LAYLA’S POV“Milady,” The guard directed me towards a red sports ferrari. He showed me the keys. “Would you wait for your driver or should I drive you myself?” He asked opening the back seat for me. He might as well drive, I shrugged entering the car. “Would you mind introducing yourself.” “My apologies Milady,” He bowed closing the door. “I'm Jonas Kent.”“Right,” I nodded. He entered the front seat and the garage gate raised open. The sports car zoomed past and within minutes, we were halfway across the city. He didn't stop for anything and arrived in front of huge brass gates. Maybe being married to a billionaire was not as bad as I thought. I began to think. The gates opened and our car drove in, parking soundlessly in the parking lot. Drake opened the doors for me and led me into the main building. I reasoned he must have been familiar with the people here because none of the security men bothered us. There was an open hallway with a receptionist dest at the front. People
«ETHAN CRAWFORD»I had my reservations concerning one, Layla Wales. She struck me as nothing exceptional. I was drugged, and there, a random lady bumped into me with dressing loose enough to turn me on. Goodness, it could have been any other girl! only to discover that she was the same woman my father had requested me to get married to. I wasn't ready for any relationship. Anyone close enough to me knew that. As a result, I had reason to believe that little Miss Layla Wales had it all planned. I told my father to postpone the agreement and have me focus on my work for now, and what happens next? The very girl I'm avoiding comes around and brings the whole wedding more than a month closer. I sighed, rubbing my temples. “How frustrating.”Entering a black sports car, I told the driver to take me to the company. I had a meeting with the board of directors. Taking out my cell phone, I called the manager. “Has Layla Wales arrived?” I asked coldly. “No, boss.”When she does, “I want y
«Nicole Wales»I stared at the face in front of me in astonishment. The dashing man tilted his head go one side, regarding me quietly. He was on one kneel gathering the remaining of the files.“You stare at me,” He noted cooly with an expression that was difficult to read.I quickly diverted my gaze feeling the red that crept up my cheeks. I wonder what he thought of me... Nothing bad I hoped.He stood up and offered me a hand. “Be careful next time, do you know who I am.”He said it more like a fact than a question. “Mr Ceo I....” I stuttered. He raised an eyebrow. “It's fine, I wasn't going to announce my presence anyway.”He brushed past my shoulders and walked into the elevators. “Well?”“Of course,” Hurrying to compose myself, I shuffled the files under one arm and made my way away. Forward, I thought wobbling slightly on my heels.Glancing back sharply, I caught the slightest hints of a smile in his eyes as the doors of the elevator slided shut.My stomach felt queasy. I had j
«Layla»It was my first day of work, I was already trying to be in ten places at the same time. Was there really that much vacancy at Ethan's company? And if so, half the city would die to work here. Why was he giving all the job to one person?Somehow, I didn't think it was as simple as that. Once I introduced myself as Layla Wales, the manager smiled at me and began typing on his laptop. I offered him my credentials and he just swept his eyes through them really quick and announced,“You got the job.” Then went back behind his laptop.Now, seated in a large hall where fifty of the workers worked, I looked through the slip of paper that he had given me. My working schedule. God it was choked!Mondays to Fridays I took a morning shift at the lab, afternoons, I went for a brief break then joined the archaeological research department. Saturday
«LAYLA»Finally, I was done for today... Or more like for now since I would still have to conclude the rest of the day's work once I returned to the mansion. I took the elevator down and phoned Jonas to pick me up.I walked past the front desk and outside the building. The red ferrari was already parked. Jonas leaned against the car waiting for me. Either the black camo outfit and dark shades was part of the uniform or he just enjoyed the in-between look of an underground gangster and a black belt ninja.“Milady,” He straightened and bowed as I approached.I acknowledged him with a nod. He opened the back seat for me.“Your driver is here.”True enough, I sighted a stranger at the wheels. His well ironed navy blue suit glinted in the sunlight. “My credentials,” He said offering me his license. Gloves, I noted. As well as a British accent. I glanced at the card and shrugged sitting down. I wasn't the fucking sherif anyway. Jonas closed the door and walked around the car, sitting at
«ETHAN»I sat in on the chair with my feet crossed on the study table. Glancing at the laptop, through the cameras I saw Layla seated at the dining table.Good I thought. The phone was also on the table along with some files neatly arranged to one side.“Layla or Nicole,” I muttered absently.Truth be told, I wanted neither of the sisters but if it boiled down to a situation where 8 had to choose, who would I pick?I toyed with the idea for a while then found the whole thing pointless. How could I picked when my father had already made the decision for me. It was out of the matter.I bit into the bar of chocolate in my right hand and opened the drawers, reaching out for a tiny jotter.“So here was what we were going to do Ethan,” I began softly.I spun the pen in my hand twice then paused hearing a knock on the door. I glanced at the camera.“You can come in Jonas.”“My Lord, I drove her back as requested.”I nodded slipping the jotter into the compartment inside my suit. They all see
«NICOLE» “Mom I'm home,” I called entering the house. I walked up the front porch where she sat enjoying the view and the cool evening breeze. “You usually come home at noon,” She noted without looking up from the sweater that she was knitting. It was a habit she couldn't get rid of even after dad bought her a machine she could use, she always preferred to keep her hands busy the hard way. She was still young and pretty compared to her college friends. In my terms, she should have been dressing up to going out to parties and drinks with friends. Not sitting here like a woman from the 90s, pretending to knit while secretly monitoring my movements. “I had some matters to attend to.” I waved my hands signalling it was nothing worth looking into. “There's red wine fragrance on you.” She pointed out. “That's because I had some drinks before I came. Any thing else detective Victoria?” I rolled my eyes entering the manor. I still hadn't forgiven her concerning Layla's wedding to the m
«NICOLE»The feel of the morning sun on my face never felt better. I sat up stretching, the events of yesterday flooding back.I yawned getting up, determined not to start this day with another wave of self pity. However, if my parents made this house impossible to bear, I would look up apartments on the net and find one to rent until the month ended.I spent some minutes freshening up then slipped into an office button down long sleeve and dark the blue blouse which matched my navy suit perfectly.Since I had work to do at the Crawford Company Company, it was only natural that I dressed coporate.After spending an hour or so applying my makeup and choosing high heels and handbags, I snuck down the stairs not wanting to awaken anyone, neither of my parents especially.I foot into my car and called Loveth, asking if we could go to an eatery for breakfast.———“It would be difficult to get close to your sister,” Loveth began when we had placed our orders.“Stepsister,” I corrected. If L