Chapter 88
Emily panicked inwardly, "No, I wasn't."
Jovan always had a keen perception. She lost focus for just a second and he noticed. Being with him was exhausting; she was always on edge, always tiptoeing around fear.
This was not the life she had envisioned. She thought she had found someone who might not love her but at least treated her well, but the reality was far from it. The regret was painful, but there was no turning back.
"Did you use to do this for him too?"
Emily forced a smile, its sweetness laced with appeasement. "That's all in the past. Why make meaningless comparisons? I am your woman now."
"If you had known he was the illegitimate son of the Holland family, would you still have left him for my bed?" Jovan resembles Samuel to some extent, but with slightly narrower and more elongated eyes and eyebrows, hence lacking the arrogance and coldness,with a touch more of a soft androgynous quality.
He let out a scoff with a hint of disdain as he asked, "Every time you think about him being a CEO, do you regret it?"
Emily's smile was tinged with awkwardness, and her lovely features became crestfallen. "I've never thought like that."
"Hah, so hypocritical," Jovan dismissed her chin and his smile turned cold.
His phone rang. He then lit a cigarette and walked to the window.
"Uncle, I saw Samuel at the hospital today with a woman," an anxious voice came through.
As Jovan listened, his expression grew more inscrutable.
Eventually, after hanging up, he turned back to Emily with a mocking smile, "The man you're so fond of has another woman now."
Emily's smile instantly froze on her face.
...
Nightfall.
The Hollands.
Mr. Holland had been furrowing his brow for days on end; his imposing aura put everyone around him on edge.
A bodyguard stood before him with his head bowed.
"Are you sure he's not seeing any women?" Holland inquired.
"Yes, sir. We've checked multiple times. Mr. Holland doesn't have any steady female companionship. Even when he socializes, there's no flirting or anything of the sort."
Holland's brows knitted tighter. His people were competent; if there was a woman, they would have found her. Could it be that he truly had no interest in women, or was he simply against marriage?
A vile thought crept into Holland's mind-could it be men instead? The mere idea sent a shiver of disgust through him.
"Dad, congrats!" Jovan strolled in with a breezy confidence.
"Congrats for what?" Holland asked, feeling puzzled. His patience was already thinning; there was nothing to congratulate.
"Congrats on becoming a grandfather." Jovan plopped down on the sofa, propping up his long legs.
"Grandfather? You little punk, aren't you still a bachelor? If you dare have a child with that Emily girl, I'll break your legs."
Though Holland disapproved, he knew Jovan wouldn't bring that woman home. He had turned a blind eye, not minding it much. But a child? That was where he drew the line.
"It's not me." Jovan lit a cigar, his smile shadowed and cryptic.
"If not you, then who? Samuel? He doesn't have a woman by his side, so how's there a child?"
"Is it really that he has no woman, or is it that you just haven't found her?" Jovan countered.
Holland was taken aback. "Are you saying he's hidden a woman away?"
No wonder they couldn't find her!
His public refusal to marry, his protection of this woman, and her pregnancy-all signs pointed to him caring deeply for her; he might even be serious about her.
"What kind of woman is she?"
Jovan signaled with a glance, and his subordinate handed Holland a file.
After Holland reviewed it, he was livid, "A girl from that sort of poor household wants to become a Holland? She's delusional."
"Don't underestimate this poor girl. She's Vincent's ex and dumped him to climb into bed with our youngest. Now that she's pregnant, she's set on marrying into wealth."
"What?" Holland was even more infuriated. He couldn't help but curse, "Wench!"
His eyes hardened, "I won't let such a filthy woman tarnish the Holland family name."
A cold smirk curled at the edges of Jovan's mouth.
...
Early in the morning, Samuel arrived at the hospital with a bag of buns.
His little lady had only had porridge last night and was surely hungry today, so he decided to indulge her for once.
But when he reached the room, the bed was empty.
Samuel frowned and flagged down a nurse. "Where is she?"
The sudden appearance of such a handsome man left the nurse starstruck. Her eyes went wide with astonishment.
"Where is the patient?"
"Oh, um, Miss Adkins was discharged early this morning," the nurse answered, blushing.
Discharged? It was only seven-thirty. She'd snuck out before six? She'd promised to rest and yet was being so reckless. Didn't she know she was pregnant?
Samuel was filled with a mix of blame and worry.
She must be at the office by now; she was a total workaholic.
...
At Holland Group.
As soon as Alice saw Layla, she checked her from head to toe. Concern was written all over her face, "Honey, are you alright?"
"I'm fine; what's up?" Layla replied, puzzled.
"I heard Mr. Holland himself carried you out yesterday. Did he scare you into fainting?"
Layla scratched her head, unsure how to explain, "No, Mr. Holland-he didn't yell at me or anything."
"Then how did you faint? Did his good looks knock you out? I'd be overwhelmed in that situation too. But hey, I guess that's a stroke of luck for you."
"Luck?"
"Yeah! You got carried by Mr. Holland! Do you know how many women would be jealous? Were his arms strong? How about his chest muscles, huh?" Alice's cheeks were flushed with excitement.
"Let's get back to work."
Alice continued fantasizing out loud.
Layla could only roll her eyes. One person's treasure could be another's poison. If anyone could take Samuel off her hands, she'd be grateful to their entire family.
"Miss Adkins, your breakfast." The cleaning lady placed it on Layla's desk.
"Mr. Vandella asked me to give this to you," she whispered before moving on to tidy another area.
Layla looked at the buns on her desk, amused and a bit annoyed.
Who asked him to bring her breakfast? And delivered by the cleaning lady no less, like some spy drop.
Not wanting to waste food yet reluctant to eat, Layla shared the buns with her colleagues.
"By the way, hasn't Mr. Marley come in today?"
"What, you miss him?" Alice teased while biting into a bun and giving Layla a suggestive look.
"No, I have to give him some designs today."
"He left for a business trip to Germany yesterday."
"That sudden?"
"Yeah, we're all wondering if he offended the president at the restaurant, so he got shipped off last minute."
She couldn't rule out the possibility; Samuel was a petty man . Layla was even less thrilled with him now.
...
At the top floor, in the CEO's office.
Samuel scrawled his signature on the contract. "All of them dispatched, not one left behind?"
"Yes, Mr. President."
With a sardonic smile, Samuel was accustomed to her squandering his goodwill. It was hardly a concern for him anymore. He'd find it strange if she were compliant one day.
"Expect the Hollands to make a move. Keep her safe."
"Yes, boss."
...
After a busy day, it was time to clock out.
Layla didn't feel like working late today. As soon as she finished, she checked the front and back doors of the lobby, hesitated for a second, then slipped out the side exit.
She hadn't gone far when a van charged up to her. A group of men jumped out, seized her, and dragged her inside.
A cloth was pressed against her nose, heavy with the scent of ether, and she fell into unconsciousness.