“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
Weeks passed by in the blink of an eye, Leila was occupied with the commission pieces for Luna and the pieces that she’ll be presenting for her atelier opening. She did not leave her apartment and just immersed herself in work. She was currently under a lot of pressure since in a month, she will open the doors of her studio to her clients. With the help of Michaella, the opening fashion show is well taken care of. Now, the only thing left to do is to finish all her remaining designs. Right now, she is on her way to GEM Entertainment’s office in Dixon City. She doesn’t know why but her appointment is with Taylor Lown, the President of GEM Entertainment not with the general manager of GEM Models. She found it weird but she still needed to go. It’s better than meeting the guy that Julius mentioned. The traffic on the way to Taylor’s office was okay. It was good that the scheduled meeting was not a rush hour, or else she’d be stuck in traffic by now. The business park in Dixon City is
Meanwhile, Taylor continued to check Leila’s designs. He admired how detailed Leila’s designs were. The only reason that he was able to see her designs was so he could pick the most suitable models from his roster since he knew their styles best. However, he genuinely enjoyed browsing through her designs. ‘It would be better if she released a men’s collection…’One of Leila’s designs that struck him was the highlight of the collection, the finale piece. The design was regal and bewitching. He knew, at a glance, that only a model so elegant and alluring could pull such an outfit off. The only person he knew who could pull off such a piece. However, she’s not signed with him. He could only hope that the model Leila picked carried the said qualities else the show would turn into a complete joke. ‘I think Leila can properly pick the models if she can see their portfolio.’He suddenly remembered that he had a collection of model photos in the model’s lounge. All his subsidiaries were in
The next day, Leila went out with Michaella to visit her atelier which is currently under construction. They brought snacks for the workers to eat for their break. “Architect Yang, I did not expect to see you here!” said Leila in surprise. Maxwell Yang, the head architect and heir of YJL Corporation, was not the person in charge of this project. Though Phylian connected her with his construction company, there was another person in charge of the project. Maxwell Yang is not supposed to be here, except…Leila looked around to see if the architect in charge was around. “Where’s Architect Kim?”“She’s in the greenhouse,” said Maxwell briefly. Leila excitedly went to see Architect Tatiana Kim, leaving Maxwell behind.Michaella followed her inside with the trolley full of sandwiches and juices. Amidst the busy and chaotic situation of the garden, Leila saw the radiant woman in glasses. Her mid-length hair was pulled up in a ponytail with some of her hair falling on her face. She stood
Leila soon found herself as the third wheel of the couple that she met in her atelier. Architect Maxwell Yang and Architect Tatiana Kim invited her for a meal after the site visit. They went to a restaurant in the mall nearby. “Table for four please.”She heard Tatiana say to the waiter who welcomed them into the restaurant. “This way ma'am.”They then followed the waiter inside towards their table. ‘There were only the three of us here, who did they invite?’‘Should I ask?’ she wondered as she observed the couple busy conversing. “Oh, Leila. Is it okay if my cousin joins us for a quick meal? He was around the area so I thought I invite him for a meal.”“It’s alright, Tati. He can join us, I don’t mind.”“Is he the cousin you’ve mentioned earlier?” she added. Tatiana nodded. She pouted at the thought of her troublesome cousin. “Yes he is…”She remembered her cousin’s playful personality and feared that he might cause trouble to Leila. However, she cannot bring herself to warn he
Of course, she noticed Harriet’s hostility towards her. It was fairly obvious that Taylor was the root cause. She understood it. Though she wanted to steer away from the two, she could not just let Harriet speak to her like that, could she?She’s not a kind lady that she’d let someone speak to her like this. Especially to those who were asking for it…“Taylor, is she one of your artists? How come you never recommended her to me for my upcoming fashion show?”Leila’s question was purely out of curiosity. Although she was active on social media, she hadn’t heard of any actress named Harriet, so she wanted to know. Taylor, with a wide grin, answered, “She’s not my artist… So I can’t really guarantee her marketing impact…”“I don’t think you need any more promoting!” he added with conviction. Leila was surprised that he backed her up. She thought Taylor would support Harriet. After all, she is his date. This is his chance to gain more of her favor by acting like a white knight. But h
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