Chapter 413

Layla was at a loss for words, unable to retort.

It felt like there was a lump of sand stuck in her throat, rendering her speechless.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Samuel demanded. "If you can't accept it, how can you expect me to understand you?"

"If you don't trust me, there's nothing I can do about it," Layla, feeling flustered, instinctively chose to evade.

"So you're admitting it?" he asked.

"Does it make a difference whether I admit it or not? You've already made up your mind about what you think, and no matter how I explain, it won't help," Layla shouted.

Samuel grew even angrier. "You wanted to work, and I agreed. You said he was just your boss and asked me to trust you, and I compromised. But what have you shown me? You're distracted when talking to me, thinking about him, and then you turn around and blame me for not trusting you?"

"I'll say it again that he and I are just friends," Layla explained.

"If I were thinking about another woman right now and told you I only saw her as a friend, would you believe me?" Samuel retorted. "Relationships require mutual respect. I don't want you to misunderstand or be hurt, so I never get involved with other women. My heart is only for you. And you? In the one week I was gone, you and your boss have gotten so close. Did you even think about me?"

Layla couldn't face this barrage of questions. She could understand Samuel's frustration, but being doubted in a relationship still felt terrible.

Layla let out a bitter laugh. "I thought after all the tests we've been through, we trusted each other enough. I didn't expect you to still doubt me."

"Then stop doing things that make me doubt you!" Samuel roared.

"I'm just going to work. What did I do?" Layla couldn't help but become a bit agitated.

"Going to work, and then thinking about him after work?" Samuel sneered. "Layla, I've given you enough trust and freedom. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what? Not let me work? Lock me up at home? Transfer my boss away?" Layla shot back. "After all, you're Samuel Holland. You have power and influence. You can do whatever you want, right? I'm just going to work, and you think you've given me immense freedom like it's a gift. I should follow your rules, be obedient, and listen to you."

Samuel raised an eyebrow, looking incredulous. "Is that how you see me?"

Layla couldn't stay calm anymore and turned her face away. "I don't want to argue."

"Look at me," Samuel demanded.

Layla crossed her arms.

"Layla, look at me." Samuel nearly commanded, veins pulsing on his forehead. "Answer me, is that how you see me?"

Layla's heart pounded with each of Samuel's questions.

No, she didn't see him that way. Layla knew he had changed a lot for her. But if people could stay rational during arguments, there wouldn't be so many heated disputes.

Layla closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm very tired..."

"You're tired? I work eighteen hours a day in order to get home a minute earlier to see you. I'm tired too," he complained.

"Can we stop arguing?" Layla sighed, her eyes showing fatigue. "I don't want to argue with you."

Layla's face was full of weariness, which only pained Samuel more. She now saw him as a burden, feeling exhausted with every word.

If that was the case, then there was indeed no point in continuing the conversation.

Even in his rage, Samuel retained a shred of rationality, reminding himself not to escalate the conflict. He didn't want to damage their relationship.

Suppressing his anger, he softly said, "Goodnight," and ended the video call. The next second, he swept all the documents off the table in a fit of rage.

Papers scattered all over the floor.

"Boss, what happened?" Assistant James rushed in, only to be yelled at by Samuel.

"Get out!"

"Sorry, boss." James disappeared in an instant.

'The boss must have had a fight with Miss Adkins to be this furious.' James pondered.

People said couples were most likely to have conflicts when they were apart. But it was only been a few days and they were already fighting.

Thinking about the next three days, James couldn't help but feel a deep sense of dread for himself.

Inside the office, the atmosphere was tense, and Samuel's face was darker.

He kept replaying the look in Layla's eyes when she talked about Brian, the excitement as she described how in sync they were. Jealousy gnawed at Samuel's heart. He wanted to send that boss to outer space immediately, to make him disappear from her life forever.

This impulse kept growing, wild and fierce, in Samuel's heart. He almost acted on it.

Pressing the intercom, he said, "Come in!"

"Boss." James walked in briskly.

"What are your orders?"

Samuel bit his lip, his face turning pale.

James observed his expression, puzzled. What was going on with the boss? It seemed like he had something to instruct but couldn't bring himself to say it, which was completely out of his decisive nature.

What kind of decision was so difficult that even the boss was conflicted?

"Get out!" Samuel finally restrained himself.

He clenched his fists.

His pupils were bloodshot.

Samuel had changed so much for Layla, retreating to his bottom line time and again, yet in her eyes, he was still a tyrannical and unreasonable person.

Samuel was truly disappointed.

His heart was full of anger, but even more so, an overwhelming sense of loss.

The next day, at the company.

Everything seemed normal.

"Good morning, Mr. Evans."

Hearing the voices, Layla instinctively wanted to look up but restrained herself at the last moment, instead using her peripheral vision to observe, her face remaining indifferent.

Brian walked in with a briefcase, not glancing sideways as he entered.

Everyone stole a glance at Layla, and then at Brian's indifferent face as he walked straight into his office. They all looked back at Layla, but no one dared to be too obvious, not even exchanging glances, each making their own guesses.

Around eleven, Layla finished her drawings and took them to Brian for review.

"Mr. Evans." She knocked on the door with a polite smile, entering without closing it.

"Mr. Evans, I've finished the design for the third phase," she said.

Brian didn't look up. "Leave it on the desk. I'll look at it later."

Layla was actually eager to see Brian's reaction immediately, feeling a little disappointed. But she didn't show it at all. She nodded. "Okay."

As Layla left the office, a dozen pairs of eyes in the large office all lowered simultaneously.

Hearing the door close, Brian finally looked up. He had just been pretending to be busy. In reality, he hadn't read a single word. He was restless, completely unlike himself.

Ever since Layla said they should keep their distance yesterday, he had felt uneasy. But before that, he had always been indifferent to others, preferring to keep his distance, not tolerating any excessive closeness.

Now, Brian didn't know what was wrong with him, finding it hard to accept.

He thought, 'Layla. Why are you disturbing my heart?'

Perhaps the one truly disturbed Brian was himself.