Chapter 102

"You're saying... Mr. Marley likes me? Impossible," Layla immediately dismissed the thought, finding it ludicrous. "I'm not Mr. Marley's type-he's said he likes women who are busty and sexy."

Samuel frowned on the spot, annoyed. "How does he know you aren't well-endowed?"

"It's pretty obvious to anyone with eyes, I'm quite petite."

"I think you're perfect. I don't like women who are too busty," Samuel retorted.

"Yeah, right. All men like women with bigger curves."

"That's true for other men, but you're my woman. It's different."

That authoritative remark sounded good, but did he mean... she was small?

Layla could critique her own figure, but she didn't appreciate him doing the same. She lifted her chin and pushed her chest out, "I mean, I'm not that small."

"Not at all. A hand's grasp is perfectly sufficient."

"Jerk," Layla glanced at him reproachfully, her cheeks blushing.

"I sure am," Samuel responded, moving closer to her, his arms bracing on either side of her body, his pose predatory. His breath, charged with innuendo, made Layla's entire body heat up, causing her shrink back.

She instinctively bowed her head, but Samuel lifted her chin, his tall frame looming close, his gaze forceful yet somber, "So be good, and don't you go flirting around. I get jealous."

"I... I haven't been flirting," Layla protested, her eyes widening, "Are you jealous right now?"

Incredulous...

"Isn't it obvious?" Samuel huffed. Being a prideful man, he used to think jealousy was for the foolish and beneath his dignity. But in front of her, it didn't seem so hard to admit.

A warmth spread to Layla's ears, leaving her with a sense of elation?

She couldn't deny the vanity in making someone like Samuel jealous.

She pursed her lips, a smirk forming, "Childish."

"Say that again?"

"Childi..." Layla mumbled before a stifled whimper escaped her, her eyebrows frowning at the handsome face before her.

Damn it, he had bitten her lip.

Samuel savored her lips like a gourmet delight, nibbling gently and then lingeringly sucking on them before finally releasing them contentedly. His eyes, shimmering with amusement, appraised her flushed face, which was still dazed in the sharp contrast of innocence and allure, her lips a tender pink.

"Keep looking at me like that, and I won't be able to resist," he murmured, the edge of his voice as tempting as sin.

"Bastard!" Layla spat out, her tone laced with mock indignation.

"Layla, are you okay?" Alice burst into the room, skidding to a halt with a dramatic flair, her eyes wide in surprise at the commanding presence of the man before her. "CEO?"

A jolt of alarm shot through Layla, her hands, flustered, pushed Samuel away.

He stumbled back two steps, unprepared for her resistance, a frown creasing his forehead.

"CEO, what brings you here?"

"He's here on behalf of the company to visit the sick," Layla blurted out with a lame excuse, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly. "Thank you for your concern, CEO, but I'm fine now. Please go back to your busy schedule."

She desperately signaled him with her eyes to play along.

Samuel, though displeased, softened his tone upon seeing the urgency in the young woman's eyes and said, "Rest well."

With one deep look, he turned and left.

As soon as he was gone...

"Holy smokes, Layla, you sure know how to play your cards-sleeping with the Mr. CEO! You rock!" Alice hopped around excitedly.

"Stop talking nonsense; nothing happened."

"Come on, you think I'm blind? I've devoured over a hundred romance novels with the 'tyrannical CEO' trope; you can't fool me. Besides, your face is screaming 'guilty'-no, 'affair.'"

Layla bit her lip, looking down; the situation had been too intimate to deny.

After a moment of silence, "Alice, can you keep this a secret for me?"

"Of course, I can keep my lips sealed. But as a trade-off, shouldn't you spill the beans about you and the CEO?" Alice dragged over a chair, her face oozing curiosity.

"The thing with the CEO... I don't feel like talking about it. And it's not as romantic as you think-it's pretty dramatic."

"Drama is exactly what I live for!" Alice's curiosity was piqued.

"Let's save the story for another time, okay? Please, keep this between us."

"Fine. But you've got some serious charm. He denied his engagement in the media because of you, right?"

"Not really. He never acknowledged a relationship with Miss Eilish in the first place."

"But he didn't deny it either, right? It must be because of you. He's totally smitten with you."

Love?

Layla's heart fluttered, then was tinged with bitterness.

No, he did not love her.

She had asked him, and his response was merely liking her.

Liking is fleeting; today he could fancy someone, tomorrow another. It hardly offered a sense of security.

If Samuel had not come into her life, she could have planned it out perfectly-focus on her career until she was twenty-eight and then find a suitable man to marry and start a family with.

But now... the path ahead was filled with thorns. She was uncertain if her child would be born safely, wondering if they would ever get married - there were no answers to anything, it felt like a gamble...

"Why so glum all of a sudden?" Alice asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing... Just occasionally, I get this feeling that life is so tough." Layla smiled wistfully.

"Come on, you can't be serious! The boss nearly gave his life to save you, and the CEO turned down a marriage for you. You're like the quintessential romance novel heroine, a true winner in life. Here I am, just a regular working gal - green with envy, alright?"

Layla chuckled again, "Only now do I realize that simplicity is a blessing. If possible, I would rather choose an ordinary love."

"I disagree," Alice countered. "The world is full of average people, average love stories, average marriages. That is why something extraordinary is so precious. It's rare to encounter a love full of passion, so go for it, girl."

Layla couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. Samuel, he's just too much for her.

...

In the evening, Samuel brought dinner over, just as Layla was intently sketching something on a napkin.

Suddenly, the napkin was snatched from her hand.

"What's this?" Samuel chuckled at the cute doodle on the napkin.

"Seems like there's quite the age difference between us, Mr. Holland," Layla said.

"Don't you dare call me that," he said giving her head a light tap.

"What's wrong with that? You're ten years older than me, Mr. Hollandsounds about right."

"What's so bad about being ten years older? I've got more experience."

"Doesn't seem like you're that experienced."

"No worries, we can build that together. You don't think I'm planning to sleep with you just once, do you?" Samuel said, dead serious but with a mischievous undertone.

Layla blushed at his gaze, "Samuel, has anyone ever told you that you're shameless?"

"Never. Most women wish I would be shameless with them. But unfortunately, they don't get that chance."