Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Layla woke up to an empty bed the next morning. 

A thousand thoughts rolled up in her head as she sat up and stared across the room. Everything felt surreal to her. It felt like the day had gone by when she met Darius who proposed this crazy plan to her... And here she was…

"I have to speak to them," she said as she threw the bedsheet to the side and got on her feet.

This madness they called a contract had to cease today. She didn’t think she could cope with them for another day not to talk of two months.

She took a short shower and threw on the same clothes she had worn the day before. She packed her hair up into a ponytail and exited the room. 

The hallway was just as lonely as the room, but its beauty paid off on this.

The twins' brothers were really swimming in money. Every detail in the mansion seemed to be carved in gold. Waoh!

"Oh, I was just about to come to you, ma'am. Good morning!"

Layla heard the chirpy voice of a woman and she turned to find a blonde-looking maid with a smile on her face.

"Good morning," Layla said as her eyes fell on the maid's perfectly ironed uniform.

"I am Danah. Master has asked me to take you shopping for some clothes and he is also expecting you for breakfast," She said with her face bright.

Layla was beginning to wonder if Danah could muster up a sad face at all. The lady seemed to always be in good spirits. 

Yet Layla could not see the fun in having breakfast with the strange men that couldn’t get themselves a woman. They had to cook up a sick contract.

"Okay," Layla replied as opposed to the fuss taking place in her head. 

"Wonderful!" Danah announced with a clap of her palms. 

She led the way to the breakfast table and Layla followed behind her.

The aroma of scrumptious food filled the air and it got stronger the further they went. Grumblings resonated in Layla's belly. She had forgotten about food and now that such sweet scents were teasing her nostrils, she could not forestall the hunger pang from hitting her hard.

They got to the room and the large table welcomed Layla to a world she had only seen in movies and magazines. The dining hall was a large room that would house about fifty people or maybe extra!

The table went on till her eyes could not reach. 

The two brothers, sat at the lengthy rectangular table waiting on her. 

Layla felt her hands get dampened as she didn't know how to behave in situations like this.

She was born in a humble home. None of these fancies existed in her life and now she was faced with it.

Her heart felt like there was a time bomb attached to it. 

But as she got closer, she summoned up courage and lowered herself to the first chair she reached.

"Your place is by my right," Lucius growled and she felt the time bomb in her heart begin to tick as she swallowed her anxiety and moved to the chair he had invited her into.

"Thanks," She whispered.

Lucius turned his focus forward and silence resumed its place on the dining table. 

It felt more like they were waiting for an examination and not breakfast. 

The tension was so thick, Layla could imagine it falling over their heads already. She took a deep breath and prepared to break the silence...

"Lucius here said you are a virgin, is that true?" Darius deep voice suddenly filled the emptiness and Layla shook out of her head.

"I beg your pardon?” She trailed as her brain started working faster than usual. 

Why would they be discussing her behind her back, did they have other plans for her?

He gave her a flat look and she swallowed. She knew this was not the kind of man to mess around with but what could she do?

The maids flooded the empty hall with trays of food and Layla had to keep her reply till they left. They placed the trays on the table and returned to their stations.

The brothers took a clean plate and served themselves a slice of bacon and eggs. Then they started eating. They only paused when Layla cleared her throat ready to speak.

"Yes that is true," She replied and waited for Darius to continue the conversation but he only nodded and went back to eating his meal.

Was this how she would be spending the next two months?

"Why don’t you get a woman for yourselves? You two are both handsome," She dared to ask to keep the conversation going. "... please?" She added.

Darius dropped his fork with a loud clanking and glared at her in irritation. "Weren't you taught table manners?" He hissed.

Layla blinked multiple times in disbelief. He was throwing that at her? Really?

"I was taught to have small talks with my guests during meals! And at least tell them why I am here acting as both of you's fiancees. Make it make sense!" She snapped. She had gotten enough of their attitude.

Lucius corked his head to the side and a small chuckle escaped from his throat.

Layla hoped one of them would at least give a comeback, but they remained silent yet again. She felt a frustration build so hot within her.

"What sort of host are you?!" She cried out.

"That's the problem... we are not your host and you are not our guest. Do you understand now?" Darius replied.

"If I am not your guest, then what am I?" she asked. Her voice dripped with shock. What sort of men were they? They didn't even recognize that they had a guest in the house and that they should behave appropriately!

"You're our worker. We pay you don't we." Lucius's voice dropped a deeper tone and Layla couldn't help but sense a twist in her stomach as he glared at her.

It was true that she was paid for this but she deserved to at least know why they were doing this... Right?

She met his gaze and an internal warfare started between them. 

However, it did not last long as Layla felt her legs start to weaken. It felt like they could see through her blouse and brassiere. 

What had transpired between her and him the night before returned to her thoughts. She could still feel his hands as they traced around the skin of her breasts. Her nipples hardened and her cheeks flushed.

Lucius's eyes darkened like he could sense what he was doing to her. 

Layla quickly grabbed the jug of water and started gulping it down to calm the heat brewing in her core.

How could someone be so complicated yet her body reacted this way to him? What was wrong with her? 

All these questions went through her head as she chunked down the jug of water.

"For a person who speaks of manners, I am beginning to assume taking water from a jug is a commonplace practice with guests..." Lucius said as he wiped the corners of his mouth. 

Darius gave Lucius a cold smile, his phrases were starting to make their mate uncomfortable. 

She wouldn’t be tamed by how Lucius was treating her. They needed to do everything to make her comfortable and not rile her up.

Layla realized what she was doing and she immediately dropped the jug on the table and wiped her mouth.

Lucius let out a low laugh and got up from the table, "You are an interesting little one... I have to give you that," He said as he walked away from her. Darius followed suit immediately.

She wanted to ask where they were going but her mouth refused to move. On second thought, she let them go. She would only embarrass herself further if she said something else.

As soon as they disappeared from the hall, she glared at the jug and slapped her face. How could she be so silly!?

"You should finish up ma'am, we have a very long day ahead of us," Danah's voice came from her side.

Danah jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of the maid but covered it up quickly as she picked up her fork and dipped it into her plate of spaghetti. Unlike the brothers, she had served herself spaghetti and meatballs and she planned on finishing it.