Layla didn't find the joke funny because she leveled him a hard glare. “Have you lost it? Why would I answer such a useless question?”“What do you want me to do, that's the fucking question,” The man replied, then he waved his hand to brush off his words. “Forget it, I only do business with your mother,”“Well, I'm acting in my mother's stead, am I not?” She let out a dry chuckle. “Life's offering me an opportunity to get rid of the Lancasters a third time. Revenge would be grand and Milan would turn in the grave as I take over Nilean Group,”“What the hell…” Felix gasped, wide-eyed. “The fire accident was caused by…” He could not complete his sentence as the rest of the words got stuck in his throat.As if on cue, Layla stood up and walked towards her favorite painting. She swiped her hands over it as if cleaning off an imaginary dust.“What is your plan?” The man asked.“Perfect question Nicholas. Perfect question,” She smiled. “Did you see the look on Milan's face as he died? Boy,
Adrian forced a smile even though the last thing he wanted to do was smile. “This is a personal issue and I'd appreciate if the media stay out of it,”“You have to say something, Mr Adrian! How do you feel about your sister's situation? What plans are you making to find her?!” A reporter stepped forward, almost hitting Adrian with his microphone.“How do you know she's alive?”“Say something!”From the corners of his eyes, Adrian could sight Felix and some of his bodyguards pushing their way towards him. “Let's go, young Master, you don't have to listen to them,” Felix said, leading the way despite the continuous clicks of cameras and the unending questions.“We've called the police, so they'll be dispersed soon,” Felix said when they were inside the office. His brows narrowed as his voice reduced into a whisper. “Do you think this is Layla's doing?”“You heard her yourself yesterday,” Adrian said, flicking a pen expertly with his fingers. “I'll give her the credit for what's worth,”
Layla curled her fist so hard that she could feel the sharp tip of her nails digging into her flesh. Her mouth felt dried as if she swallowed acid. Desperate, she tapped her ear buds vigorously, trying to connect to her staff.“Turn the bloody protector off!” She whispered fiercely, but it was as if no one heard her. The video replayed instead, causing the goosebumps in her skin to prickle even more.Fuck!Who could have done this to her?“How many times must I repeat that this bloody video be turned off?!” Layla screamed angrily, rushing to the projector. “I swear it won't be funny if I find out who did this!”However, before Layla could get to the projector, the video had turned off and the whole hall suddenly went quiet. Layla stood in the middle of the room, chilled to the bones at the glares directed at her.The damage had been done and now she was screwed.Cold sweat broke out on her skin, intensifing her horror. That was when she saw him —the eye of the tornado. He was sitting
Layla stared at the text in her phone, her heart pounding vigorously in her chest. Her hands shook slightly as she scrolled through the message again —Blurry photos of her and Nicholas exchanging parcels of illegal drugs. Her anger boiled over. These threatening photos meant only one thing.Someone with evil intentions knew about her secret business.She slammed the phone down on the kitchen counter, pacing the room as her mind raced. Her business with Nicholas was supposed to remain hidden and she had taken procedures in carrying out all of their deals in remote locations, so how?“Adrian…Could he be...?” She whispered, then shook her head fiercely. Just because Adrian messed up her project event didn't mean he knew everything about her. He was no superhero.It had to be someone else, but who…? Her mind raced. She had spent years building her reputation as a successful business woman, but behind that mask was the reality no one knew about –the offshore accounts, the money laundering
Layla leaned closer in growing panic, refusing to allow her brain register his words. Her hands trembled as it ran over his face, trying to access the level of damage. “Tell me…who did this? What went wrong?! Why didn't you call the boys for backup?"“R-u-n-” Nicholas repeated through broken lips. “It's… not safe for you…in here…”Layla turned around to scan the small room for any dangerous or threatening movement, but it was empty, just the two of them. She turned to him while wondering why he wanted her to run.“I'm not leaving you here!” She insisted, rushing to the back of the chair. She dipped her hand into her purse and brought out a short knife to cut the heavy ropes. “What the fuck happened?!”“He messed with me, that's what happened,” A calm voice replied, so low that it sounded almost like a whisper.Layla paused, her brows arched. That voice didn't belong to Nicholas. It belonged to…Slowly, she lifted her head to look into those amber eyes. It was Paige, Adrian's sister!
“Why?” Lucian chuckled. “You cannot do it?”“Do you have evidence?” Layla said, panting. “There's no evidence that I had a hand in your sister's kidnap! You cannot force me to do your biddings just because you feel wronged!”In response, Adrian brought out his phone and played the evidence of Layla's several mistreatment of Paige. At the sight, Layla winced and looked away.“The media would celebrate over this valued piece of information, don't you think?” Adrian smiled.“How did you get your hands on that?!” Layla screamed, frustration building up inside her. How had Adrian uncovered the secrets she had carefully hidden for years? How long had he been watching her? How much did he know?!This jerk was driving her crazy!“That look on your face tells me you're convinced,” Adrian tsked. “Tell the media the truth yourself. I'm giving you an easy alternative, but again, you can pick your poison. Should I release the video or you'd do the confession yourself,”Panic clawed at Layla and sh
Felix knocked on the door gently and upon permission to enter, he stepped into the broad room with a tray containing coffee. “Is she okay?” Felix asked, placing the tray in front of Adrian. His brows narrowed at the sight of Paige asleep on the large bed.“She had a panic attack,” Adrian replied slowly, but the anger in his voice was thick. “She had a fucking panic attack!"Felix shifted closer, his hands reaching out to touch Adrian, as if doing that would flush away the reality of the situation. “She'll be fine…”“She's been talking in her sleep too and crying,” Adrian said, a bit of trembling in his voice. “They broke her,”“She's safe now,” Felix whispered. “We have to bring her to accept that she isn't on the run anymore,”“How about the trauma she faced in the hands of that bitch? How long would it take for her to heal?” Adrian said, shaking his head. “it could take years,”“As long as you're always by her side, then it wouldn't take that long. You have to give her the affectio
Layla ran a hand through her thick, disheveled hair as she stared at the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her as if mocking her —a scrawny old woman with a dirty aura and a repulsive face.After the press conference, she had locked herself inside her room for days, refusing to come out or to see anyone. The voices of the taunting crowd still played in her head and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get rid of it.Was this how she fell?From a popular queen in her queendom to a worthless butterfly?“No!” She screamed, throwing everything on the vanity table. “No! I refuse to go down like this…! No…no…”Blood roared in her ears and her stomach clenched like it was refusing to accept her words. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, almost like it was trying to break free from the bleakness of her future.The humiliation.The national disgrace.Adrian's mocking eyes, that bastard!A click sounded as the door pushed open forcefully. Layla jumped as she turned to look at the in