Chapter 5

"Oh my god! That's such a large amount. Did you accept it?"

I pursed my lips and shook at her.

"No, I said that he just needs to get back my shop then I will be his wife. I don't need the thirty million dollars, I am not a gold digger."

I saw the frustration on Suki's face, her shoulder also dropped. My forehead puckered. I have no interest in that money, I would rather get back what I lost. I don't have enough reason or evidence why Louis set fire to my shop, he was angry with me when we separated, but he didn't know the hardship I went through after I thought of being separated from him. I bit my lower lip, leaned my back against the wall and looked up.

I met him when I was just in high school, at that time, he was in his second year of college. That's where his career as a CEO began, even though his dad was hurting him before, all the wealth was still named after him since he was the only child of their family-- I didn't know Leyla yet, she was in France when it all happened. I fell into that man's trap, he made me fall in love with him, I went to their house once and then I found out that-- that bastard has another woman. That's when we always started fighting, and since I was only seventeen, still has a naive mindset, I let him flirt with others. That's right, I'm the one who looks stupid to the two of us.

"Well, that's a great answer. Will he return the flower shop? Does that mean it's bigger?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know. He was still processing the papers for buying the land again-- can I have that?"

"Oh, sure."

She handed me the cup of coffee. I'm here again at Suki's condo. I don’t want to stay there in his house, it's boring. He's also gone until tonight so I'm free to leave. And their house is in turmoil again today, Leyla left last night and has not returned yet. They were looking for where she was, possibly in the house of her best friend. Leading the search for her, Hendrix Madrigal, I smell something different... about Hendrix and Leyla.

"Hayden Watson, what about him?"

I swallowed before answering.

"I'm gonna meet him at the coffee shop right now."

"That's good, keep this coffee."

"Thanks."

I took my bag and left. Surprisingly, Suki chose to stay here rather than in Japan. Her family is rich, they have a royal blood, but Suki doesn't seem interested in their lives either. They are wealthy, her parents do a good job, her older brother is a successful engineer, while her older sister is a model.

While me... my parents owned two dental clinics and a restaurant. My mom is a dentist, my dad knows how to cook. My dad is not a literal restaurant owner, but others think of him the same way. He is just a business partner, their careers were also successful. They wanted me to live with them, but I didn't want to. They give me an allowance, but I don't accept it, if I have a job that's what I'll spend, why not?. I don't want to receive money from them, they helped me enough when I got preg--

Is that Leyla?

I stared at a woman sitting outside the coffee shop, holding her stomach while frowning. Her clothes were dirty, his her was a little messy and she was frowning. I swallowed, she didn't come home last night-- I thought she was at her best friend's house. But what is she doing here now? I sucked all my strength to call her.

"Leyla!"

She looked at me. I ran towards her and knelt down.

"Who are you?"

I smiled.

"Hey, it's me. Jessamine I am your half-brother's f-fiance. You can just call me Jassie. What are you doing here? You did not come home last night, he's so worried about you."

She rolled her eyes.

"Liar, he will never be worried about me. He has this rigid heart."

She seems to loathes her brother that much. I pulled her hand away, she stood up and didn't hold back. I pulled her until we could enter the coffee shop, I made her sit on one side. I ordered food for her first, she just looked at me.

"You are hungry, right? You can eat," I said, handed her the food tray.

She did not speak, Leyla just seized her food.

I smiled as I watched her.

Even with that attitude, I know she has hidden wisdom and tenderness in her heart. Her face was very innocent, her eyes were beautiful, as well as her natural wavy hair. She looks like a marionette, Leyla is only eighteen, I'm sure she'll look better when she turns twenty. I just slowly watched her as she ate, when she finished, the girl suddenly turned to me. I smiled at her again.

"Are you really my brother's fiance?"

I can't answer, I don't know what to answer. She seemed to notice my silence, she suddenly sighed in front of me.

"I knew it. You're just going to be married on paper, aren't you?"

I nodded.

She's smart, you'll notice that she's smart the first time you look at her. I notice her eyes, she is observant of things. I know, no one can do anything to her, she's just quiet but you don't know she's watching you secretly.

"Why? Did he bought you?"

I shook.

"Your pathetic brother burned down my flower shop. And just to get back my shop, I am forced to marry him. We made a deal, I will signed a paper after one month, and he'll give back what I lost."

She tilted her head. Leyla unintentionally pouted her lips.

"He would never do that," she uttered that made me frown.

"He already did."

She just stared at me for a few seconds, she shook her head and averted her eyes. Leyla turned her attention to the window. She is in a side view now so I can see her sharp nose and her long eyelashes. The two of us fell silent as I just watched her.

"Lady of the night," she mentioned.

"What?"

Her eyes shifted on me.

"Cestrum conturnum, night-blooming jessamine, night-scented jessamine. He was busy taking care of the factory. They have a newly made perfume, according to them, that will be the most fragrant, most expensive, and most popular perfume in the world. They will name it Lady Of The Night. It has not been launched yet."

"Then? I have no interest to your company--"

"He had been planning that for years, he could hardly sleep thinking about what ingredients to put in there, and how they would do it. He always stays in the factory just to finish what he is doing. And just shocked, now he thought to start. I know why."

She looked at me.

"W-why?"

"You should find it out yourself."

The excitement on my face disappeared because of what she said. Reluctantly, I collapsed into the chair and leaned my back. I'm the one who rolled my eyes right now. I turned to the window, I saw a red car, parked in front of this coffee shop. It spat out-- Louis! I turned to Leyla.

"He's here, you should go home now."

"You should go home too."

I shook at her.

"No, I still need to meet Hayden."

She mischievously smirked at me.

"And do you think he will let you?"

The bell on the door rang, signaling that someone had entered. I looked in there, it looked like he was still from work. Wearing a suit, he had a black watch on his right hand. His eyes were still look yielding and he looked straight at us, until he stopped in front of Leyla and me. Why the hell am I suddenly nervous because of that eyes?

He looked at his sister.

"Leyla," he mentioned its name.

"What," she irritatedly asked as she scratched the back of her head.

"Go home, right now."

She sprang to her feet and glared at her brother.

"I am just about to go home, can't you wait?"

She didn't say a word again and angrily marched out of the coffee shop. I saw her get in the car, she looked at me first before closing the door. I fell silent, I stood up and took my belongings.

"U-uhm, I am going too. I still need to meet Hayden to the other coffee shop--"

"Repeat what you say."

I looked into his eyes.

"What?"

"The name," I swallowed.

"Uhh-- Hayden."

"A girl?"

My lips rifted.

"Does it sounds like a girl to you?"

His jaw moved and he didn't say a word, I secretly looked at his fist which was now closed in the grip. I let out a low groaned.

"He is my delivery boy in my shop. I just need to talk to him about what happened, I feel sorry for him, that's the only job he has--"

"Get him out of his job."

"Huh? No way, I won't do that! He's only nineteen, that's the only job he has, he's still a student and he also takes money there to educate himself. I can't do that."

He did not speak again. He sat in the chair where Leyla had sat earlier. His finger moved and he motioned me to sit down again, I could do nothing but follow him. He was staring at my face so I averted my eyes. If the staring can melt somebody, I might have melted in front of him earlier-- for a long time.

"I-I said I'm leaving, I still need to talk to Hayden."

"Message him."

"What?"

"Tell him to just meet you the next day. I will take his hours away from you."

I did not move and I did not obey him. I just stared at him with no reaction on the face.

"Do it."

I scratched my cheek.

"I can't do it, you hide my cellphone, didn't you?"

We weren't even married yet, he was forcing me to stay away from men, what if we had already signed the contract? It's still a bit long, maybe the paperworks is still being processed and they're still looking for a judge. It's still next month, so I have almost another month to be free, and to enjoy being single. I pressed my lower lips together, averted my eyes and just looked outside. The red car in which Leyla was riding has already left. Now another black car stopped. Louis has a lot of cars, they don't seem to run out.

"Leyla talk to you?" I nodded. "She seems to like you."

I wandered my eyes at him.

"Like me?"

He nodded.

"She doesn't just talk to anyone. Lucky you, she even accepted the food you gave her."

"She's just hungry."

I hope Leyla and I get along, in just a month, she will be my sister-in-law.

"Louis! Fancy meeting you here."

I was startled by the shrilled voice that spoke from in front of us, we both looked there. I looked up at a woman, I won't even ask her name, but the aura she gave immediately shouted who she was.

Sandra... Sandrina Sineka.