CHAPTER 105: A NEW BEGINNING

~LAYLA~

"That son of a bitch," Axel growled when I finished narrating my entire conversation with Charles. "You know what? I’m coming to get you myself."

"You don’t have to do that..."

"Already done. I’ll be there in a few hours. We’ll handle this together."

His confidence steadied me. "When will you be here?"

"My pilot’s filing the flight plan now. I should land around seven. I’ll come straight to the hotel."

"You really don’t have to..."

"Layla, I’m not letting you deal with this alone. Not Charles, not Cassandra, not any of it. We’re in this together, remember?"

"Together," I repeated softly, feeling the weight of that word settle over me like a protective blanket.

"Get some rest. I’ll see you soon."

After we hung up, I looked at Henry and Helena, who were both watching me with expressions of sympathy and concern.

"He’s coming," I said unnecessarily.

"That’s a relief," Helena replied. "You need him right now."

"We all need to regroup," Henry added. "This trip didn’t go as planned, but it’s not over. Once the truth about Cassandra’s video comes out, once people see the truth, those distributors will come back. They’ll realise they made a mistake."

"And if they don’t?" I asked.

"Then we find other distributors. Better ones who aren’t scared of a little controversy." He smiled slightly. "Eclipse Beauty is bigger than one deal, Layla. You built something real here. Don’t let Charles or Cassandra or anyone else make you doubt that."

I nodded, feeling a rush of gratitude for these people who had stuck by me. "Thank you. Both of you. For coming here, for supporting me, for... everything."

"That’s what teams are for," Helena said warmly.

"Now, what do we do until Axel arrives?" Henry asked, clapping his hands together. "We’ve got hours to kill."

"Let’s go out," Helena suggested. "The city’s got great spots, maybe the Art Institute? It’ll take your mind off things."

"That’s a good idea; that way your mind will be too busy critiquing art to sulk."

"I’m not sulking," I protested.

"You’re close to it," Henry teased. "Come on, fresh air will help."

"Fine," I relented. "But nothing too touristy."

We ended up at the Art Institute, downtown, wandering through the expansive galleries. I tried to engage with the artwork, but my mind kept replaying Charles’s words, his threats, and his casual cruelty.

The paintings blurred together in my mind. There were impressionist landscapes, modern abstract art, and classical portraits... all of it washing over me without really sinking in.

Henry and Helena walked slightly ahead of me. More like I intentionally hung back, giving them space while pretending to study a Monet.

"I remember this," Henry said suddenly, stopping in front of a painting of children playing in a field. "Mom had a print of this in the living room."

Helena looked up, surprise flickering across her face. "You remember that?"

"Of course I do. You used to stand in front of it for hours, making up stories about where those kids were going, what games they were playing." His voice grew softer. "You said you wanted to be one of them, running free like that."

"I can’t believe you remember," Helena said quietly.

"I remember more than you think."

They stood there in silence, some kind of tension hanging between them. I slowed my pace even further, giving them the privacy they clearly needed.

"I’m sorry for leaving like that," Henry said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "I was young, and stupid... thought I was better off alone. Thought I could make something of myself and come back a hero."

Helena crossed her arms. "You left us to fend for ourselves, Henry. I was just a little girl with two younger siblings and no one to support us. Do you have any idea what that was like?"

"I know," he admitted, his shoulders sagging. "I regret it every day. It was what motivated me... what kept me going all these years. Building my business, making money; all of it was so I could come back and fix what I broke."

"You could have at least stayed in touch. Called, written, something. But you just disappeared. That wasn’t just leaving, Henry. That was abandonment."

"You’re right. I have no excuse for that part. I was a coward."

"That’s why I’m here now, trying to make up for it," he continued. "Trying to be the brother I should have been from the start."

"Gifts aren’t enough," Helena said, though her voice had lost some of its edge. "The apartment, the job, and the money are all appreciated, but it doesn’t erase the years we spent struggling without you."

"I get that. When I tried to reach out some years back, I felt guilty. I didn’t think I deserved your forgiveness, so I just kind of stayed away."

"So why did you come back now?"

"Because I was tired."

Helena’s eyes softened, tears threatening to spill. "I forgive you, but you have to make up for lost time as our big brother, not as our wallet. The kids need their brother, not a benefactor."

Henry nodded, reaching out to squeeze her hand. "Deal. Starting now. No more running, no more hiding behind money. I’ll be there."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

I smiled to myself, feeling a warmth in my chest despite everything else. At least something good was coming out of this disastrous trip.

"You two okay?" I called out, walking over to join them.

"Yeah," Helena said, wiping quickly at her eyes. "We’re good."

"Better than good," Henry added. "We’re family again."

"Good. Because I could use some family right about now," I said with a small smile.

"You’ve got us," Helena assured me.

We spent another hour wandering the galleries, this time with lighter hearts. Henry pointed out various paintings, sharing stories about art classes he’d taken in college.

Helena talked about taking her siblings to local museums when they were younger, trying to give them experiences she never had growing up.

"Let’s get a picture," Henry suggested as we stood in front of a massive modern installation. "Document this moment."

"Really?" I asked. "A selfie at the Art Institute?"

"Why not? Years from now, we’ll look back at this as the day we..." he paused. "The dawn of a new bond building."

"That’s oddly poetic for you," Helena teased.

"I have my moments."

We huddled together, Henry’s long arm extended with his phone. "Say ’Eclipse Beauty’!"

"Eclipse Beauty!" we chorused, laughing as he snapped several photos.

"One more serious one," Helena insisted. "For the professional portfolio."

This time we posed properly, standing side by side with genuine smiles. Looking at the photos afterwards, I was struck by how much lighter I felt compared to this morning.

"Send those to me," I told Henry. "I want to remember this."

"Already done," he replied, his phone chiming as he sent the photos.

Back at the hotel, I felt completely drained. The adrenaline from the confrontation with Charles, the disappointment of the failed deal, and the emotional rollercoaster of the day all crashed down at once.

"Get some rest, ma’am," Helena said as we parted ways in the hallway. "Boss will be here before you know it."

"Thank you again," I said. "For everything today."

"That’s what family does," she replied with a warm smile.

In my room, I collapsed on the bed still fully clothed, too tired to even change. Sleep came quickly, pulling me under into darkness.

I woke up feeling a warm presence next to me. My eyes fluttered open groggily, and even though I had been expecting him, seeing him there still took me by surprise.

"Axel?" I murmured.