Chapter 169
Layla and Owen began their venture by procuring two modest suits, suitable for the event at hand.
Owen, with his cunning and resourcefulness, managed to circumvent the security measures, surreptitiously guiding Layla and himself through the back door and into the grand soirée.
Within the opulent banquet hall, Layla's anxiety finally began to ebb. She exhaled a sigh of relief and turned to Owen, her gaze a blend of irritation and amusement. "You're surprisingly adept at this."
"Indeed! Who do you take me for?" Owen replied, his chest puffing out with pride. "Look, there's Uncle Liam."
Layla's gaze followed Owen's pointed finger, immediately landing on Uncle Liam. He stood out starkly amidst a cluster of affluent entrepreneurs, his newly acquired wealth radiating off him like a beacon.
Upon spotting them, Uncle Liam's brow knitted in a mix of confusion and alarm. "How did you two manage to infiltrate this event? You don't possess invitations..."
"That's irrelevant. My father sought you out a few days prior, only to disappear. Where have you taken him?"
"Uncle Liam, it would be in your best interest to be forthright with us, or we may need to involve the authorities," Layla asserted.
"Threatening me? This is my domain. The police hold no power here. I've told you, I haven't seen him. Cease your incessant questioning."
In his haste to dismiss them, Uncle Liam clumsily knocked over a glass of red wine, the crimson liquid splattering across Layla's pristine white dress, creating a stark contrast.
"What seems to be the issue here?" A security guard approached.
"They've trespassed. Escort them out, immediately."
"Care to try?" Owen interjected, stepping protectively in front of Layla.
As the tension escalated...
"Miss Adkins." A voice, all too familiar.
Layla's breath hitched. The person standing before her was the last individual she wished to encounter-Nora Eilish.
Nora Eilish, adorned in a high-end gown, exuded an ethereal elegance akin to the legendary moonlight. She too was clad in a white dress, but the disparity in their demeanors was as stark as night and day.
Each encounter with Nora Eilish left Layla feeling disoriented, assuming the role of the utterly embarrassed party. Layla instinctively clutched the hem of her dress, always feeling inferior in Nora Eilish's presence.
"Miss Eilish, they infiltrated the event without an invitation," the security guard reported.
A subtle curl tugged at the corners of Nora Eilish's lips, a derisive sneer etched on her face. She found it hard to believe that Layla, of all people, had the audacity to crash this event, accompanied by her brother.
Layla's audacity had set a new low for Nora.
Only men could be deceived by Layla's feigned innocence.
Despite her disdain, Nora didn't want Samuel to cross paths with Layla at that moment, dreading any potential drama.
"Miss Adkins, this is an exclusive dinner hosted by the Holland Group in collaboration with the Eilish Group at our seven-star hotel. An invitation is mandatory for entry. I'm afraid you'll have to depart if you don't possess one," Nora stated, maintaining a polite facade.
"I understand, I'll leave immediately," Layla stuttered, eager to avoid a run-in with Samuel and desperate to escape. But she was too late.
A commanding figure emerged from the crowd. His piercing gaze swept over Layla, leaving her heart feeling as though it had been pierced, a numbing sensation spreading throughout her body.
"Mr. Holland." Nora herself felt a twinge of nervousness and quickly latched onto his arm.
Witnessing this, Owen swiftly grasped the situation. Anger surged within him as he clenched his fists and confronted Samuel, "Scoundrel, what's your business with her? Weren't you involved with my sister..."
"Owen!" Layla interjected sharply, her complexion paling with panic as she hurried to pull him away. "Let's leave."
"But I haven't finished!"
"I need to set things right for you."
Nora's brow furrowed; their public altercation was tarnishing the evening. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to uncover Layla's past with Samuel. It would be utterly humiliating. She was about to summon security when Layla hastily interjected.
"If you don't accompany me now, I'll disown you as my brother!"
Owen gritted his teeth, "He wronged you, and yet you..."
"Who wronged whom, exactly?" Samuel interjected with a cold smile, his eyes narrowing.
"Please, let's just leave," Layla implored, her eyes reddening as she dragged Owen away.
They exited the hotel.
"Hey, release me!" Owen yanked his arm free, seething. "Why are you defending this jerk? I should have given him a piece of my mind."
"It's not his fault. The blame lies with me," Layla confessed softly.
"Please, you're too passive to harm anyone. He's the one exploiting you. Layla, why do you tolerate this?" Owen's frustration boiled over as he vociferously chastised her for her meekness.
Layla stifled a sob, her lips curling into a bitter smile, "Yes, I'm that worthless. People like me, we merely exist to endure suffering. I don't deserve happiness. I'm destined to be forsaken and end up alone forever."
Owen frowned, his response tinged with discomfort, "End up alone? You think I'm dead or something? Sure, I enjoy teasing you, but I'll be damned if I let anyone else do it."
"Are you even a Whitaker? Why do you always let people push you around? If you want that Holland guy back, then fight for him! What good does crying do?"
"I'm not crying," Layla denied, her voice betraying a tremor she couldn't suppress.
"Deny it all you want, but your eyes are red," Owen retorted, torn between sympathy and irritation at her lack of fight.
"Let's just drop it and return," Layla pleaded, unable to bear another moment there.
...
In the hotel's secluded back garden.
Samuel sat on the veranda, a bottle of whiskey at his side. He picked it up and took a swig.
"Isn't that a bit wasteful, drinking in such a manner?" A teasing laugh echoed behind him.
Nora Eilish stood bathed in the moonlight, her figure aglow with an immaculate radiance, as divine as a goddess.
"The shareholders are all awaiting your presence, and here you are, secluding yourself and drinking in solitude. Don't you require some company?"
Samuel ignored Nora, taking another hefty gulp of whiskey.
A mocking sneer formed in Nora's heart. Even men at the pinnacle of their careers resort to drowning their sorrows in alcohol when heartbroken. Samuel was no exception.
But how she yearned to be the woman who had inflicted such pain upon him.
With that thought, a surge of envy crept into Nora's heart.
She couldn't comprehend what Layla possessed besides pretense; when it came to talent, there were plenty more gifted than her. Losing to such a mediocre woman was something Nora could never reconcile with in her lifetime.
"Anthony..." Nora Eilish ventured closer, but Samuel continued his drinking, unperturbed.
This was the closest they had ever been, the scent of alcohol mingling with the faint aroma of tobacco from his breath, intoxicating Nora.
Though he was the one consuming alcohol, she was the one intoxicated by his presence, bewitched by his aura.
A man like this, she vowed to cling onto him tightly, for life.
Men were defenceless against a woman's tender care in times of vulnerability.
Nora's gaze grew deeper and more affectionate, "I don't know what's troubling you, but I'm genuinely concerned. Regardless of what has transpired between us, my feelings for you remain unchanged, and they always will."
Forever? The word ignited a wave of cynicism in Samuel's heart as he coolly glanced at Nora Eilish, pinching her chin with his fingers.