She has given him her heart a long time ago, laid it down at his feet and he picked it up, giving her hope, hope that he would care for it, nurture it and cherish it but the moment his first love returned, he tossed it to the floor and crushed it under his feet.She turns to Kelvin with a wry look in her eyes. “Can I trust you with a secret? A secret you must take to your grave.”“Of course Leila,” Kelvin replies with a serious expression, her words and tone holding every bit of his attention. “You can trust me with anything.”Leila swallows slowly, hoping she does not regret her decision.“I’m carrying his child Kev,” Leila replies. “I’m pregnant.”—Tatum watches with weary eyes as Kelvin carries Leila in his arms, her arms carefully curled over Kelvin’s neck, her head resting peacefully on Kelvin’s chest and he feels an odd pain in his heart.He knows….he understands that their marriage is not really real but why does he feel like this, what is this feeling of something squeezing
Tatum takes the document from Clayton and his heart clenches when he sees the header, a pang of pain slicing through him. He opens his mouth but cannot find the words, he glances at Clayton and stares back at the document, his hands trembling.“Not a word of this to anyone,” he says to Clayton in an icy tone.As he walks out, his legs feel like lead. Leila wants to divorce him? Leila wants to divorce him……why does it feel like his world will be over if that happens?Did he push her to this? Could it be because he has been showing Carmela so much care? He thought Leila understands that he has no choice. The sound of his phone ringing brings him back to earth and he sighs, taking out his phone, staring blankly at the caller ID until the call drops. Carmela calls again and he picks it up, knowing she won’t stop calling.“Not now Carmela, I’m busy,” Tatum says dryly and drops the call before Carmela can get a word in.
Leila’s heartbeat immediately spikes and she lets go of Kelvin’s hands, causing a pained look to cross his eyes.But it quickly disappears when Tatum’s cold grey orbs set on him and Kelvin’s naturally soft blue eyes turn into steel.The tension in the air grows thick, so thick, it is almost visible to the naked eye.“Leave,” Tatum says to Kelvin with enough chill to freeze the entire building.Kelvin smirks coldly at him. “You always seem to show up after I do all the work.”“I’m not going to ask you again,” Tatum’s tone takes a low and dangerous edge, his eyes growing thin and he slowly walks towards Kelvin who stands to his feet, ready to throw hands, if need be.He knows he is no match for the Alpha but he will fight for this woman, even to his death.“That’s enough, both of you,” Leila cuts in. “Please go Kev, I’ll call you.”Kelvin scoffs softly before he smiles at her, taking her hand and kissing it.
Leila stares wide eyed at him, her heart slamming against her ribcage with raw gusto. She is sure she is done with the marriage, that she wants nothing to do with him anymore, that her mind is made up but even now as the words are nibbling at her tongue, she doesn’t dare to utter it. Why can’t she just tell him what’s on her mind? Why is it so hard? She slowly moves her face away from Tatum’s hold, fiddling with her fingers and looks down at her feet. “If you didn’t find the folder, then don’t worry about it.” Her heart feels like it wants to tear out of her chest and she knows Tatum can hear it. She has never been more nervous and scared about something. Tatum scoffs ever so softly, feeling a relief that rents his skin with goosebumps. If she cannot say it with her mouth, then he never saw any folder but how did Clayton get his hands on it when Leila says she left it on his desk? He runs his hand down the back of her hair
He drops the pack of donuts and the beverages on the counter beside the bed before he hoists Leila on his laps, her soft behind pressing against him and he smirks at the slight jolt of pleasure that shoots through him. Leila struggles to free herself, she doesn’t want to be intimate or affectionate with him, it will only worsen the wound he has left on her heart when he leaves her for his chosen. She is better off being treated like she doesn’t exist. Why treat her so coldly in the public only to show his care every time after? Doesn’t he know it’s the slight hope that’s the most tormenting? Tatum wraps his arms around her tight even as she writhes and he softly peppers her neck with kisses, every touch of his lips calming the raging effect in Leila’s heart. “I know you are mad at me and I deserve it. I’m sorry about the recent turmoil, it’s…uneasy times,” Tatum whispers into her ear, his voice soft and soothing and when Leila looks
“Goo- good morning sir.”Clayton glares at the man who just walked into his office, disturbing his morning training.“You know the rules Fred, mornings are for my workout,” Clayton says coldly, dropping from the pull up bar and catching his breath.“But it's the Luna, she insists on seeing you, NOW.”Clayton eyes fly wide open, his already racing heart beating even faster.What could Leila want? Did the Alpha confront her with the divorce papers? But if so, the Alpha would be the one barging into his office because Leila would have told him she did not give the file to him.His brows draw close together in a deep frown, squinting into the distance as he grabs a towel and walks to his desk.“Send her in,” he orders the man who swiftly exits.Is Leila here to blackmail him with what he did yesterday? She said she would not take it up, he was a fool to trust her words, someone who betrayed her own best fr
Despite the bitterness churning in Leila’s heart, she puts a placid smile on her face.“Well, you have always been excellent at everything, Carry on,” Leila replies, turning to leave.Carmela is not half the cook she is, but growing up, Carmela would throw a tantrum and not talk to Leila for days if Leila bested her at anything, whether it was sports, cooking or even academics.Leila was raised to be humble, not to care much for accolades and to put others first, so she would deliberately falter her efforts, sometimes even secretly helping Carmela out so Carmela would come on top.As long as her best friend was happy, Leila was happy, nothing else mattered.“Oh don’t leave, I was hoping we could have breakfast together, the three of us,” Carmela holds Leila back, glancing at Tatum.“I have some more errands to run, I’ll join you for dinner maybe,” Leila replies, gently holding Carmela’s hand that is holding her elbow and giving h
Leila stares at her reflection in the mirror, her puffy eyes telling her not to cry anymore, her head throbbing with an intense migraine, her face completely ridden with gloom, her heart heavy with sadness.She has remained in her room for the whole day and Tatum doesn’t even bother to come up to check on her. She knows he is with his beloved, and she is again, the third wheel in their relationship, just like in the past.She was the one Tatum used to adore, the one he always spent his spare time with originally. He even resented Carmela and used to call her a spoiled brat.Back then, Carmela was the third wheel but Carmela got that mark and everything changed, Tatum pushed her aside, showering all his attention on Carmela.She selfishly thought everything could go back to the way it was these last two years, that Tatum would look upon her with that candid affection in his eyes again but she was wrong, his heart was and is for Carmela and now that Carmela is back, there is no room for