Meeting with her manager.
“I contacted our investors, and business partners already. Everything is set.” Amid speaks over the telephone.
Jamal walks over to the bed and sinks on it, which bounces to a stop.
“Great. We'd schedule another meeting after the party, to talk about the new market issue. I need all the details from your secretary in my mail, tonight.”
“Sure. What about, Myla? Did you find anything?”
Talking of the lady, she walks from the bathroom to her side of the bed, with a strip nightwear.
Her body prints from the transparent material, exposing the sensitive parts of her skin.
He gulps for a bit, responding to his assistant.
“We haven't found who did that to her, yet. Still working on it.”
Myla cringes her eyebrows as she overhears his last statement.
He wakes up from bed to his working office, a few meters away from their room.
She becomes even more addled as to why he leaves all of a sudden.
Giving her more reasons to feel he was talking about her all along.
And she can't pursue to eavesdrop his conversation as he is a remarkably good catcher to pointedly descend her presence.
He returns few minutes later to lock eyes with his wife.
She looks away abruptly, trying to act all normal.
He settles on the bed sheet, straightening his back to give her his full attention.
“Just say it.”
She looks at him at first like he doesn't know what he's doing, and sighs.
“Who was that?”
“Amid.” he answers shortly, like being interviewed for a job.
“Oh. Why did you have to leave when I walked in?”
He presses his lips together. “Because, I didn't want to disrupt your peace. For respect's sake.”
“I see... So y'all gossiped about me?”
He says nothing.
“I heard you're working on something. Is this about who tried to drug me? 'cause in my opinion I don't want us to go back.”
He chuckles, grinding mischievously.
“Myla, I don't want you to be afraid of anything. For as long as I live, you are my responsibility and I must protect you. Your enemies are mine as well. If we don't find these guys, we won't know why they did that to you, and how to avoid it next time,”
She sighs, pulling the sheet over her and leaning against the headbed.
“Are you sure that's all you want to do?”
He folds is fonts. “Yes. Is there anything else?”
She shakes her head. “Not at all. Just making sure, you're not getting into trouble.”
“Still thinking I'm dealing with some ‘bad guys’?”
She shrugs.
“I asked you before and will ask again? Do you suspect anyone who is against you in the movie house?”
Myla scrambles her mind for a second, and answers. “No, I don't. I haven't had a misunderstanding with anyone, personally. Except-the...”
She stops when she remembers she can't tell him about the contract, if not he won't agree with her entrusting for it.
“Nevermind. I've already said I know nothing.”
He shifts closer to her, showing her those intimidating golden orbits of his.
“I asked you if you knew anyone, and not if you knew something. Are you keeping something from me, Taylor?”
He has never called her by that name and she wonders why he does it now.
“N-No,”
He nods. “Very good. I've told you once, and will repeat now. Don't let me discover this on my own. If I do, you'd be sorry for yourself.”
He moves away, taking off his shirt as he loves sleeping that way, then gets into the sheet.
She takes a moment to question herself who will do that to her. She knows she has no enemies, but Jamal must be having some issues as a businessman. It's normal that they may try to get back at him through her as he said at the beach.
If not, he wouldn't hurry over to take her home.
“Are you going to seat there forever, or join me?”
Myla's senses return and she nods, resting close to him.
He puts on the TV and chooses from some Netflix movies.
“Tonight, we'd be watching 'the wedded stranger'! It's good we finally look at it, together.”
He looks over at her and she smiles back, accepting the idea.
The movie begins and he turns off the lights, while she still thinks deeply of the question he asked.
...
Myla settles down her usual coffee area, reserved for celebrities in the building.
She has a meeting with her Manager, and the house was not convincing for them to discuss it.
The older lady shows up, and seats opposite her after they have given each other a warm hug.
“Yes, I attended to this as soon as I could. I'm sorry, I've been out of town for a while, and couldn't visit you. I've done all the arrangements.”
“Specially for the two scripts that'd be acted soon. I still own my royalties, right?”
“Off course. I talked with their group, and it lunching at the end of this month. You have a series of programs to attend. They need you in New York for a show. And the other holds, somewhere else.”
“Let's order something. I need some coffee to digest this.”
Ms. Grayson nods, and Myla calls an order for two.
They return shortly after with the cups.
“Merci.” Myla appreciates.
“I need to know all my locations. We move in synchrony.”
“I suggest we start with the nearest datelines. Come to think of it. One of the programs fall on your husband's business party.”
“Are you kidding me? I can't miss that day. It's special for him, and I must support him. So, you better do something about it, or forget.”
“I'll do my best. France will be our next destination from there as you are very good French speaker. And into Africa, you'd be in your hometown, and South Africa for your fans to gather up.”
“Nice. I love your choices. Any other place opted?”
“Yes, dozens.”
Myla raises an eyebrow and sighs. “Shit. Let's do that next time. My time is short.”
“Sure. I heard the news about your sister-in-law. Hope you know how things like that affect you.”
Myla rolls her eyes. “Please, she's my family, now. Why must you talk like that? Isn't her brother even more ruined than I?”
“Are we talking about the same things, here. Because I'm not sure you'd say the things you're saying, if you know.”
“Isn't it about the magazines reporting her fiance living back to England? And how she broke up with him at a restaurant? I mean, we haven't talked about it, but he must've said some shit for her to do that. The poor gal.”
Ms. Grayson, sighs. “You really haven't heard, how he was murdered two days later.”
Myla ices. She cranes her head slowly to meet her manager's gaze, hoping her eardrums must've contradicted the sound, or her nuerons failed in reporting speech.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing in your family gets out, without getting to you, first, Myla. Where have you been? It's everywhere all over the news. People even gossip, that she paid some men to do it, or your husband who doesn't like disgrace must have revenge his sister's break-up.”
Myla stays silent for a while, before shaking her head.
“Jamal must've heard this. Why didn't he tell me?” she grumbles under her breath.
“Myla, is everything ok?”
She nods, taking the cup of coffee to her head.
“You know you can tell me anything. Are you in good terms with . . . your husband?”
Myla looks around for a moment.
“Don't want us to talk about my marital issues, here. Yes, we are in good terms. Though some things have been transpiring, lately. And I don't want to talk about it, either.”
“Definitely. So, how are things working up with the movie?”
“Now that you asked, I want to know how possible it is that Borne got no version of my contract. Scripts need to outline the same, before the start of shooting, right?”
Ms. Grayson looks down at her coffee. “Yeah. It was a mistake. I'm sure it was sorted out. Nevertheless, that depends on what he agreed to in the form. I don't think they're going to force anyone to do what they don't want to?”
“Normally, yeah. He agrees to my decision. So, there shouldn't be any confusion.”
“I'll keep an eye on that.” she says, nodding.
“And the party?”
Myla lifts her eyebrows, oblivious for a moment.
“What about it?”
“Did everything go well? I mean... I saw the videos on social medias, but I want to hear it from the source.”
“That was there, too?!” Myla, exclaims as she's not the type who knows a lot about her surrounding.
“You get me astonished sometimes. What type of celebrity are you?”
“I'm a normal looking celebrity who have other things to deal with and take care of as a wife.”
“Oh, well. That's sad, because you can't expect such a private party to stay private when you're around. The performances you made, and if I got it clear, you almost knocked out of drinking.”
Myla's eyes widen. How could they have gotten that moment she passed out.
To be continued...