Chapter 100
"How dare he?" Holland's voice roared with fury. His emotion surged; his heart couldn't take it. He broke into violent coughs.
Jovan looked on indifferently. "What wouldn't he dare do? Don't forget, it was him who caused the death of your most cherished firstborn."
Holland, as if stabbed by a knife, let out a guttural yell, his face turning deathly pale, clutching his heart even tighter.
It seared with pain.
His pride and joy, his eldest son, had died in a fiery car crash, burnt alive on the scene.
Countless times he had questioned the heavens, why it wasn't...
"When you handed over the reins of Holland Group to the man responsible for your big brother's death, you should have seen this day coming. Did you really think you could tame Samuel? Ha, it's like trying to domesticate a tiger. If you can't even dictate his love life, how do you expect to control his allegiance to the Holland Group?" Ever since Jovan was ousted from the CEO position, resentment had festered in his heart.
"Isn't that just because you lack the ability?" Holland trusted his second son more naturally. Despite knowing his ambitious nature, the bond was deeper for the son he'd raised himself.
It was just a pity that he couldn't match Samuel, and for the good of the Holland Group, he had to choose a more capable leader.
"It was his dirty tricks," Jovan spat, unwilling to admit defeat to a bastard, "At least I wouldn't marry those messed-up women out there."
"He neither won't." Holland said with narrowed eyes. "That woman, she's a designer, isn't she? Always on construction sites, accidents can happen..."
A sinister plan to undermine Samuel's relationship with Layla quickly took shape in his mind.
It must be nipped in the bud!
Meanwhile, in a quaint apartment kitchen.
Samuel washed a bowl and handed it to Layla, who dried it meticulously before placing it on the rack.
Every bowl was wiped to a gleaming shine.
Though they worked in silence, their movements were in perfect sync, like a couple married for years.
Even Layla was surprised by this unexpected harmony. She had never imagined that she and Samuel would work together on household chores like a domesticated pair.
"All clean," Layla said, drying her hands and stepping out of the kitchen.
Samuel glanced at the clock. "I need to head back to the office."
"At this hour?" Layla asked.
"I need to get back to the meeting. I stepped out for a bit. Touched?" he teased.
"Just focus on your meeting and stop mooching meals," Layla rolled her eyes, "I feel sorry for your executives and shareholders, having a CEO who's this capricious."
"Feel sorry for them, but not for me?" Samuel jested, "All this running around tires me out."
"Then don't run around," Layla replied matter-of-factly.
"I wish I could, but I can't control my heart-it leads me right to you."
His smooth talking was throwing Layla into disarray.
No matter whether you like the person or not, when a handsome man whispers sweet nothings, it's bound to make a woman blush. That's what Layla told herself anyway.
"Get going now!"
"Hold on, your tie's crooked."
Layla stood on her tiptoes, reaching up to adjust his tie.
Looking up, she found his gaze intense upon her. A wave of nervousness came over her, and as she was about to step back, his strong hand clasped her waist firmly.
"Good," Samuel grunted through clenched teeth.
Their breaths tangled as Layla found herself unable to dodge his descending kiss. He captured her lips, biting gently, eliciting a surprised moan from her, "Holland..."
Samuel's kiss was a veil, sealing their lips in a demanding embrace. It seemed he couldn't get enough of her, his large hand cradling her face, fingers boldly entwining in her hair. His other arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her soft body closer, inch by inch.
Layla gasped for air under the intensity of his kisses, trying several times to breathe, but each time he only deepened the kiss further.
Finally, both gasping for breath, Layla's cheeks flushed red as apples. Samuel slightly relaxed his grip, his fingertips still tracing her cheek with ambiguous intent.
Their noses touched, his breathing heavy. "You're seducing me..."
Layla's mind was buzzing, unaware of her surroundings; all she could hear was her own heart pounding violently.
His kisses were like poison, intoxicating her senses, leaving her unable to think. Her entire body tingled under his touch, her legs weakening.
"Don't seduce me again, okay?" he said, low and grave.
"It was... it was you who seduced me..." Layla managed to regain a sliver of lucidity. He had forcibly kissed her; how could he accuse her of seduction?
Her soft, sweet voice made Samuel's heart skip a beat. He had never held onto a woman like this. The thought of being away from her for even a second seemed unbearable.
"Maybe I should cancel my meeting?"
"You can't," Layla quickly objected. "There are so many people waiting for you, and you can't neglect your work on any account."
Samuel chuckled helplessly, flicking her forehead lightly. "Look at you, more rational than I am."
She wasn't like the other women in his life.
...
The Wellness Center needed to open before Isabel's birthday, and three construction crews were working around the clock, rushing to finish the interior based on the design plans.
The sounds of a busy construction site filled the air with a constant buzz.
Layla, sporting a pair of flat white sneakers and a safety helmet, roamed around inspecting the progress.
"I'll get you a bottle of water. You must be thirsty," offered the foreman before leaving.
"Thank you." Layla squatted to examine the tiling in a corner when, suddenly, the wall above her head came loose and crashed down.
Her face turned pale with shock, frozen on the spot.
"Look out-"
In the instant the wall descended upon her, a figure shoved her out of harm's way.
Pain surged through Layla's abdomen as blood began to flow down her legs, the air thick with the scent of dust and blood...
The baby.
Layla passed out from the pain.
...
Hospital.
"My baby?"
"Is the baby okay?" Layla shot up like she was coming back from the dead, her face ghostly pale as she clutched Samuel's arm. "How's the baby?"
"It's okay, don't worry," Samuel reassured her, enveloping her hand in his.
"You're lying to me, I... I bled so much just now... The baby's gone, isn't it?" Layla burst into frantic tears, overwhelmed by fear and grief.
Making the choice to keep the baby had been tough enough, so why did this accident have to happen? The blow was more painful than she'd anticipated.
" "It's okay, our child's still here," Samuel soothed, his touch gentle in her hair. "Bleeding can be a sign of a miscarriage, but luckily we got to the hospital in time to save the baby."
While Samuel seemed calm now, he had been in a sheer panic when he first got the news, racing to the hospital like a bat out of hell.
Only when he heard that both the child and she were safe did his heart settle back into his chest.
He finally understood why people shouldn't have weaknesses; once you have one, you're perpetually worried and afraid.
Even with a strong heart, sometimes the burden can be too heavy to bear.
Without resisting, he pulled her in for a tighter embrace.
After his comforting words, Layla began to calm down, grateful that the heavens hadn't taken her baby from her.
Suddenly, she remembered something. "Wait, was it Mr. Marley who saved me? How's he doing?"