All Chapters of Signed To Lucien Vale : Chapter 11 - Chapter 14

Leyla’s PovThe morning light in my apartment is a lot, exposing every loose thread in the rug and the fatigue etched in my face. I’m standing in front of my mirror, wrestling with a sundress over my head. A soft, breathable chiffon with daisies on a pale yellow background. It feels like a sharp contrast to the reality of a woman who has spent the last three nights grinding for tips under neon lights. Alora hit me up last night, talking about brunch. Said we needed to talk. Her treat.I mean… obviously. Was I meant to pay? You’re rich now, babe. Duhhh.My phone's blowing up on the dressing table just as I’m over here struggling with a stubborn knot in my hair, my fingers already loosing the battle. I peep at the screen and the name pulls a real smile out of me. The 'Oh, it's you' smile.“I know you couldn't get enough of me,” I say, slipping the phone between my shoulder and ear while I hunt for a hair tie. “You were blowing up my phone last night, boyyy. You know that’s when I work.

Leyla’s PovThe restaurant door swings shut behind me, the chime of the bell sounding like it's tolling for her. Alora thinks she’s actually done something. She thinks that Pinterest-aesthetic white linen dress and that massive, overcompensated rock on her finger make her the main character.Delusional. She’s just a shiny new toy in a gilded cage, and she’s in for a literal nightmare.My phone buzzes on the table, my Uber's here. I stomp off, the pavement shaking under my heels like it understands I’m not in the mood for grace. This outfit? Big mistake. I need to be in leather. Where's the smoke too? Jezzzzz! And a boot girll.I dial his number, straight to voicemail. As usual."GET YOUR PHONE OFF DND, YOU ACTUAL PSYCHO!" I scream into the empty air, my thumbs flying across the screen.I fire off a text: I’m coming over. Don't be "busy."He doesn’t reply, never does. But I know him and his kind of places. Places where he goes when he wants to disappear without actually leaving.High p