Chapter 9

Layla drove into Perficient Investment with excitement running around her face. She parked in the parking lot and wore her sunglasses. She picked up the file on the back seat and got out of the car, holding the file lightly in her hand.

She walked into the company elegantly, raising her chin. She entered the top floor and met only Aria. Aria was placing her hand on the desk.

"Good morning," Layla greeted, but Aria didn’t hear her.

"Good morning." Layla raised her voice a little, but Aria still didn’t hear her.

She walked closer and tapped the desk three times before Aria raised her head from the desk in a shocked tone. "Hun!"

Layla beamed. "Good morning."

Aria feigned an insincere smile, responding with her voice stammering, "go-od morning."

"How’s your day?" She added.

"Fine," Layla answered, raising concern in a low voice. "Are you okay?"

Aria brushed her hands through her swollen eyes, which illustrated that she cried for a long time. She glittered her face with a smile and responded. "Yes, I am fine."

"Are you sure?" Layla was worried.

"Yes, thank you," Aria appreciated. She pointed to Asher’s office, permitting, "the CEO is inside. You can go in."

"Aria…" Layla called and paused. She wanted to discuss something with her but was afraid Aria would shun her.

"What’s it? Do you want to tell me something?" Aria asked.

"Yes." Layla nodded slowly.

"Is it about what happened between me and Avery?" Aria raised a question, and Layla nodded.

"Don’t bother. Thanks for your concern. It’s a sad memory from the past that boils my mind with anger whenever I see her. But I have decided to let go of everything." Aria explained, beaming lightly.

"Okay. You make a good decision but don’t struggle too much to let go of the odds. Some stick with you because they are worth fighting for." Layla advised.

Aria curtsied her head. "You are the first person to motivate me to fight for it if it is worth it. Others tell me to free them. I will keep your words in mind. Thank you." 

"I said so because I can relate. I know how sad and heartbreaking some memories are. So, if you force yourself to free them, you can’t escape it. You will only torture yourself with scary nightmares until you embrace them and fight for them." Layla beamed.

"Thanks for your words. I hope you won’t give up on yours either. Whenever you need my help, reach out to me." Aria let out a promising sigh.

Layla bowed her head, grinning, as she walked into Asher’s office.

"Good morning." Layla said with an excited smile on her face, opening Asher’s office door.

Asher looked up at her and scoffed. "Are you here to withdraw? The project isn’t for the weak."

Layla walked closer and offered herself a seat. She put the file in her hand on the desk and pushed it forward to Asher’s front.

"What’s this?" Asher asked.

"I pushed it to you because it’s not secretive. You can check it." Layla said.

Asher chuckled, mocking the confident look on Layla’s face. He picked up the file and opened it. And the first stage of the plan and its presentation amazed him. He opened the next page until the last page, and he couldn’t stop widening his eyes in shock.

"This can’t be true." He soliloquized, lost in the thought of shock.

"It shocks you, right?" Layla asked.

Asher quickly wiped out the shocked look on his face with a devilish smirk. He closed the file and looked up at her face. "This is nothing. Besides, this is only a plan. What assures you will successfully execute it? Hun?"

Layla looked up at him, surprised. "What do you mean?"

He chortled. "You can leave now."

Layla eyed him in confusion for a few seconds. She picked up the file and walked toward the door with anger.

As she laid her hand on the door, he threw a question. "Miss, your plans are wonderful and impressive, but what if the only mistake you make is showing off the plan to me?"

An unclear word escaped Layla’s mouth. "Hun?!"

He giggled. "You should leave now. Remember, you have a few days and hours left."

Layla looked at him and walked out.

THE SITE

Layla tried to wipe Asher’s words out of her head, but she couldn’t. She strained her head to understand what he meant, but she couldn't until she drove to the site entrance.

She took a deep breath and quickly shook her head. She wore her normal look and drove into the site.

As she got down from the car, she opened her mouth in awe and looked around densely, seeing the laborers sitting down in groups, chit-chatting and laughing instead of working, and they were so carried away that they didn’t even notice her arrival.

She took her steps slowly until she got closer to them.

"Good afternoon," she greeted, but no one responded. They heard her but pretended they didn’t hear her, and they increased the volume of their laughter and murmurs. 

She took a step closer to them and curtsied her head. "Good day, everyone."

They looked back at her and hissed before continuing with their conversations and laughter.

Layla breathed out. "Guys, I am sorry..."

Before Layla could compose her words, a young man stood up, questioning her. "Who are you, young lady?"

Another guy stood up and pointed at her. "She is the new CEO who just came out of nowhere and thinks she can step on people anyhow."

"Come on, don’t talk to her like that. She is just trying her best." A guy mockingly defended her, and others burst into mocking laughter that filled the air for a few seconds.

"What’s going on here, please?" Layla queried.

"Don’t you still understand, miss? An order has come from above, and we have to stop working. What’s the use of working when we aren’t sure if you have enough to pay for our job?" Another laborer said.

"A simple free offer comes. Stop working on the site, and I will pay triple the amount she offered."

"Who did this?" Layla asked. She was getting pissed off.

The workers ignored her and continued their conversations.

Layla quickly figured out that Asher was behind it. She chuckled and dialed his number, and it didn’t ring twice before he picked it up.

"It seems you have been expecting my call." She said.

"Why do you call? Do you want to beg me?" Asher threw out a question. "Just give up because it's already late."

"Are you this cheap?" She asked in a low voice.

"Hun?!" He let out, surprised.

"I have always thought highly of you, but I guess you aren’t worth it. I never expected you to be this childish." She poured it out.

"Your words can’t weigh me down," he declared. "I will advise you to leave the site before your presence irritates them and they stone you."

She put her left hand in her right armpit and bent to the left a little. "What if things take another route and I convince them to do the work?"

He smirked. "That will make things more interesting. I will hang up now. Take your time to convince them if you can."

He hung up on her.

She looked at her phone screen before she returned it to her pocket. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She opened them and gave them a pitiful look.

"Thank you, everyone. I am grateful you guys accepted to work for me in the beginning. And now that you refuse to continue the work, I can do nothing," she said, taking a few seconds break.

Her eyes turned teary, and she fixed them on her hands, squeezing them. "Before I leave, I want to tell you the story of a lady,"

"For the past fifteen years, there has been a young billionaire heiress. This billionaire heiress lived her life in secret. Do you know why?" She narrated and raised a question to make it interesting and carry them along.

The workers nodded with interest.

"She lived like she didn’t exist because she believes wealth is dirty and she doesn’t want to get involved in it. Recently, she found out a secret about wealthy people who ganged up and killed innocent people,"

A tear dropped from her eyes. She wiped it off and continued. "These wicked people tried to shut her up, but she refused to collide with them because she believes justice deserves to reign,"

"Those wicked people threatened her, but she refused to stay back and watch. So she stood up to get justice for the innocent souls who lost their lives. But she can’t get justice if she doesn’t have enough power,"

"What do you think she should do?" She raised a question.

"She should get power." The workers answered instantly.

"Guys, I am the billionaire heiress in the story, and power is what I am trying to lay my hands on right now. But I can’t do it without your help," she confessed.

"This project is the only ladder I can use to climb up to the abode of power, and the wicked soul, who hide in the dark shooting arrows into the light are the ones that polluted your minds, so you will turn your backs against me,"

"Guys, those dead, innocent souls are people like you. They are dead because they didn’t have power!" She yelled in pain.

"Those people aren’t rich, but they have hearts!" Blood ran in their veins, not water!"

"Guys, don’t contribute to bad acts indirectly. Help in the slightest way you can, please. If I pass this test, I will fight for freedom,"

Layla said, but the workers said nothing, and they looked at her dumbly.

Tears rolled out of her eyes, and she nodded three times. "I didn’t say this to gain your pity. And if I lose, it won’t be the end of me, and it’s easy to go back into hiding. But guys, it’s painful to see injustice growing wings."

She wiped her face till no trace of tears was left, and she veered around to walk to her car.

John, the youngest worker on the site, stood up, and his question arrived in Layla’s ear from behind.

"If I support you, won’t I regret doing it?"

Layla turned back to him and nodded. "Yes, you won’t. I promise."

John walked out of the other worker's office and stood beside Layla. He faced each other and bowed his head. "I am sorry, guys, but to see justice reign, I can work forever for free."

"Thank you." Layla appreciated smiling.

"I will join you, John." Another guy stood up.

All the workers stood up, one after the other, and shouted. "We will support you!"

"Miss, how many weeks do you have?" Mr. Jackson, the oldest worker on the site, asked.

"Eight weeks."

"There is a quick way to do it in just six weeks." The man revealed.

"How?" Layla asked.

Mr. Jackson moved closer to her and explained. And all the workers shook their heads, supporting his suggestion.

"Yes, that’s the fastest way."

"Thanks, everyone. Let’s call it a day and resume work tomorrow." Layla said.

"No, we are starting right away."

The workers ran to their posts excitedly and began working with full strength.

Seeing everyone working, Layla smiled. She took out her phone and called Asher.

"Hey, why are you calling me again?" Asher asked immediately as he picked up the call.

"Just to ask if you have a strong heart to receive shocking news, and if you don’t have it, I will advise you to prepare yourself for it."

She hung up on him before he could say a word. She put the phone in her pocket and raised her right middle finger.

"Fuck you, Asher!"