Chapter 4

Walking down the hallway, her heels clicking on the polished floor. She was headed to Collin's office to submit an analysis on a law case she and Natalie had worked on the night before.

As she approached Collin's office, she heard the sound of voices coming from inside. She slowed down, not wanting to interrupt.

"...how do you know her Sir?" Damian's voice asked.

Collin's response sent a shiver down her spine.

"Ah, Laylah and I go way back," Collin said, his voice dripping with amusement. "We went to high school together."

Laylah's eyes widened as she listened, her heart racing.

"I was a senior, and she was a junior," Collin continued. "She had a crush on me, and she confessed her feelings in front of the entire school."

She felt a wave of humiliation wash over her. She had tried to forget that embarrassing moment, but now it was all coming back.

"I rejected her, of course," Collin said, his voice cold. "I couldn't date a junior. But I have to admit, I'm impressed. She's come a long way since then."

Laylah felt a surge of anger and embarrassment. She couldn't believe Collin was talking about her like that.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She didn't want to confront him now and was pretty convinced that he had ulterior motives for employing her.

Instead, she quietly turned around and walked back to her office, her mind recalling past memories and emotions.

She couldn't believe her high school crush was now her boss.

And she couldn't believe he still had the power to hurt her.

What was she going to do now?

As Laylah turned to leave, she bumped into Celia, who was carrying a tray with a steaming cup of tea. The commotion caused the tea to spill, and her wrist was scalded by the hot liquid.

Celia gasped in horror. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!"

Collin and Damian rushed out of the office, drawn by the commotion. Collin's eyes locked onto her cold gazs, and for a moment, they just stared at each other.

He had never seen her this enraged.

Laylah's eyes blazed with anger and humiliation. She knew she had overheard something she wasn't meant to hear.

Collin's expression changed, his eyes narrowing into slits. He approached Laylah, his movements fluid and menacing.

"Anny, I..." Collin started, his voice low and smooth. He was the only one capable of destroying all she had worked for. He even knew her real name.

But Laylah didn't let him finish. With a swift motion, she slapped him across the face, the sound echoing through the hallway.

The other workers gasped in shock, their eyes wide with amazement. No one had ever seen anyone stand up to Collin like that. His cold attitude intimidated everyone in addition to his tolerance to zero to no nonsense.

Collin's face remained impassive, but his eyes flashed with anger. He rubbed at his jaw, his movements deliberate.

Laylah stood tall, her chest heaving with anger. She knew she had crossed a line, but she didn't care.

"You humiliated me once, Collin," She spat, her voice bitter and cold. "You're not going to do it again."

The hallway was silent, the only sound was the heavy breathing of the onlookers.

Collin's eyes locked onto hers, a glint of amusement formed.

"We'll see about that," he said, his voice dripping with menace.

And with that, he turned and walked back into his office, leaving her standing alone.

Natalie had stopped by since she wasn't at work, she decided to pay her friend a visit and deliver lunch to her. As she stepped into the elevator, about to head up to laylah's office. But just as the doors were closing, a tall, imposing figure slipped in, causing her to stumble backward.

"Sorry about that," the man said, his voice smooth as silk.

Natalie's eyes narrowed as she took in the man's chiseled features and piercing ocean blue eyes.

"Damian Wayne," she spat, her voice venomous.

Damian's eyes locked onto Natalie's, a flicker of surprise spread across his face .

"Natalie," Damian said, his voice cautious. "Long time no see."

Her eyes blazed with hatred and so much resentment.

"You're the one who sued my foster mom," she accused, her voice trembling with rage. "You're the one who ruined her life and led her to her early grave."

Damian's expression remained impassive, but Natalie could sense a hint of unease beneath the surface.

"That was just business, Natalie," he said, his voice cold. "Nothing personal."

Natalie's laughter was bitter.

"Nothing personal?" Natalie repeated, her voice incredulous. "You destroyed my foster mom's livelihood, and you say it was nothing personal?"

The elevator doors opened, and she stormed out, leaving Damian standing alone, a look of unease on his face.

Laylah, who was awaiting doom in her office, looked up in concern as Natalie burst in, her face pale with anger.

"What's wrong?" She asked, rushing to Natalie's side.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"I just ran into Damian Wayne in the elevator... That imbecile," Natalie explained, her voice still trembling with rage. "He's the one who sued my foster mom for staying on a private property, fined and left her penniless."

"The poor woman died of heart attack."

Laylah's eyes widened in surprise.

"What is he doing here?" She asked.

Natalie's eyes locked onto hers.

"He works for Collin," Laylah said, her voice tired. "And I have a feeling that's not the only connection they have."

Natalie's eyes narrowed as she took in her disoriented expression.

"Laylay, what's wrong?" Natalie asked, her voice soft with concern.

She took a deep breath, trying to process everything that had happened. Would Natalie forgive her if she found out the truth? 

"I overheard Collin talking about me," she said, her voice shaking. "He was talking about how I had a crush on him in high school, and how he rejected me."

Natalie's eyes widened in shock.

"Oh no, darling," Natalie said, rushing to her side. "I'm so sorry."

Laylah's eyes filled with tears.

"It gets worse," she said, her voice cracking. "I slapped him in front of everyone."

Natalie's expression turned from shock to outrage.

"Good for you," she said, hugging her tightly. "He deserved it."

Laylah smiled weakly, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She didn't tell the truth but she didn't lie either.

Natalie pulled back, a sly smile spreading across her face.

"I knew today was going to be a tough day, so I brought some reinforcements," Natalie said, pulling out a bag from behind her back.

Laylah's eyes widened as Natalie pulled out a cake, a gift box, and a container of food.

"Happy birthday, LayLay!" Natalie exclaimed.

Her eyes filled with tears as she realized she had forgotten her own birthday.

Laylah hugged her tightly.

"I knew you'd forget," Natalie said, laughing. "But I didn't. Now, let's eat some cake and forget about Collin asshole and Damian Dumpster for a while."

Laylah chuckled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Natalie.

As they sat down to eat, she realized that sometimes, it's the people who know us best who can help us through the toughest times.

As they finished their impromptu birthday celebration, she refocused on her work, her fingers flying across the keyboard. Natalie watched her with a mixture of amusement and concern.

"Laylay, slow down," she said, laughing. "You're going to be exhausted."

She didn't look up, her eyes fixed intently on the screen.

"I need to finish this," she said, her voice firm. "I want to submit it to Damian instead of Collin."

Natalie raised an eyebrow.

"Why Damian?" She asked.

Laylah's expression turned determined.

"Because Collin is always busy in the afternoons," she explained. "And I don't want to deal with him right now. Damian seems more... neutral."

Natalie nodded thoughtfully. She had a personal beef with him and shouldn't impose it on Laylah who was already going through her own fair share of troubles.

"That's a good point," She said. "Just be careful, okay? You don't know much about Damian."

Laylah nodded, still typing away.

"I'll be fine," she said. "I just need to get this done."

As Natalie left to head back to her own work, Laylah continued to type, her focus solely on finishing her task. She was determined to submit her work to Damian, no matter what.

Little did she know, Collin was watching her from across the security camera, a calculating glint in his eye. "You can't escape me Annabella Williams... Not till I say so dear ."