Chapter 89

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Miguel ran a hand over his face, then he exhaled deeply before he stood behind his seat and gripped the back. His mind working overtime in an attempt to absorb everything I had told him. 

" Huh, " he said to himself, then he placed his fingers on his chin and shook his head. 

" I have to hand it to you, you've actually been able to render me speechless. "

" I'll take that as a compliment. " He was a lawyer, always had a great comeback to everything, but at the moment he seemed as confused as I'd ever seen him.

" That's messed up, you know that right?"

I shrugged.

" Seriously Germaine, a fake marriage? What is this, a 70s telenovela?" 

" I had nothing to do with the plan, you can blame it all on Arden and his creative mind, " well, I did have a role to play but there was no need to tell him that. 

" I have a hearing in twenty five minutes, don't worry about Layla. Your psychotic plan will stay with me. "

" Feel free to share it with your other half. "

He scoffed and started arranging the documents in his desk, then he picked his briefcase and carefully placed them inside before we left and headed to our respective locations. I figured that problem was already solved, but I still had another greater one to take care of. 

I was going to make sure she told me what her problem was. 

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" Are you positive about that?" I asked the chef who's name had gotten lost in my head. 

" Very, she didn't come in today. I was planning on calling her to see if she's okay. "

 I glanced at my watch, it was almost ten. That meant she wasn't even planning on going to work, otherwise she would have been there already. She never liked being late. 

She must have been really upset, but knowing Layla, I was certain her failure to go to work had more to do with the kiss. She didn't have it in her to face Dahlia. I wanted to clear things out with her as well, just in case Miguel failed to tell her, but apparently she wasn't there either. Her wedding was in two weeks and she was still busy with the arrangements. 

I had gone there immediately after my meeting and I had been sure I'd get to talk to her. I knew she'd be hesitant to talk but I was prepared to get her to listen. 

I was required to be in my firm at noon, so that gave me a few spare hours to drop by the house and check up on her. I immediately left the restaurant, cursing when I was caught in traffic. But I took the time to figure out what exactly I would say. I never planned ahead in terms of conversation. I liked it when I conveyed my original thoughts directly, but that hadn't been working out in my favor so I figured it was best to decide what I'd say.

But I also had reason to be angry. She had wronged me as well, if it was a matter of apologizing then both of us needed to do so.

When the traffic started moving, I swiftly drove home and parked outside the building. Then I headed up as fast as I could because during my car meditation another possible thought had come to me. I knew it was most likely nothing but I had to make sure. The elevator doors opened and I headed straight to her room. Arden wasn't around, he had once again taken my jet and flown to Mexico for some work, but he was to return the following day.

I stood outside her door for a couple of seconds, and I'm certain that in those two seconds I knew. I realized that my hunch had been correct, but I still hoped. Walking in, I looked around. The bed was neatly made and everything was in its place, but I knew she wasn't there. I didn't have to check her closet to make sure of it. I noted the little details that were missing.

The occasional novel by her bedside table was missing, the one or two pieces of clothing she always left on her bed whenever she was trying to figure out what to wear and decided against them. The feel of her was absent. I let go of the doorknob and walked further inside. And on the table I found the necklace Arden had gifted her. A check of her drawers confirmed that she was gone, one could hardly tell though. It appeared she had only taken the things she had brought with her. Everything else was exactly where it had been. All the clothes I had bought for her, the gifts Arden had given her... everything had been left behind. It felt as if she were trying to tell me something, that she didn't need me. That she wanted to keep nothing that had come from me. 

And this time what I felt wasn't anger or rage or resentment. 

I felt hurt, I felt betrayed. 

I felt more abandoned than I ever had before. 

I needed time to wrap my head around her sudden departure, so I sat down on her bed and buried my head in my hands, wondering why I hadn't gone to her earlier. Like the previous day when she had been sitting alone, upset. I blamed myself for believing shed always be around. And I wondered why she had to leave like that! Without saying a word to anyone, the least she could have done was write a heartfelt letter and leave it on her bed with my name on it. Or leave me a text at least. Instead she had waited for us to leave so that she could disappear.

I wondered where she could have gone. And how she was going to survive, there was absolutely no reason for her to overreact. She was taking things too far. 

And I couldn't believe the thoughts coming to my head, thoughts that made me realize I could handle losing all four of my godforsaken parents but I couldn't stand her leaving. I needed her, she was the only thing in my life that currently made any sense. 

She drive me crazy and I still had no clue what was happening to me but I knew I couldn't lose her. She was too crucial. Knowing that she was so willing to take her leave bruised me inside. And I wondered whether she cared as much as I did, whether she really did want to be alone. Away from me. 

But then I figured that I didn't care, I needed her and that was enough. If she really didn't care much for me then I'd just have to find a way to make her do so. But that wouldn't be necessary. I knew she did, it was a truth neuter of us could deny.

Sighing, I took out my phone and gave orders for her to be found. 

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I was broke, probably jobless and homeless as well. I had literally hit rock bottom. Of course that was until I was paying for my motel and I happened to check my bank account balance. I stood frozen in place, staring at my phone screen as I wondered what I was looking at exactly.

Dahlia hadn't paid me, and even if she had then that wouldn't have been a good enough explanation. It didn't make sense. I dragged my suitcase to the motel room and after confirming that the bed was intact and wouldn't fall if I sat in it, I went ahead and did just that. Then I went back to being shocked. 

The new unexplainably high balance had Gabriel's name written all over it. 

What did the guy do for a living? I knew that his paintings were expensive and that he owns some type of label and that he has his own wine company and that he has several night clubs and......Hmmm, well that explains it. 

But still, who in their right mind wakes up in the morning and decides to transfer a million dollars to someone else's bank account simply because they feel like it. What world was I living in? How poor exactly was I? Or better yet, how rich was he?

I had never allowed myself to really think of it but right now it's the only thing on my mind. I was messing around with a rich and famous billionaire with selfish and ignorant tendencies but who also happened to be sweet and caring whenever he felt like it. 

I didn't even want to know where he had gotten my bank details, but I wished I had his so that I could return his cash to him, maybe I'd be selfish for once and keep a couple of thousands to get by until I got stable again. And even if I did keep it I was going to make sure I returned it all afterwards.

It scared me, seeing all those digits. 

I had always wanted to one day look at my balance and feel at ease but at the moment all I felt was fear. 

I sat on the bed and crossed my legs, then I took the newspaper I had bought and started going through it, searching for work. 

Each time I thought about going back to Dahlia's I shivered, that was a definite no.