**Lailaâs POV:**
I couldnât stop the whirlwind of thoughts racing through my mind as I stepped into Nolanâs house. The door clicked behind me, and I couldnât help but feel like a stranger in my own skin. A part of me still couldnât believe what had just happenedâwhat Hamilton had just said to me. Her words echoed in my mind, harsh and biting. *âYou are nothing but an imposter. This is not your home. You don't belong here.â*Her words felt like daggers, but they didnât hurt as much as I thought they would. I had been through far worse. I had spent years of my life buried in confusion, struggling to grasp the truth of who I was. Now, standing here, I was beginning to see just how deep this entire game went, and the rules were shifting faster than I could keep up.I tried to push away the lump in my throat, but it was hard. I had never felt so alone in my life. As Hamilton dragged Maraâher daughter, not Lilaâout of the house, I watched them leave. I knew somLailaâs POV As I sat on the soft sand beside Nolan, the cool ocean breeze brushed against my skin, its salty scent filling my lungs with a sense of calm. The sun, now dipping below the horizon, bathed everything in a soft, golden hue. I leaned against him, feeling his warmth seep into my bones. For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace. The chaos, the threats, and the betrayals that had once consumed my life seemed like a distant memory, fading with the setting sun. But despite the serenity, the thoughts still raced in my mind. I was torn between two livesâLila and Mirandaâand it was hard to reconcile them. One life, full of memories I had no control over, and another that had become my reality, shaped by my choices and the people I met along the way. Nolan, though, had always been a constant. He was the thread tying everything together, even when I couldnât see it. I turned to him, meeting his deep, sincere gaze, and
Lailaâs POV I continued to run through the dark, damp basement, my heart hammering in my chest as the man pursued me relentlessly. Each of my footsteps echoed in the vast, empty space, and I couldnât believe I had come here alone. What was I thinking? What had possessed me to ignore Lanceâs warnings? I shouldâve listened to him. Now, here I was, running for my life, the walls closing in around me as I realized I had made a grave mistake. I stumbled, my foot catching on something hidden in the shadows, and fell to the ground. Pain shot through my knees, but I didnât have the luxury to stop and nurse the wound. The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder, and my pulse quickened. âHamilton,â I gasped, my voice trembling with fear, âPlease⌠you donât have to kill me.â I wasnât sure if I was pleading for my life or bargaining for a way out, but I had to try something. âIâll give you money! Iâll give you anything you want! Iâll give you back the company!
Lailaâs POV Mr. Williams slowly looked at Hamilton, a bitter smile curling at the edges of his lips as he braced himself for what was coming. His eyes, once warm and inviting, now glinted with the realization that he had outlived his usefulness. The situation had shifted drastically, and the cold air seemed to settle heavier with each passing second. "You really thought you could just use me, didnât you?" Mr. Williamsâ voice was raspy but laced with a cold edge of sarcasm. He turned his gaze to Hamilton, his old ally, but now she was nothing more than an enemy. "I was your friend once, Hamilton. A loyal one. And this is how you repay me?" Hamilton stood motionless, her expression frozen in a mask of rage and contempt. "You were never a friend, Mr. Williams," she snapped, her voice sharp and filled with venom. "You were always a means to an end. Nothing more." He raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a grimace. "A means to an end...?â he repeated, his voice betraying a tr
Lailaâs POV I couldn't believe it. Everything that had happened up until this point felt like it was straight out of a nightmareâonly, this was my reality. I was standing in the middle of a dark, damp basement, the air thick with tension and the smell of mildew, and yet, it felt like I was suffocating from the weight of betrayal. Mr. Williamsâ words echoed in my mind: "You have one taskâget out of this basement alive, and youâll get the proof." The audacity. I had come here trusting him, believing his promises. He seemed genuine, his voice calm and reassuring when he spoke to me on the phone. But now, standing here, staring at him with a twisted smile on his face, I realized how wrong I had been. How could I have been so naive? I had ignored Nolanâs warning. I should have listened to him. Nolan had always been there for me, offering his wisdom and caution when I needed it most. But instead, I had decided to trust Mr. Williams, thinking that he was the key to uncovering the tru
**Hamilton's POV** I was in my office when the call came in. It was a frantic voice on the other end, trembling with fear and urgency. âMrs. Hamilton, itâs about your daughter... Mara.â My heart dropped before I even heard the rest of the sentence. âShe was pushed... we donât know who did it, but she was found lying in the kitchen of the Mountainâs Group of Companies... and sheâs been... hurt.â My mind couldnât make sense of the words, but the panic in the voice was clear. They told me Mara was still breathing, just barely. Without wasting a second, I ordered the ambulance to be sent immediately. My hands were shaking as I hung up, feeling like the world was collapsing around me. What happened? Who would do this to my little girl? The journey to the company felt like an eternity. Every second, every heartbeat, was filled with dread. I couldnât imagine her in that condition. It felt like the air itself had thickened, and the suffocating fear clung to me. When we arrived, I saw her,
Hamiltonâs POV We had just been celebrating our latest triumph. The business was thriving, and every new plan we executed was a success. We were stealing Lilaâs clients, breaking down her network one piece at a time. The feeling of victory was sweet, and I couldnât help but smile as Mr. Williams and I sat together, discussing how far weâd come. âIâll take you out for coffee,â I told Mr. Williams. âLetâs celebrate. Weâve earned it.â He smiled, clearly as pleased with our success as I was. Just as we were settling into the idea of a relaxing break, a sudden, sharp realization hit me. The Redwood Furniture Company, one of our major suppliers, hadnât responded to our latest inquiry about stock mandates. My stomach turned. We had been relying on them for a crucial shipment, and without it, everything could come crashing down. I glanced at Mr. Williams. âDid they respond to your call?â I asked. He picked up his phone again, dialing the number. But his expression shifted almost immed
**Lailaâs POV** I was determined to get to the root of this. I couldnât let Michaelâs lies go unpunished, especially after everything he had done. The moment I heard they had apprehended the criminal, I knew I couldnât waste time. Without hesitation, I decided to follow Nolan to meet him. As we arrived, I could see the fear in Michael's eyes. He refused to speak unless I gave him something in return. The arrogance in his voice grated on my nerves. "I'll only tell you the truth when you sleep with me," he said, his voice dripping with smugness. I clenched my fists, fighting the surge of anger coursing through me. My company, my reputation, everything I had worked for was hanging by a thread. I was not the type to trust easily, but I had no other choice but to take this step. My heart was pounding, but my face remained steely, betraying no emotion. The knife in my hand gleamed under the dim light, and I stepped closer to him, my eyes narrowing. "Tell me what happened. Why did you d
Lailaâs POV Iâm so thankful for Nolan. Heâs been my anchor, the only person I can trust, especially when everything else around me felt like it was closing in. Every time I thought I couldnât face the overwhelming pressure of these accusations, he would be there, showing up with that reassuring calm in his eyes. I had no idea what this woman and the man with her were planning. I didnât understand why they had come to my hotel, why they were accusing my security team of something so vile. But Nolan always seemed to have a way of cutting through the noise. "Iâm not making any payments until Iâm sure,â I had said to them, trying to stand my ground despite the anger and frustration burning in my chest. âWe need an investigation. Itâs not right to just pay without proof.â But before I could say more, Nolan had pulled me aside, his voice low and urgent. âItâs a setup, Laila. Theyâre trying to ruin us, trying to tarnish the reputation of this hotel. Someone has been targeting us from
**Laila's POV:** Every single day, I walk into the office with the heavy weight of uncertainty pressing down on me. Itâs as if the universe conspires to test me, one problem at a time, with no relief in sight. And yet, I have no choice but to face it. Someone, somewhere, is working against me. Thereâs no other explanation. I can feel their eyes on me, their whispers in the shadows. My rivals, my enemiesâthey are always lurking, waiting for an opening to devour me and, more importantly, my fatherâs company. Iâve spent my entire life building this empire, and now, with the way things are going, it feels like Iâm standing on the edge, waiting to be pushed off. They donât want me here. They donât want me to have this second chance that fate has granted me, but I wonât let them take it away. This is my opportunity to prove myself, to show them all that Iâm not just some helpless pawn. Iâll fight with everything I have. This morning, as I sat in my office, trying to focus on the endle