02

LAYLA.

TUESDAY.

“I demand a bucket of acid.”

I elbow the front door, storming into Bella’s apartment.

“Whoo, who’s getting ass whipped?”

She tugs on her brows, swaying her head for a side view of her face, then relieves the mirror by dropping it on the table.

“Don’t even. Just get me a contact with someone who supplies acid. ASAP.”

“I can, but relax. I know that we can get angry sometimes and I will be your ally if this ever goes to court, but maybe we should communicate first. Who have you in such a shitty mood?”

“Aiden! Fucking Aiden! I’ll kill him, Bells. I swear I’ll kill him. He’ll choke. I won’t let it be a quick death. It’ll be slow. Oh, so very slow.”

I close my lids and picture it.

“I’ll let him beg for mercy. He’ll beg Bella. I swear to God he will beg me not to kill him. Will I listen? Hell no. Then I’ll hide his body. He doesn’t earn rest in the afterlife. I’ll dump it in some ocean weeks later. Yes. I will do that. That’s not all though. Next, I’ll...”

“Okay! That’s some vivid imagination. Let’s calm down. Let’s take deep breaths. Come on Layla, deep breaths. One. Two.”

Forcefully, she tore my hand and practised with me. Snorting, then breathing after two seconds.

I still see him with my eyes shut.

P

“God Bells it’s not working. Let’s kill him already! At least you won’t have to share the inheritance and from the looks of it, the bastard does not like sharing!”

Laughing, she pulled my arm and made me sit.

“As much as I’d love to murder my brother with you, I’m afraid we can not. Not yet.”

She winked, and I got an eye roll out.

Bella Smith. Brother—Satan’s Reincarnate; Aiden Smith. She is the closest thing I have to a sister. We met in college. It was like seeing a missing section of yourself. Without her, I’d think all with a last name Smith is cursed.

Bella is freakishly beautiful. I’m not certain who stereotypes tall girls, but Bella is 5’8 and still has multiple guys lining up for a night or even a relationship. Meanwhile, I have an average B cup or something and freckles underneath my eyes. We have one thing in common; We both come from rich families, and I’d like to think we both hate Aiden Smith.

“You’d testify on my behalf, right? Let’s say Aiden sues me for chopping his dick? You’d take my side instead of your brother’s?”

“Why the fuck are you laughing I’m serious?” I half yell, fuming, while Bella laughs until she’s rolling her eyes towards the back of her head.

“You’ve been thinking of my brother’s dick?” She sputters.

“God! Hell no. I’m just saying it’s one of his prized possession since he fucks his way around. Slashing it off would do the female population well and his dick isn’t all that. I’m sure I’ve seen better.”

“Have you seen his though?” She jeers with mischief.

I part my lips to explain, but instantly back down. We’re not diverting issues, especially to his dick size.

“You’re not on your brother’s side and we aren’t discussing his dick.” That erupted another round from her.

“Stop laughing! I’m angry. God!”

“Okay. Okay. Why did you go to Smith Industries without me? I could’ve defused Aiden if he got too cocky.”

“Ugh! I got a message from my pager saying that I had a meeting on behalf of the marketing team for Dean Construction. Turns out he was part of it, too. God, I hate him!”

“That’s too bad.”

She chuckles and leaves to get a bottle of wine.

“I’m sure this will help get Aiden out of your system. With any luck, you won’t see him till the end of the month.”

If only she knew we were on a project together. I’d be seeing Aiden more times than I want. This is why I must get the contact of the guy who has access to acid. Acid man.

“Why are you smiling?” I shake my head in negation. His sister shouldn’t know the thoughts I have. Thoughts of Aiden Smith screaming as I toss a bucket of acid over his head.

“Cheers to less of Aiden Smith.”

I chuck my glass and cling against hers before bringing it to my bottom lip.

**

“I AM OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE.”

“IT’S AIDEN.”

“COME OUTSIDE.”

“IT’S FREEZING. LAYLA.”

“LAYLA.”

“I WILL START KNOCKING IN TEN SECONDS.”

I count to ten and hear banging. Oh shit. The last thing I peacefully recall is having drinks with Bella, then I drove home and crashed on my bed at six pm.

I tossed a few times due to my phone’s incessant ringing. I peeked at the screen and saw that. All in caps. I’m thinking whoever is texting at seven in the morning must either be jobless or planning to annoy me, or both.

It’s my day off and I plan on sleeping till two pm. And so I ignore the first text. The second — I agree, I may still be tipsy.

Aiden does not have my cell number, nor does he call or text. Ever. But at the fifth, I hear banging. And it does not stop.

When I roll out of bed, I notice I’m still in my outfit of yesterday so I slip out of it and toss on an overall.

How much did I have to drink?

I crawl through the lobby of my apartment, then reach the front door and twist the knob.

It’s not a nightmare. Aiden is here. At my house.

“Not today, bogyman.”

He flinches at my tone, but I slam the door before he retaliates.

“I’ll take the door down, then I’ll have someone come by to fix it, Layla!”

“Asshole.”

I grit, rubbing my temples to fix the throb at the back of my head.

“Five seconds. I mean it.”

He starts counting while I pull a glass of water.

“Layla!”

He warns.

“Shut the fuck up!”

I scream, wincing at the pain I caused myself.

“Open the door.”

“We aren’t supposed to invite the monsters in, so no, Aiden.”

“Now Layla. I won’t ask again.”

“Oh look, he finally got my name right.”

I wheeze.

“We have to get going. Adam’s waiting to sign the NDA. Then we have actual work.”

Snorting, I stride to the door so he can hear me appropriately.

“You just ruined my morning, jackass. I’m going upstairs to freshen up, get changed, then I’ll be back. You’re going to stand there and wait.”

“What makes you think you can boss me around, love?”

He rasps lowly—taunting me. I snort, turn around and crawl back to my room.

**

Aiden did wait, or he left and came back. Either way, I found him hooking his arm around the rail leading to my front door.

“Thirty-six minutes. Not bad.”

Another snort. I popped a few painkillers, but I’m having a shitty morning. I don’t make an effort to look nice. Orange jumpsuit. Ponytail. Mild makeup only to cover the wild look in my eyes produced by alcohol.

“I’ll see you there incubus.”

Locking my front door, I turned sideways to the mini garage and then pressed the button on my keys so the front door was open before I reach it.

“So much for less of Aiden Smith. I’m beginning my day with him in my face.”

**

“Pleasure to be working with you both.”

Aiden and I are snorting. The feeling isn’t mutual.

“Well then, I’d leave you both to it. We’ll meet on Tuesday next week, I’ll send a message on the time. Remember, we have sixty days, so I suggest you get on it.”

It’s February 5th today.

“Have a good day, Miss Dean, Mr Smith.”

He passed a nod, then exited the room.

Aiden and I signed the NDA, which was just one page. Both of us can’t speak to the media, or anyone affiliated with them. We couldn’t speak to anyone who doesn’t have high-level clearance in the company and other terms. I could inform Bella then. I’ll need someone to rant to after a day of “dining with the devil”

“After you love, when you’re done daydreaming of you and I in...”

“Don’t finish that sentence or I swear I will hurt you.” I held a finger towards his face.

I gathered my things and left the room, wondering how soon the project will end. I reckon I’ll be in a mental institute before then.

**

Penelope Cruz. She’s ranking Forbes Billionaire number 31. Self-made too. Her parents may have a dynasty, but Penelope built everything herself. She built a Real Estate Company under her parent’s specifically to sell properties. We met during the company trip to Madagascar.Although I see her maybe six times a month.

I called her on the way here, but she had stepped out so I have to sit in my car and wait. Aiden got here minutes ago, but I choose to ignore his existence.

It got so hot and I stepped out of my Camryn. Bold move—Wrong move.

Aiden jumped right after me.

“I’ll file a restraining order on you. That should help.”

“It won’t. A piece of paper can’t stop me from doing what I want.”

“Right, because everything and everyone revolves around you. Your wants. Your needs.”

“And I thought you were dumb.”

He clicks his tongue. My ears tick in anger.

“Fucking sicko.”

I curse under my breath.

“Let’s play a game.”

I cross two fingers on each hand, tuck them beside my outfit, and gaze at the front door.

Do not answer him, Layla. He wants a reaction.

“Are you interested love?”

“My name is Layla. Lay-La. Fuck!”

I shrieked, the urge to pull my hair overwhelming my senses. I’ll kill him. If I don’t kill him, I’ll kill myself. God, this is torture.

Aiden chuckles and takes his hand off his pocket, strutting towards me.

“Don’t even. I’ll hit you.”

“You can try.”

He quips and takes a spot beside the car, leaning on the bonnet like me.

“Let me reiterate. I want us to play a lovely game. The winner takes the bigger share of the One Million. The loser, ergo you, takes the lesser share.”

“Or we can behave like two grown adults and share equally.”

I seethe and gnaw at my teeth, my head swerving to glare at him immensely.

“One person gets Six Hundred. The other Four Hundred. You in?”

“No. We are splitting equally.”

I huff, toss my hair aside, and tap my feet impatiently. When will Penelope arrive before I slit my wrist to get away from him?

“Besides, you won’t decide how the money is shared. It’ll be paid to Adam’s account.”

“And who does Adam work for?”

“Your father.”

“Such a smart girl.”

He croaks, and if he wasn’t Satan’s spawn, that tone would be attractive.

“Nepotistic much?”

“More like realistic.”

He retorts and I flip him off.

“Equally. No one’s getting a bigger share.”

“But you haven’t even heard my game yet. It’s quite fun.”

“Pass.”

“The rules are simple.”

He continues, despite my obvious disinterest.

“Penelope will get here soon. The game is easy. As we speak to her today; whoever speaks to Quentin first—in person, wins. And you can’t tell him to come to you.”

He explains. Snorting, I look around for signs of Penelope. Still nothing.

“That’s a dumb game, although you came up with it, so no surprises there.”

“Are you in?”

He smirks. I cock my head and shrug.

“Whatever.”

“Perfect.”

“What are you doing?”

I arch a suspicious brow. Trailing Aiden, he picks up his phone and punches in some numbers.

“Aiden.”

I seethe watching the watching caller ID read Quentin.

“Hey man, so I’m at Penelope’s place. I thought for sure you’d be here kissing ass, but you aren’t. What have you been up to?”

Smirking, he takes the phone to speaker mode.

“I’ve been busy, but I’m in the area at the moment, I was going to drop by later, but since you’re here and I could make a stop, I haven’t seen Pen in almost two days, so win-win.”

I freeze. My crossed fingers fall apart and I move away from the car.

“No! No fucking way! You didn’t play fair! You have his number. You cheated.”

I scream, exasperated.

“There’s no such thing as playing fair.”

“In what messed up world did you get that, huh?”

I yelled, reeling with aggression.

“In my world, love.”

**

A/N: Thoughts on the second chapter? I’ll try to keep the word count less than 2500 throughout the book, for cost reasons, but there are some lengthy chapters along the line. Please drop a review after reading!