CHAPTER 4

(Laya P.O.V)

  “Are you cold?” Mr. Morrison asked.

  Yes, I’m but I didn’t answer him. He takes off his jacket and puts it on me. “No. no need” I try to pull it off, but he puts his hand on my shoulders. I am neither his girlfriend nor his wife to do this act. I should stop him.

  "You’ll get cold.” His hands don’t leave me.

  "Have you ever heard that you're such an arrogant person?" I question him.

  "I must admit you are the first one." He says seriously.

  "They must be either blind or cowards."

  "I would choose the second." 

  As he says my phone rings knowing that Nana is outside waiting for me.

  "Well, I'll take my leave" giving back his coat, " but before, I'll give you a piece of advice which rarely I do with strangers, don't trust those people, they're lairs." I stand and turn my heals.

  "In this case, I'm so lucky, and for the advice, don't worry I know better who I am dealing with" He utters before leaving him.

  "You are overbearing." I said and he laughs this time.

   The night seems wont end, it's too late and I still awake. All today's events running in my head from Sam to Selly to Adam..."Listen Edward, leave the f**k. Now. It is an Order…You may be killed...Ok , call me when you leave.” What is he trying to do? Does he know me? Suddenly, between my thoughts I fell sleep. 

  "Mornings!" I say to Nana and Jenny who are having breakfast.

  "Happy morning." They say.

  "Do you drink coffee or juice?" Nana asks.

  "Thank you Nana, I'll serve myself."

  "Oh! Are you ill?" jenny asks looking at me with concern.

  "No, I just feel tired a little bit."

  "Absolutely not, You have a fever... look at your face, it' s red like tomato." Nana claims.

  "I'll take some pills and I'll be alright, don't worry." I utter.

  "No, you should visit the doctor, you are looking terrible, it's a day off, no work today." She says.

  "No! I have to go to my office Nana, it's not up to you." I protest.

  " I have said my words Laya."

  "Nana, please, I need to go." She doesn't respond.

  "If you don't take me to my place I'll take a cab." I insist. Nana's face turn red, when she gets angry her face becomes red.  "I'll bring my files to check them, tomorrow is a weekend and I can't let them there." I say and her face lighten up. I hate making her feel bad, after all I can't make her worry about me.

 "Okey then, I'll take you to your work but after checking on you." She says.

   After visiting the doctor, we head to my office. "don't make me wait, I have to go to my place." Nana says.

  "I'll see."

  "Hello!" I say to Joshua, my colleague.

  " Hi! you look hideous!" He states. Joshua is the only person who makes me laugh, unlike the others he is a humorous lawyer!  He has a great energy and he intensifies ours. He is the good guy I've ever met and may be that's the reason I rarely get angry with him, he is so open, honest and trustworthy. Well, I'm not sure about the last word.

  "No more words please..." It is what I say and quickly leave him, cause I have no time for him right now.

   I enter to my office directly to find beautiful flowers on my desk but it's faded. Honestly the first name that pops up my mind is Adam but when I read the note that is written I change my mind.

                     " You are lucky girl ...

                      Being alive till now..

                      Hope you enjoy the time you have Lyly Kalifa"  

  Who is he? What does he want? Is he spying on me? Does he..... So many f**king questions on my head with no answer.

" Beautiful flowers huh!"  Emma states bringing me back to the now.

 " Do you know who brings that here?" I ask.

 " No, I found it here when I came, have you asked Kate?" She says. 

 " I'll do, thanks."

 "Are you alright, Laya?" She asks 

 "Not really, I just have a flue." I say trying to sound normal. 

 "You look tired, you need some rest"

 "Yeah!.....I will." I say but she is keeping studying me.

  I ask Kate but the same answer as Emma. I keep studying the card no phone number, no address of the florist, nothing that leads me to something. When I open my e-mail to check it, my phone rings.

 "Hi, What's up Lyly? Be ready to go out with us tonight, I'll pick you up at 7:00p.m, bye." Selly says and hangs up without listening to a word.

  I go to the Kitchen to bring myself a glass of water and the bell rings, I go to see whom but no one there accept...an envelop, I examine it but nothing written on it. I open the envelop to find....a picture of my family! I can't picture myself at that moment. I try to run, I feel the urge to run, to catch the guy but after whom? who is the guy? No clue. Every person I see in the street, I doubt him or may be her.

  I close the door and the first thing I do is calling Mr. Eric. "Hello! Ms. Khalifa?" He answers.

  " Hello, sir! can you be my lawyer, please?"

  "Are you..." 

  "I owe you that Mr. Eric. Remember?" I cut his words.

  "Let me finish Laya, are you going to explain me what happen?" He states.

  "I've a family, I mean I had years ago and I lost all my family, now he is following me, he wants me dead, I don't know why and whom." I say and my voice is shaking.

  "Calm down Laya, I've a court can we meet tomorrow morning?" He says calmly.

  "Well, can I see you tomorrow at 08:00 am?"

  "See you at Plasa place then."

  "Okey. Thank you."

      *Flashback*

   3 years ago...

  It's Tuesday and I've missed the class of Mr. Finn "Corporation Module" as a result, I didn't give him the assignment. "Hey! Where have you been? Mr. Finn was asking about you, and Why you've asked me to attend your class? " Selly says.

 "Morning to you too." She doesn't say a word waiting for me to finish. " Nana get sick and I was obliged to stay with her the whole night. And I asked you to do so, because I trust no one but you, and you know you write every single word he may say. "

 "Oh! Is she alright? What happen to her?" She asks.

 "Nothing serious, I nurse her back to health, she is doing better now."  I reply. "Well, I'm going to give him the assignment see you later." I finished. In my way to Mr. Finn office, I feel the urge to go to the restroom. Some girls came after me, I could hear them well but not seeing their faces.

 Girl 1: What are you going to do?

 Girl 2: I'll make him beg me, ask for mercy .

 Girl 1: I bet that you can do nothing to him, we're not speaking about someone else.

 Girl 2: Don't underestimate the power of a common woman.

 Girl 1: So, bet?

 Girl 2: Done.

  For a moment I thought that they are speaking about a boyfriend or someone else? But soon I found that I was totally mistaken, they are speaking about Mr. Finn.

  Girl 3: Well, we are going to enjoy with Mr.Finn.

  Girl 3: What's the plan then?

  Girl 2: Something you cannot imagine, I'll play with him like I do with my toys. He kept calling me yesterday but I didn't respond.

  Girl 3: Why? May be he worried cause you didn't come for your date, poor guy.

  Girl 2: Zip it up, stupid. I want him to worry to lose his mind.

         What the.....! Mr. Eric and this girl noway. I know him very well, he can't do that, not kind of that person. Something is wrong.

  Girl 1: Anyway, I don't believe any of your stories, he is a wise man.  

        Well, she reads my mind.

  Girl 2: I am going to have fun with him, you just keep watching.

  Girl 1: Okey, we wait for that. 

  The two girls leave the restroom but one of them, sure the girl 2, says to herself looking at the mirror: " I'll never forget what you have done for my father two years ago, I'll make you pay for it Eric Finn. It's time to be done before any one reveals the truth." Then, she leaves too.

  In my way to his office, I can't stop myself from thinking about Mr. Eric, that girl and her father, suddenly, I hear someone calling me " Laya! " I turn to see Leo running towards me, a guy I don't know him that mach, he just keeps running after me to join his crew. " Hi!" He says.

  "Hi!" Saying after he catches his breath." What's up?" 

  "Good, good, you?"

  "I've a class now, what's wrong?"

  "I hope you change your mind."

  "About what exactly?"

  "Joining the team!"

  "I think I haven't made myself clear enough last time, listen Leo, I....  "   

  "Please, Laya... You have no idea about the future that is waiting for you, believe you me, you..."

  "Leo... Sorry, I said what I have, thank you, I've to leave I don't want to be late for the class." I say as calmly as ever.

  I come to the lecture late and the worst thing is that I didn't give my assignment to the professor. It was hard to concentrate on the lecture cause of today's events. The class was over and I didn't take a single note... I 'll recover that. 

  When the lectures finish I head to the library and I meet Selly in my way.

  "Hey!" She says.

  "Hi, again." 

  "How was the classes?"

  "I don't know."

  "You mean....?" She says waiting me to finish the sentence.

  "I was.."

  "Wait... You were with that guy I saw you with?" She interrupts me. This is so Selly.

  "Which guy are you speaking about?" I ask.

 "The one you were with, the slim tall one, he has a short curly brown hair and small brown eyes."

 "Oh, I see."

 "Tell me, who is he?"

 "He has a musician group and he asked me to join his crew."

 "What? Is he insane? From orchestra to a crew?"

 "He must be. I said No but I am thinking all the time about why he is insisting on that and who told him about me?" I say.

 "I must ask him next time, by the way I didn't like him at all." She states.

 "Neither do I, and I'm not interested to meet him again."

 "Have you heard about Mr.Eric?"

 "No, I didn't give him my project and there is no place to be found. " As I say this, Selly is shaking her head.

 "NO. He is arrested."

 "You must be kidding."

 "Sure not, but you wont believe why."

 "Why?" 

 "Because of sexual harassment..."

 "Really! And who is the girl?"

 "Amanda Robin." She says.

 "I don't know her, any way I have to leave now." I say

 "You'v' just entered the library and you are leaving it now!"

 "Yeah, I forget something that must to be done."

 "Look at me Lyly, You are not going to him right?"

 "To whom?" I pretend that I don't know.

 "I know you are interested in Mr. Eric and I didn't say anything but I must tell you that."

 "Tell me what?"

 "He is at the age of your father." She states with seriousness in her face.

 "And why are you telling me that?"

 "It's stupid for me to ask you this question but I need the answer. Are you falling for him?" She asked.

  In that moment, I feel the urge to laugh about her question and her facial expression that she made.

 "Why are you laughing."

 "You've said it, it's stupid from you. What makes you think like that?"

 "Well, I'v' never seen you concerned about something or someone the way you are about him."

 "You really don't know me? Huh?"

 "I know that these subjects of love and this kind of relationship are totally far from you but I don't know... I have to ask about the reason for this interest."

 "Well, you can go right to the point."

 "You wont tell me?" She insists.

 "I 'm interested to be one of his team, I heard that his team is the best in Seattle. It's my dream to be among them." It's all what I can say, well, it's not the truth but a part of it. 

 "I see." All what she says but she seems convinced. 

 "We talk later, I'm late."

When I am out, I call Sam. I remember once he told me that he has a friend who works in the office of Mr. Eric Finn.

 "Hello!"

 "Hi, Lyly!"

 "Sam, can you do me a favor, please?"

 "If I can, why not." He says.

 "I need the phone number or e-mail of Eric Finn's layer, it's urgent, please."

 "Okey, I'll see what I can do."

 "Thank you so much Sam."

 "Anytime, Lyly."

 I go directly to the library near our coffee shop. After 20 minutes of waiting, a message on my phone from Sam. I send the videos of the girls that I heard in the restroom last time to the lawyer with false count and leave the library. Honestly, when I heard the name of Mr. Eric Finn's name in the restroom, I felt something was wrong so I follow my intuitions and record a video from under the toilet's door.

  * End of flashback*