CHAPTER 24: LOVE LIFE

~LAYLA~

My heart thudded so hard I thought it might crack my ribs. For a long beat, neither of us moved. His arm was still draped across me, and my cheek was still pressed against his chest.

"Were you staring at me?" his voice still sounded rough from sleep.

"No!" I said quickly, feeling the heat flood my face. Why was it that when it came to Axel, I lost my senses and acted like a horny teenager? Love had already burned me once; that should be enough lesson for me. Not to mention, this was just a marriage of convenience, nothing else.

His brow arched. "That so?"

"Yes." I scrambled to sit up, clutching the blanket. "Don’t twist it. Plus, you looked first."

Before he could say anything to refute that ridiculous claim, I bolted from the bed and rushed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.

My legs felt wobbly, and my hands were sweaty. I pressed my back against the door and slid down until I was sitting on the cold tile floor.

I whispered to myself. "Get it together, Layla."

I took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. This marriage was a business arrangement. I couldn’t let myself get carried away by a few tender moments.

I took a shower, and when I finally walked out, Axel just nodded and walked past me into the bathroom, while I changed into new clothes and went to the balcony for some fresh air.

By the time I walked back into the room, he was already dressed in another perfectly tailored suit, checking his phone.

"What are your plans for the day?" I asked, trying to sound casual. "Can I get a ride with you?"

"That won’t be possible," he said without looking up. "I’ll be tied up in meetings all day. But I’ve already arranged for a driver if you want to tour the city or do some shopping."

"Okay," I said. "That works."

"The driver will be here whenever you’re ready," he continued, heading toward the door. "I’ll see you later."

I glanced at the clock and gasped. "Oh no, we overslept! It’s almost noon!"

Quickly, I got ready and hurried downstairs to meet the driver. The cafe where I was meeting Erica was only a fifteen-minute drive away, but I was still nervous about being late.

The moment I walked into the cosy little cafe, I spotted her immediately. Even after all these years, Erica looked almost the same, just more grown-up. Her face lit up when she saw me.

"Layla!" she squealed, jumping up from her table to hug me.

"Erica!" I hugged her back tightly, feeling tears prick my eyes. "I can’t believe you’re really here."

"Look at you," she said, pulling back to study my face. "You’re even more beautiful than you were in high school. Marriage suits you."

We sat down and ordered coffee, both of us talking over each other in our excitement.

"Tell me everything," Erica said. "I want to know about what you’ve been up to... your job, your husband, this whole scandal with your family. I saw some of it on the news, but I want to hear it from you."

I found myself opening up to her in a way I hadn’t with anyone in years. There was something about Erica that made me feel at ease, as if I could confide in her about anything.

"My family has always been difficult," I admitted. "But what happened at the gala was a new low, even for them."

"I always noticed the preferential treatment when we were younger," Erica said gently. "The way they treated Cassandra versus how they treated you. But I never said anything because you seemed to think it was normal."

I sighed. "I didn’t think it was normal, exactly. But I was always so focused on pleasing them, on making them proud. I believed it was my responsibility as the older daughter to be perfect, to never cause problems."

"And look where that got you," Erica said sadly. "I’m so sorry you had to go through that."

"It’s okay," I said. "I’m in a better place now."

"Speaking of which," Erica said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, "tell me more about your husband. He looks... intense."

I almost choked on my coffee. "Intense is one word."

"Come on, spill. I mean, I know about Axel O’Brien, the richest man in the country. But that’s about it. You are his wife, so you should know more."

I felt my cheeks warm. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything! How did you meet? What’s he like? Are you happy?"

I hesitated. What could I say? That our marriage more business than love? That sometimes he was cold, other times unexpectedly gentle, and it confused the hell out of me. It was moments like this that made me realize Axel and I had no love story we could use convince people our marriage was real.

"All well and good," I said carefully. "He’s been, well, more than I can ask for."

Erica tilted her head, her lips curling into a knowing smile. "You really love him."

I felt heat rush to my cheeks. "That’s... well..."

"Oh my god, you are so shy, and it’s so adorable!" she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

I quickly changed the subject. "What about you? Are you seeing anyone?"

We talked for another hour about her job, her dating life, and her medium-sized apartment. It felt so good to have a friend again, someone who knew the real me.

"Would you like to have dinner at our hotel tonight?" I asked as we were getting ready to leave. "The restaurant there is supposed to be amazing."

"I’d love to!" Erica said. "Will Axel be there? I’d love to see you two together, and, of course, meet him properly."

I thought for a moment. "I think I can arrange that."

We were just getting up from the table when my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. When I read it, my blood ran cold.

"This isn’t over, Layla. Do you think your new wealthy husband can save you from me? Think again. I’m coming for you, and next time I won’t miss."

I let out a deep breath.

Erica noticed instantly. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing," I lied quickly. "Just a text from my sister. She’s being dramatic, as usual."

"The same sister who orchestrated that whole setup at the gala?" She frowned. "Layla, that doesn’t sound like something to brush off. You should get a restraining order."

"Yeah," I said, tucking my phone away. "I’ll see what I can do about it."

We hugged goodbye, and I headed back to the hotel. The driver was waiting for me, and during the ride, I couldn’t help but think about Cassandra’s message. Why in the world wouldnt she leave me alone? What else was she planning now?

Back in the hotel room, I decided to take a nap to clear my head. I must have been more tired than I thought because I slept deeply.

I woke up to the sound of rustling fabric and opened my eyes to see Axel. He was at the closet, unbuttoning his shirt, his broad back catching the soft glow of the lamp.

My heart shot into my throat, and I quickly shut my eyes, trying to stay very still and pretend I was still asleep. I heard footsteps moving around for a bit, then there was silence.

When I thought he’d gone into the bathroom, I carefully opened one eye, only to find myself staring directly into his dark eyes. He was leaning over me with an amused smirk.

"You don’t play sleep very well," he said.

"I just woke up," I said quickly, sitting up. "I didn’t want to make things weird when I saw you, you know... changing."

He noticed my red cheeks, and his smirk widened. "How considerate of you."

He stood up to head toward the bathroom, and I quickly called out, "Wait! I wanted to ask you something."

He turned back to me. "What is it?"

"I invited a friend to have dinner with us tonight at the hotel restaurant. Would you... Could you join us? Please?"

Axel looked hesitant. "I’ve had a long day, Layla. I was planning to order room service and go to bed early."

"Please," I said, giving him my best pleading look. "She’s my best friend from high school. I haven’t seen her in years, and she really wants to meet you."

He studied my face for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. But make it quick. I want to be in bed by ten."

"Thank you!" I said, probably sounding more excited than the situation warranted. "You won’t regret it."

"I already do," he said, but there was no real annoyance in his voice as he headed into the bathroom. If anything, I almost heard a chuckle.

It occurred to me at that moment, I was beginning to break through Axel’s high walls.