Chapter 204

Innocent?

The word struck Nora like a slap, a blow dealt by one of the people she held dearest, landing precisely on an already festering wound.

"What do you mean by that?" she demanded, her voice trembling with indignation. "Are you afraid I'll go after her?"

"Brother, I grew up with you. Do you really think I'm wicked because of a woman like Layla?" Nora's anger was palpable, her words quivering with suppressed rage.

"Do you trust Layla more than your own sister? Is she more important to you?"

"I'm only trying to protect you; Samuel isn't worth your efforts."

"No, if you truly cared about me, you'd empathize with me, not warn me. Innocent Layla? Do you really believe she won Samuel's heart without lifting a finger? No, Layla simply played her cards right, and you men are none the wiser."

"I have faith in Layla's character."

"So, you don't trust me? Your own sister? Don't you know who I am?" Nora's words were laced with vehemence.

Anthony's frown deepened. "Nora, it's not that I don't trust you, but women can be emotional, and emotions can lead to rash actions."

"Don't worry, I won't kill her," Nora retorted with a cold laugh. "Because I'll make Layla suffer more than death itself."

"A man who doesn't appreciate you isn't worth your time, let alone all the energy you've invested in him. The more you invest, the deeper you fall. Just let go of Samuel and live your own life. I truly have your best interests at heart."

Anthony's words were sincere, but to Nora, they rang hollow, seeming only to serve as a shield for Layla.

Every man seemed to view Layla as fragile and innocent, a damsel in need of protection, but in reality, such individuals were often the most manipulative.

Nora refused to believe she'd been outmaneuvered by a woman as supposedly pure and simple as a blank page.

Without Anthony's covert support, Layla would never have survived at the Eilish Group.

Why did all men feel the need to protect her?

But Nora was confident she could reach her.

"Enough, I know what I need to do," Nora declared, her voice icy. She wouldn't allow this woman to ruin her relationship with Anthony.

Layla, don't think for a moment you can take away someone dear to me.

The following morning, inside a Rolls-Royce.

"What? Okay, I'll come right away," Layla said, ending the call with a furrowed brow. "Please, take me to the West District first."

"Of course, Layla," Mr. Vandella replied, steering the car to the right.

"What's the matter?" Samuel inquired.

"One of our designers got into a dispute with the foreman at the survey site, and I need to resolve it."

"That sounds tedious."

"Yeah, she's a bit hot-headed sometimes, that's all..."

"Is she the one causing problems for you at work?" Samuel's face hardened.

"Not really, she just sometimes speaks without thinking. It's no big deal, I can handle it. You stay out of this," Layla quickly responded.

If Samuel got involved, Gioanna would lose her job today.

In truth, Gioanna's designs were quite impressive.

"Promise me, Samuel," Layla said, not entirely reassured.

"Give me a kiss first."

Layla hurriedly gave him a peck. "Is that enough?"

"Not quite, we'll continue tonight."

Layla blushed. "But we agreed, no... for the first three months."

"I was only talking about kissing, where did your mind go?"

"I... I wasn't thinking anything," Layla hastily denied.

"Your expression says otherwise," Samuel teased, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Layla, it seems you're as eager as I am."

"In the stark light of day, Samuel, such topics are best avoided," Layla said, her tone a cocktail of irritation and amusement. Samuel was a man of many virtues, yet his lack of a conversational filter was not one of them. He had a propensity for airing his thoughts on subjects best reserved for private discourse, particularly in the presence of others. Layla, far more restrained than her companion, found it hard to fathom such audacity.

"Stop here, this is where I need to be," Layla instructed as they neared the construction site of the resort they were developing.

As Layla's silhouette receded into the labyrinth of the construction site, the warmth of Samuel's smile evaporated. He swiveled towards his associate, issuing a command, "Mr. Vandella, identify that individual for me."

"Understood, boss," came the compliant response.

The moment Layla penetrated the boundaries of the site, a cacophony of voices reached her ears. At the epicenter of the turmoil was Gioanna, locked in a fierce dispute with the foreman, a ring of workers encircling them. Despite being vastly outnumbered, Gioanna's indomitable spirit was palpable as she held her ground against the men, her cheeks aflame with indignation.

"Why are you being so obstinate?" a worker challenged.

"Obstinate? Your negligence caused me to stumble, and just now, one of you had the audacity to harass me," Gioanna retorted, her foot stamping the ground in a display of fury.

"Who harassed you? I merely offered assistance when you fell. We've warned you about the perils of high heels on a construction site, yet when you inevitably trip, you point fingers at everyone else."

"What seems to be the issue here?" Layla interjected, parting the crowd to investigate.

"Ah, the supervisor, I presume? Your designer is causing quite the stir-tripping in her high heels and then berating us. She's insulted our entire lineage. She's behaving like a street fighter. Is this the standard for a designer? Did she even attend school?" The foreman's frustration was palpable.

Layla's gaze fell upon Gioanna's Chanel crystal high heels, questioning her colleague's sense of practicality.

"This is a construction site, not a fashion show. It's hardly surprising that Gioanna would trip in those heels."

"Layla, are you deriving pleasure from my misfortune? If it weren't for you, why would I, a grade B designer, be traipsing around a construction site, dealing with these uncouth workers?"

"Who are you calling 'uncouth'?" a worker shot back.

"Mind your language," another retorted.

"Did I speak falsely?" Gioanna, standing her ground like a defiant hen, continued her tirade, "You lot, devoid of basic manners, are only suited for hauling bricks on a construction site. A bunch of good-for-nothings, and so will your offspring be."

Gioanna's words sparked a wildfire of rage among the crowd.

"Dare to repeat that?"

"I'm not one to shy away from hitting a woman!"

It required significant exertion on Layla's part to diffuse the situation and convince the foreman to escort his crew away.

Turning to Gioanna, who was still spewing vitriol, Layla voiced her exasperation, "Gioanna, there's a time and place for everything. Do you genuinely wish to be struck?"

Gioanna scoffed dismissively, "I'm a designer, they're mere brick haulers. They wouldn't dare lay a hand on me."

"Do you believe you could withstand a blow from them?" Layla retorted, her annoyance with Gioanna's disdainful attitude towards the workers peaking, "A person's worth isn't determined by their profession, but by their words and actions. Every job deserves respect."

"Spare me your lecture!" Gioanna crossed her arms defiantly. "We're alone here, no need for pretense. Don't you tire of playing the saint? Would I even be engaging with these people if you hadn't insisted I visit the construction site?"

"Site visits are part and parcel of a designer's job. If you're dissatisfied, perhaps this isn't the profession for you." Layla hadn't intended for the conversation to escalate to this point, but she was drained of the energy to continue this futile standoff with Gioanna, which was only delaying the project further.

Suddenly, Layla's distaste for Gioanna intensified. She couldn't bear the sight of Gioanna's face for another moment.