Chapter 129

"Alice, you..." Overwhelmed by his provocative words, Layla's cheeks blazed red. She tried to sound upset, but her voice melting into something softer, "What do you want? Spit it out, I haven't finished my dinner yet."

"What's more important to you, dinner or me?' Layla didn't hesitate to respond, 'Dinner, of course.

"Dinner, of course," Layla didn't hesitate to answer.

'Alright, you finish your dinner, and then I'll 'take care of' you. Make sure to leave some room,' he quipped with a roguish undertone. Layla couldn't help but laugh, helpless against a man like him. What was this fuzzy, bubbling joy inside her all about?

She must have been influenced by him! Darn it!

"Let's keep it brief, if there's nothing important, I'm hanging up."

"What do you feel like having for dinner tonight? I'll have the kitchen whip it up," Samuel offered.

Layla couldn't suppress a chuckle, "Did you call just to ask me what I want for dinner?"

"I also wanted to tell you I'm missing you."

The response caught Layla entirely off guard.

Ah, she was going crazy, she felt as though a little deer inside her was about to knock itself out!

That old man was just too smooth.

She was melting, her insides turning to butter.

Her legs weren't able to hold her steady.

"Cat got your tongue? Or are you just figuring out how to jump me tonight?" Samuel teased wickedly.

"I'm not that hungry, tiger. It's more like you'd be the one pouncing," Layla retorted.

"Alright, then I'll pounce!"

Layla realized she'd been played.

Indeed, the most elaborate path she'd ever taken was the trail of breadcrumbs this older man had laid.

That decade he had on her wasn't for nothing.

"I won't be home for dinner tonight."

"Oh? Working late?"

"No, I'mI need to go to the hospital to visit Mr. Marley," Layla said cautiously, feeling a prickly sensation in her scalp. As expected, the atmosphere chilled instantly.

"You're not going!"

"But I already promised him; it would be rude to cancel. Mr. Marley saved my life, I owe him a courtesy visit, at least."

"Saving you was his choice; he has no right to expect a visit."

"He didn't ask; I wanted to go. It's only human, right? Plus, I haven't actually gone to see him before. Can't you be a little less possessive?"

"My girlfriend going to see another man who's got a thing for her and me not getting upset, do you think that's possible?" Samuel countered, snorting, "If that's being possessive, then so be it, I'm possessive."

Layla thought to herself: About time you realized you're possessive!

So domineering and overly controlling!

"I only see Mr. Marley as my boss."

"That might not be how he sees it."

"If you keep this up, we can't communicate properly." Layla softened her voice, "He's actually kind of a mentor to me now; we're going to run into each other at the office, it's not like we can avoid each other forever."

"Work is work. If I was really unreasonable, I would've transferred him out already."

Layla ran out of arguments and didn't want to annoy him further. What followed was an uncomfortable silence that lasted nearly a minute, leaving Layla almost frozen.

Biting her lip softly, she pleaded for peace, "But I really made plans with him today. Can I just see him this one last time, please? I know you're the most reasonable... you're the best..."

She went all out with her charm, her voice so sweet it gave her goosebumps.

"Cutesy tactics won't work on me!" Samuel grunted, remaining unmoved.

"Then what will?" she asked.

Samuel's annoyance grew at her question; his tone turned even colder. "Am I haggling with you? You want to go that bad?"

"It's not about wanting to go; it's common decency. If someone saves you, you can't just abandon them at the hospital."

"The hospital has doctors and nurses. What can you do by being there?"

Silence ensued.

Finally, Samuel sighed and said, 'Eight o'clock tonight, Mr. Vandella will pick you up at the hospital entrance. If you're even a minute late, I'll come to get you myself.'

Though the set time felt restrictive to Layla, it seemed like a fair compromise. During conflicts, sometimes you have to find a middle ground."Mhm. Thank you."

"Save the formalities."

Her mood lifted, she smiled coyly, "XOXO."

"We can have all the kisses you want when you get home. Until I'm satisfied."

Won't that mean no sleep tonight? Layla felt a hint of apprehension.

...

Racing against the clock, Layla rushed to the hospital right after work at six.

As she arrived on the fifth floor, three immaculately dressed pink-clad nurses approached her.

"Mr. Marley in room 505 is so handsome, and he's a designer too. I looked him up online and he's the world's top-ranking architect. Talented and good-looking - he's just perfect."

"I know, it's hard to believe such a man really exists; he's like a Prince Charming out of a fairy tale."

"I wish I could have a boyfriend like that."

"Get to bed early tonight, you can have it all in your dreams."

"Right, Mr. Marley is already taken though."

Layla felt a jolt. Nathan had a girlfriend?

"Who is it? I've never seen his girlfriend visit."

"She might be abroad. I often see Mr. Marley staring blankly at his WeChat chat box."

"Yeah, yeah, the one with the cat as a profile picture, right?"

"Exactly, I've noticed it several times too."

Layla's heart skipped a beat; she had a cat as her own profile picture.

But Nathan couldn't possibly like her. It must've been these nurses' wild imaginations when they saw him chatting with her in a casual moment.

I often saw Mr. Marley gazing towards the doorway as if he were expecting someone. It was clear as day he had a special someone on his mind.

"That girl must have a heart of stone! If I had a boyfriend as great as him, I'd never make him wait."

"I wonder where his dream girl is from, I'm so curious."

...

Layla walked to the entrance, cradling a bouquet of flowers.

"Layla!" Nathan's eyes lit up, his excitement nearly pulling him out of bed.

"Easy there, cowboy. Don't move," Layla hastily said. "Don't you know you're injured? One wrong move could reopen your wounds."

The sight sent a shiver down her back.

"I'm fine. The moment I saw you, I felt like I've been cured," Nathan said, his radiant smile stretching across his striking features.

That smile was so bright, Layla almost doubted it for a second. No, she must be overthinking it; surely it wasn't the smile of someone smitten. She blamed Alice's words for making her overly sensitive.

After enjoying his moment of delight, Nathan complained with a hint of displeasure, "So you do remember me! I was starting to think you'd completely forgotten about me after you left me here in the hospital."

"Of course not, you've been on my mind."

Layla responded casually, not realizing her words had struck a chord with Nathan.

She... had been thinking about him all this time?