Bella hesitated. "We don’t know that yet."

"I do." His voice held no room for argument. "Edward shows up terrified, claiming to have evidence that could bury her. Then he dies in my office, conveniently when you and I step outside. No witnesses. No footage. No weapon."

His fists clenched. "She’s framing me. It’s a message."

Bella swallowed. "A message to who?"

"To me," Ken said coldly. "And it’s about Lyse."

At the mention of the name, Bella tensed. "Ken..."

He looked up, urgency blazing in his eyes. "We have to warn her."

"Ken..."

"She is next. This isn’t paranoia. It’s fact. If Ophelia is cleaning house and I’m the first domino, Lyse is the one she wants to eliminate entirely. She is a threat to all the Welhaven fortune, Ophelia can’t stand to share."

Bella winced. "I know. I know. But Ken... Lyse didn’t exactly take it well the last time we told her anything about your relationship to her, she still has not reached out all that time. What makes you think she will talk to me right now."

Ken leaned back, jaw tightening as old frustration stirred. The memory stung. Lyse pale, overwhelmed, pushing them both away. "She was scared, you would be scared."

"She thought we were attacking her entire life as she knew it," Bella reminded gently. "And she was already struggling with her grief... and the situation with Levi. She wasn’t ready to hear the truth."

Ken closed his eyes briefly. "I should’ve pushed harder."

Bella shook her head. "You would’ve pushed her away completely. Ken, Lyse loves fiercely. She defends even the wrong people when she’s hurting." She softened. "She wasn’t rejecting you. She was rejecting the idea that her entire life had been a lie."

He swallowed hard.

Silence stretched between them, thick with the weight of everything unsaid.

Bella reached across the table and touched his hand gently. "We’ll tell her. We’ll protect her. But she has to be in the right place to hear it."

Ken’s voice was low, aching. "And what if we don’t get another chance?"

Bella held his gaze, steady as stone. "Then we make one."

"I have a better idea, time is not on our side. She has to be protected. I need you to call the number in my drawer, have him come and visit me."

The door buzzed again. Their time was nearly up.

She squeezed his hand once before pulling back. "I’m getting you out. I don’t know how yet, but I will. And in the meantime, I’ll keep tracking Ophelia and see what i can find to help us. Tom has already gotten on the plane, he will be with you shortly."

Ken nodded slowly. "Be careful."

"I’m always careful."

He gave her a look.

She sighed. "Fine. I’ll try to be careful."

The guard stepped closer. Bella stood, her resolve sharpening once more.

"I’ll be back in the morning," she said.

Ken watched her go, heart pounding with dread and certainty.

Ophelia had taken her first shot.

He wouldn’t let her take another. Not at the one person he had failed to protect.

*

Hours later, Ken was startled by the clanging on the bars of the holding cell. He looked up to see an officer looking down at him.

"You have a guest."

Ken sighed in relief, Bella had done exactly as he had asked.