The Bad Boy's Dirty Little Secret BL Chapter 106: Born to be A Trade-off

Kai’s P.O.V

Jonathan's entire body seemed to tremble from exhaustion as he almost fell to the floor, but his wife caught him on time, his gaze distant and haunted. For a moment, it seemed as if he was no longer in the room but pulled back to some place in the past, reliving memories that had never truly let him go.

The silence was suffocating until Rosalie’s shrill voice sliced through it. “Why is everyone ignoring me?” she yelled, her voice quivering with anger. “Why are we talking about some ghost from the past when I was the one assaulted? Are you all just going to stand there spewing riddles and nonsense?”

When nobody answered, Rosalie’s face flushed dark red as she realized she was being ignored, and she stomped her foot like a child denied a toy. “You’re all insane!” she screamed, tears brimming in her eyes. “This is supposed to be about me! I’m the one who’s hurt, and yet here you are, whispering about riddles and nonsense like it even matters! Why isn’t anyone listening to me?”

She lunged forward, grabbing her father’s arm and shaking it. “Dad, do something! Why are you just standing there?” Her voice cracked as her frustration boiled over.

Her mother tried to get her grip off Mr. Clearwater’s arm, but she seemed to defy all postulates of reason in her hysterics.

Finally, the unexpected happened; Night’s mother stepped forward, and with one hand on Rosalie’s shoulder, for the first time ever, she said, “I’m going to have to ask you and your family to leave our premises.”

Rosalie’s mouth fell open in disbelief, her eyes wide with indignation. I shared the same reaction, though mine wasn’t as dramatic as hers. I was mostly surprised that Night’s mom found the voice to finally speak up like that. She usually just agreed to whatever Jonathan said. I guess now that he was dazed and in a shock, she thought it would be good if she stepped in.

“But… this isn’t fair!” Rosalie stammered, glancing desperately at her parents for support. Her father shifted uneasily, clearing his throat but not meeting her eyes.

Night’s mother stood tall. “Rosalie, as a young woman from a distinguished family, there are certain boundaries expected of you. Regardless of what you intended, coming here at this hour without regard to my son’s wishes was inappropriate.” Her voice, though soft, cut through the tension with an edge of authority.

Rosalie looked like she’d been slapped, her face going crimson as she processed the reprimand. “I—I just wanted to fix things,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Night’s mother’s eyes softened briefly as she regarded Rosalie, but her resolve remained firm. “You need to go home now, all of you. We need to deal with what’s happening in our family privately, without additional complications.”

Rosalie shook her head. “No. No! Since I was a teenager, all I was ever told was that my only dream should be to marry Night. I wasn’t allowed to think about anything else!” She turned to her parents, her eyes ablaze with resentment. “I was sent to an all-girls' school, forbidden from making male friends even in college. And now, you expect me to force a marriage with a man who doesn’t even love me—who can’t love me because he’s gay. How is any of this fair to me?”

Her parents stiffened at the outburst, their faces alternating between shock and guilt. Rosalie’s mother opened her mouth to respond but seemed to falter, glancing at her husband for support. He stood frozen, looking older than his years, unable to meet his daughter’s fierce gaze.

I never thought in my entire life that I would be, in my right mind, saying something like this, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I always hated her guts ever since she butted into our lives. I thought she was an unreasonable, whiny bitch. A spoiled brat who did not stop until she got what she wanted.

I never thought about what it was like for her: that she was born to be a pawn, a trade-off, a negotiation chip. She must have forced herself to accept her fate, that she was to be tied down to a man she was conditioned to like from childhood. And while it doesn’t excuse the harm she did on Night, it also didn’t hurt for me to accept that she was going through her own problems as well.

“I’m done being a puppet for your gain,” Rosalie said, all but shaking with fury. “This engagement is over. I’m done with this family for good.”

The silence that followed felt heavy, almost suffocating. I glanced at Night, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, a flicker of relief crossed his face.

Despite everything, when our eyes met, and though we tried to remain composed, the faintest hint of a smile tugged at our lips. The storm that had threatened to shatter everything was finally receding.

But the moment was short-lived. Jonathan snapped out of his daze, his expression shifting from shock to fury. “You can’t do that!” he barked, voice strained.

For a moment, I thought that would change her mind.

But Rosalie didn’t stop. Without another word, she turned and strode out of the room, her heels clicking together. Her parents, stunned and scrambling, hurried after her, their faces a mix of disbelief and worry.

The door slammed shut behind them, and the echoes left the room quieter than it had ever been.

Then it happened so suddenly, I barely had time to register the slap as my head swung sideways, the sting on my cheek almost unbearable as I tasted blood on my tongue.

“You ruined everything,” Jonathan spat; his eyes wild, furious and anguished.

Night gasped, his body stiffening beside me. Jonathan’s hand, trembling with rage, rose again, this time aimed at his own son. My instincts kicked in before I even thought; I grabbed his wrist mid-swing, my grip firm.

“Stop,” I said, my voice steady, though my heart thundered in my chest. “You want to take it out on someone? Fine. I’ll take the hits for him. But don’t you dare lay a hand on Night. Not now, not ever.”