The two busied themselves hopping over from store to store. She was helping Rui shop for clothes that she could use for work. Of course, plain blouses and trousers would work. However, Leila wanted to find stylish yet practical clothes for Rui to wear. The last store that they visited was Chanel. Rui was trying on a few bags in front of the mirror to see what color she’d like to get. On the other hand, Leila busied herself by looking at small leather goods. She was trying to look for a new cardholder to use. “What leather are you looking for, Miss?” asked the sales associate. “A lambskin would be nice… And do you have it in red or perhaps blue?”“I’ll take a look. One second, Miss.”“Is that her?”As she waited for the associate, she heard a very familiar voice from behind. She turned around to see who it was. Upon seeing her face, Leila’s mood soured. “Sister, I didn’t recognize you! Your hair is weird so I didn’t notice you!”“I heard you’ve been messing around with the French
Inside a moody office at the top of a high-rise building in Lieren City’s business center, a man rose from his swivel chair. “Sir, Miss Leila encountered Miss Ayla in the mall earlier today. They have a small argument with you being their topic.”The corners of his lips curled. Hearing Leila argue to Ayla about him elated him. “It seems her attempts to find another man is futile…”“What happened to Nikolai? Did he date the model that we sent?” he asked. His subordinate promptly nodded. “He is, sir.”“See? No men will last for two weeks for her. That’s why she’s labeled as a playgirl. They cannot handle the simple tests I’m sending her men. How can I sleep soundly if I will hand her over to cheating assholes like them?”Julius smirked. All along, he was manipulating Leila’s dating life. As such, Leila was not able to find a stable relationship to settle into. Even though she has a long list of suitors, they are not able to go further with her mainly because of Julius’ interference.
His voice was deep and hoarse. And his light peal of laughter caught Leila off guard. He was extremely charismatic!‘It’s no wonder why he’s the country’s famous playboy! He is so charming!’This was not the first time that Leila met such a handsome man. She has encountered a lot of handsome and manly gentlemen that she’s so used to. Since she is working in the fashion industry, she is, of course, surrounded by beauty. Phyllis’ report did not mention that his presence would be this… memorable. “Mr. Lown, I heard about you from my mother. You invested in NM Group, right?” she directly asked. Taylor nodded. “Yes. It seems that you know a few of your mother's business dealings.”“Well, I need to know. After all, I have to be careful around our partners.”Leila’s voice was calm, but there was a hint of mischievousness in her tone. She was not shy nor reserved. She was confident and elegant. Taylor got a hint of what Leila was implying. Of course, it applies to anyone in the same busi
She slowly stepped back as she gripped her phone tightly. “I’ll talk to you later. Send me the deets, please. Thanks.”Her hands started to tremble in his presence. But she tried her best to conceal it. She forced a smile before turning to leave. “Are you leaving already? This is the first time that I've seen you in a while,” he directly said. His voice became deeper, but his tone… It never changed. His tone was as gentle as ever. “It’s so nice seeing you again,” he added. Leila awkwardly looked at him. ‘You speak as if we had a very amicable relationship. The audacity!’She smiled. “It’s not,” she said, as a matter of fact. She stood tall and confidently faced him. If there’s anything that she feels for him, it’s fierce anger. Her blood is curling at the sight of this man. She hated him to her core, and her whole body was trembling. Still, she acted cool. She cannot let him see that she’s affected by the issue that they have forcefully thrown in the bin. ‘If it’s scrappe
Taylor carried Leila out of the bar by using the VIP exit, exclusive to the room that they booked. The VIP room that Taylor usually books has exclusive access straight to their own private parking space. This is very useful for artists like Luna who want to avoid the press. He did not waste any second and hopped inside the van. He carefully let Leila rest on the seat next to him. “Are you this weak with alcohol that you pass out out of nowhere?” he asked as he stared at her. He noticed the frowns on her forehead and so he smoothened them with his long and bony fingers. She seemed to be having trouble sleeping.‘What happened to her? Do I need to bring her to the hospital?’ he thought. His assistant, Eric Jang, rushed to sit on the passenger seat with the stuff that Taylor left inside. “Sir, I heard someone looking for Miss Leila…”Taylor’s brows raised, intrigued. “Who?”“They’re Mr. Yu’s men…”“How come they’re looking for her?”“I saw them talking outside before she went inside
“Sir, Miss Ayla is downstairs. She wanted to invite you for a meal.”Julius continued to flip through the reports he received, not paying attention to what his assistant just said. “Should I invite Miss Ayla in?”Julius blankly looked at his assistant as if he was asking a ridiculous question. Ayla Parker is Leila’s half-sister. She’s the daughter of Allen Parker, their business partner. The Parker family has always acted so arrogant around them. It was as if he owed them a favor for getting them as their manufacturer. Truth be told, he was so dissatisfied with their work for the past few years that he’s considering manufacturing their products in-house. The quality is just incomparable to NM Group’s. The only reason why they remained as a partner is because of their prices. And now, Ayla is acting as if she’s the mistress of this building. She visits his office as if they have a close relationship with each other. “Annoying.”“When did I ever eat with her alone?”“What right does
“That guy isn’t good! I already sent you all his details thinking you’d be smart enough to stay away from him.”Phyllis reached out for Leila’s hands. Her expression is serious and Leila could feel the weight of what Phyllis was sharing. Her friend is always happy-go-lucky and always goes with the flow. Whenever she mentions something about a guy, Phyllis would be the first one to cheer her on. Well—after she background checks the men that Leila dated. But this behavior is different…“Leila, listen to me. I know that guy, we’re business partners.”“You know how my media company gets first-hand information from GEM Entertainment? It was because Taylor asked to work with me. This is how they maintain an excellent image for their artists. Whenever there are rumors involving his artists, he asks me to make an article with insider info.”“Isn’t that biased to his artists?” asked Leila. Phyllis shrugged. “Well, nothing’s real in the media. We choose what we let the people know. So this co
Ding!Leila’s phone lit up as the message notification popped up on the screen. [Hi, Leila. Here’s Luna’s latest measurement. I also want to know when you’re free so I can hook you up with a virtual meeting with the boys to discuss the design.][Thanks!]It was a concise message from Taylor. He spoke directly that Leila did not have any other thing to ask about. “See, Taylor’s only talking about business. He already sent me their measurement. Nothing more, nothing less.”Phyllis pouted, not willing to believe that Taylor would be this decent. “Besides, Rui already promised me that she’ll introduce me to a guy! Don’t you trust Rui?”Phyllis scoffed. “How many men does Rui know? Aside from her son and husband, she only knows her cousin, my twin, and Carter.”Leila casually patted Phyllis’ shoulder. “Just trust our friend, okay? She said it herself.”She stood up to get her iPad from her bag. She then checked her calendar to see her available schedules so she could set up a meeting wi
Leila — “Mommy~” Lucienne Lown, my daughter, ran towards me with her arms spread wide. She was wearing a beautiful pink dress that I made for her paired with cute white sandals. “Lucy, don’t run fast!” Taylor Lown, my husband, anxiously ran after our daughter. Yes. Husband. We got married weeks before Lucy was born. Well, it was a shotgun civil wedding. I thought that instead of waiting until Lucienne was born, I just figured we do it before the due date. Of course, Taylor was all for it. He was so quick to arrange the most beautiful ceremony and reception I could ask for in that short amount of time. He did not dilly dally as he was afraid of me changing my mind. His words, not mine! I smiled as spread my arms, hugging Lucienne. “My light…” I kissed her curly hair. “Mommy, can I play with Esme?” Lucienne pointed at Esme, Rui’s daughter, who was walking around the beach with her older brother, Eon. “Sure, darling.” “Daddy, can you accompany Lucy down with Esme
Leila — I got discharged from the hospital a week ago, and I am now staying in my mother’s house upon her insistence. After my parents found out about my pregnancy, they practically threatened me to go home with them. Well, it’s mostly just my mother who threatened me, but my father did worry about letting me live alone after that damn stabbing incident. Every now and then, Taylor would visit the house to talk to my dad about the progress of the investigation. And right now, he’s downstairs talking to them again. Whenever he’s around, I’d pretend to be busy so I have an excuse to not see him. However… “Miss, Ma’am Laura is calling for you. She said she needs you to come down now.” “Tell her I’m busy,” I answered. “But ma’am Laura said she’s not going to take no for an answer…” The maid frightfully ran downstairs, avoiding any of my rejection. “What do they need now?!” I can’t just go down… I can’t see him! But my mother might drag me down if I don’t go down there… Ais
Taylor — “Thank you, handsome!” An old florist passed a beautiful bouquet of roses to me with a huge smile on her face. “I made it extra pretty for your wife,” she winked. With an image of Leila’s beautiful smile flashing in my mind, I unknowingly smiled. “Thank you. She loves roses.” The florist threw in a few petals of lilies on the side and said, “Well, take this lilies for your daughter.” “I— “Ah, ah, ah! It’s okay, don’t refuse! I want to put a smile on your daughter’s face as well. She must have been burdened on making your wife feel better.” “You should do better, handsome.” Confused with the florist’s vague words, I couldn’t help but frown. Still, it’s not like I have a daughter to make a big deal out of it. I walked out of the flower shop and headed back to my car to drive by Leila’s atelier. After everything that happened, perhaps I can formally court her this time. I’ve been so engrossed with work and helping with Leila’s case that I have put my love on hol
Theodore intimately held Laura’s hands, and with a relieved smile, he said, “I’m so happy that the most important woman of my life gave me a chance to express my side.” “I fear of losing you both, especially now that I experienced such a blissful family life.” A surge of warmth emanated from the loving couple in front of Leila. Seeing how her mother’s messy love life unfolded in front of her eyes, she couldn’t help but feel a little bad. She realized that convincing her mother to divorce her father was completely out of line. Rather, she finally understood how deep their love developed. ‘Who am I to ruin such a beautiful couple?’ ‘I don’t even feel that hurt because of what he did… I know, and I can feel that he did it with good intentions.’ ‘The only thing I need to worry about is my family… My mother is already so old, she can figure out the life on her own.’ She instinctively touched her tummy, feeling the baby bump. ‘So long as I have my baby, I know it will all work out
“Darling, you’re awake…” Theodore slowly walked up to the mother and daughter who were staring at him silently. “Did you hear from your mom already?” “About what? That I’m your biological daughter?” She passively asked. With the whirlwind of happenings the past day, everything is just overwhelming Leila. The neglectful father that she knew growing up turned out to not be her biological father. All her life she craved for her father’s affection only to be cast aside without knowing the reason why. It turns out, Allen Parker may have a reason for doing so. After all, not everyone can treat stepchildren as their own. ‘I don’t know if I should be relieved or what… This is so frustrating…’ Leila’s eyes were focused on Theodore who sat next to her mother. “Leila, darling…” “Why didn’t you tell us?” Theodore hesitated, his face looking a bit conflicted. “Darling, it’s complicated…” Laura sneered. “That’s what I asked him, Leila. He never explained why. If you didn’t urgentl
“The baby seems very healthy, Mommy!” Said the doctor as she checked on Leila’s pelvic ultrasound on the screen. “But the baby bump is barely there, doc. What should I do?” With her slender body, she’s still concerned about how the bump that she wishes to see is barely visible. The OB-Gynecologist wiped the cold jelly from her belly and said, “Mommy, I can see a small bump. You’re just naturally fit. But if you observe your body, there are changes.” “I bet you had a really flat stomach before you got pregnant. Am I right?” Leila nodded. The doctor pointed at the visible bump in her lower abdomen area. “This bump right here is not there before right.” “But it’s not big yet… Is my baby getting all the nutrition she needs?” “Of course, mommy. It’s just that your tummy won’t grow that big yet. But it will definitely as your baby develops.” Leila reluctantly nodded. “Alright, doc. Thank you.” “No problem. Visit me whenever you have concerns and don’t miss your scheduled prenat
Several weeks passed in a blur, and it was now Rui’s wedding. It was initially planned for her wedding dress to be loose so that it wouldn’t show her figure. But since she gave birth to her daughter, Esme a few weeks before the wedding. She was able to rest and spend more time with her newborn. The entire wedding preparations were handled by her husband, Chase. Leila expertly adjusted Rui’s gown to perfectly flatter her body. They were all satisfied with how the gown turned out. “Lei, where is Esme?” Rui in a beautiful chiffon gown asked Leila. The guests are having fun as they proceed with the wedding activities. “She’s sleeping in her room and Phyllis is looking after her,” answered Leila as she sipped on the sparkling soda that was handed by a server. Rui sincerely smiled, “Thank you, Lei.” Leila squeezed her hands, “Of course, I got you, my dearest.” Rui then went on with the activities with her husband, Chase. As one of the Maid of Honor, she was in charge of helping
Leila was carefully driving her car back to her mother’s house after driving her friend, Phyllis to the airport. On their street, she saw a lot of cars parked near Phyllis and Zacharias’ house. “Are they media people…? That’s a lot…” The amount of people with big cameras waiting outside her friend’s house is insanely plenty. Just a few days ago, Phyllis’ husband was hospitalized because a crazy fan attempted to kidnap him. Now, people got a hold of this incident and were eager to get a scoop about it. “So that’s why Taylor told me not to go out…” “Well… No wonder that couple decided to flee the country.” She then parked her car in front of the house’s front entrance. She swung her keys as she walked inside her mother’s house. “Leila?!” Her mother jolted up from the couch as soon as she walked in. “What’s up?” “You! What did you do now?!” Confused, Leila asked, “What did I do…?” “First, you lied to Aunt Amanda about Rui’s wedding and impulsively went home. We’re not don
KNOCK KNOCK Leila was drying her hair after a warm bath when she heard a knock on her door. “It must be him.” She hurried out of her room and opened the door. There, she saw Taylor standing outside, his whole body drenched from the rain. “Goodness, what happened to you?!” “Haha… It rained and I forgot to bring an umbrella.” “You didn’t drive?” “Why would I drive if there’s a convenience store nearby?” His hair is still dripping wet and the rainwater made Taylor’s dress shirt see-through. His lean body is showing because of this. His body was shivering from the cold, but still, he smiled as he handed over the plastic full of food that Leila requested. Feeling a little sorry for his appearance, she bit her lips. “Uh…” “Why don’t you come in and change?” She offered. Taylor beamed, “Sure!” He quickly took off his shoes and went inside. Leila could only watch him as he wore the fluffy pink bunny slippers he used before. ‘I mean, I’ll feel guilty if he gets sick aft