Chapter-10

Layla Alberto's POV

"Mom please! Nothing is going between me and Ben! You know I hate him!" I defend myself. I have to stop doing that.

"Yeah, yeah! You hate him." She smiles at me brushing me off. We both came out for a dinner. I miss her so much. I told her about the date and the deal with Ben and she is smiling from ear to ear. I have never told anyone what happened between me and Ben ten years ago. If she knows, she would definitely not be rooting or gushing over us. I gave Ben Mark's contact so they can talk it out. I should call Mark.

"Why are you taking a picture of me?" I frown. She is holding her phone up. She is trying to be subtle but is miserably failing. She awkwardly smiles and clicks something on the phone.

"I am not taking a picture of you." Her denial doesn't change my opinion. I grab her phone. "Layla!" I see the last open app on her phone. It was a video. But my heart drops to my stomach when I see who it is. Papa?

"You were calling Papa? He saw me?" I feel like crying. It's been so long since I met or spoke to him. All the effort I am putting in... Can he just talk to me already?! Mama sighs.

"He has been cranky since the past few weeks. I know he is missing you terribly. He won't admit it. You know he loves you right?" She asks and tears pool my eyes. I just nod my head.

"He is too stubborn and won't let himself come and see you when he wants to. So I called him and he didn't cut the call once he saw you. You are your father's princess still." She puts her hand on mine and the tears start falling.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I am such a bad daughter!

I pull out my phone and text him.

I miss you, Papa!

Mom gives me a kind smile.

Why did I have to go to that club that night? Why did I listen to Chris?! Why did I have to drink?! I know I didn't do any drugs, but how did they end up on me and in my car?! Where is Chris?!

I didn't expect something like this to happen ever. Sure enough, my heart was not at the right place. I was feeling lonely. I was thinking about Ben, about all the things we did since we were kids, how we started dating, how we used to meet without anyone knowing and how he broke my heart. I was truly not able to get over him. That night I was weak and just wanted the pain to go away.

My heart gets heavy thinking about it. I missed Ben so much that night! Everything feels like it's crumbling around me.

I lean my head on Mom's shoulder and let the tears flow. She puts her hand on my cheek gently.

"Everything will be alright." She says softly. It eases me as I will what she just said.

I knock on the door and wait.

"Come in." Comes his voice and I push the door open a little, poke my head in and gaze at him. He has files sprawled across his desk. He is typing furiously on his computer. He looks up and our eyes meet. He pauses typing and turns his attention to me. A little spark appears in his eyes. "I can only see your face. Let me see the whole of you." He says without hesitation and I step in coming into his view.

I walk up to him and the door closes behind me. His eyes fall on my chest as he looks at what I am wearing. I smirk as I walk up to him and plop down in the chair in front of him. I don't need his permission to sit down. He might be my boss. But we both know what we are. We have been more than that and we are past that phase of playing Boss and Intern. I am not playing games about it.

"What can I do for you, My Queen?" He asks and I hear no hint of sarcasm in his tone. He said it like he means it. His eyes are focused on the scarf I am wearing though. It's the one I took from his house. It's practically mine, but here I am giving it back like it belongs to him. It does! My heart jumps. Shut the fuck up! My brain commands.

"Did you speak with Mark?" I come right to the point. Something in his eyes shifts. He looks more serious now. He gives a kurt nod.

"I did." A simple reply from him. I raise my eye brow.

"And?"

"You know..." He gets up from his chair as he speaks and comes to me. "This is the first time you came to me without me calling you or without you having to talk anything about work. The first thing you ask about it Mark?" He asks leaning back on the table. He looks so... Big. His broad shoulders look so... wide and muscular in that suit. He looks so sexy in that blue suit! Focus, Layla! "You got me excited."

"Did you?" I ask again. His eyes fall on the scarf and then at my face. He is not gazing. He is staring... Not at my face, but right into my eyes. I blink and look away.

"I did." His reply makes me look at him again.

"So? Did you help that little girl?" I ask curiously.

"Oh, I did more than that." I am confused at his reply. "How long have you known Mark?" He asks. I frown.

"Around 4 years now."

"Do you trust him?"

"I do. Why would I send money if I don't?" Why is he asking all this?

"Why do you trust him?"

"What kind of question is that, Ben?" Now, this is frustrating!

"Tell me." He urges.

"Because he is my friend!"

"Why is he your friend?"

"What?"

"Why is he your friend, Layla? What did he do that made you think he is your friend?"

"What is all this about? I don't understand." I just want to know if the little girl got the help she needed. "You know what? If you didn't help the little girl, it's fine. I will try to find a-"

"The girl he mentioned has no cancer." He cuts me off. Really?!

"Thank God! It's a good thing!" My heart feels a little light. I can't help the relief and smile spread on my face.

"Aren't you angry at Mark for bringing out a perfectly normal case to you and showing that she has cancer?" He is asking like he is trying to understand me.

"Something might have gone wrong. Nothing like this ever happened." I defend him. Mark is such a sweet man. Always caring for others. "Mark is such an empathetic soul. That's one of the reasons we became friends." There! You have the answer!

"Empathetic? He is a fraud!" Ben gets off the table he is leaning on furiously and shakes his head at me. What?! No! "You can't be friends with people just because you think they are kind! Especially you!"

"What?" My voice is so low.

"You can't go around trusting people! You are the daughter of the Duke for God's sake! Everyone is out there trying to taking advantage of you! You have to do background checks on everyone before you let them be your friends! You can't-"

"You of all people don't get to tell me that, Ben!" I don't realize that I am yelling. I move close to him, getting in his face. "You showed me that long before." My voice gets very low. "Doesn't mean I think everyone is out there trying to get me!" He stares at me. His jaw is clenched. It looks like he has nothing to say. "Mark is not a fraud!" I know Mark. Ben takes long strides to his table, picks up a file.

"Look at this." He comes to me and thrusts the file in my hands. "Look at his bank statements. It has record of all the money you have sent him and how he spent it." I take the file and flip through it. My jaw drops. "He didn't send single penny to anyone. It was all for him! He has been using you!" My hands start shaking. "None of the kids he said had any kind of diseases. All of those reports were fake!"

The file falls from my hands and I feel tears pool my eyes. I am happy that all of those kids are in good health, but this betrayal seems to hurt. Why is it always me? Why do people keep taking advantage of me? I have not been anything but kind! I feel so hurt. Ben comes close to me. He places his hand on my arm.

"That bastard is behind the bars now." He puts his other palm on my cheek and gently rubs his thumb on my cheek.

"Why is it always me?" I didn't realize my voice came out so broken. He looks blurry. I blink to let the tears out and clear the vision. I don't want to play the victim card, but there is only so much I can take. "First it's you. Then Sam, Chris and now Mark?" I take a step back. Ben looks at my tears and then at my face. He looks like he is in pain. Is he really hurting? Or is he acting? I don't know whom to trust!

"I never betrayed you, my Little Sta-"

"Don't!" I stop him as he takes a step towards me. "I am so fucking done!" I push the hair out of my face. "I can't!" God! Why does it hurt?! I turn around and walk towards the door. I need to be alone. I need to get my sanity back. Before I know it, I am lifted off my feet. "No! Let me go!" I push at his chest.

"I can't let you go out like this. I don't like seeing you cry!" He takes me to the couch and plops down with me in his lap. He puts his arms around me holding me like a child.

"Why do people do that? What do they get?" I ask. My throat is hurting as I try to not let the tears out. All of a sudden I hear Mama and Max's voices in my head.

You are too naïve!

You need to know whom to let closer to you!

You have to learn a lot about the world!

I put my face in Ben's neck and close my eyes tightly. He holds me tighter.

How can I be so stupid?! Am I that easily manipulated?

"Hey! Lyls!" He calls slowly running his palm up and down my back. I feel comforted for a moment. "I am here now! Nothing will hurt you." He whispers into my ear with such conviction like he is my protector. He believes he will. I can hear it. But he hurt me too once. "I swear! Nothing in the world will touch you anymore! I will fucking rip their throat off if anyone does!" The anger in his voice is clear.

I feel tears fall down my face and run on his neck. He inhales deeply and moves placing his palm on my face and makes me look at him. He wipes the tears and stares at my face for a second.

"Fuck this!" He gets up with me in his arms and goes to his desk placing me gently on it before going me a glass of water. "Drink." He commands softly and I accept the glass. He pulls out his phone and makes a call looking at me as I drink. "Cancel my meetings for the evening... Postpone it... I don't care! Do it!" He cuts the call and I out the glass aside. He leans forward and kisses my cheek.

My heart is fluttering a bit.

"Spend the day with me." He commands again. I open my mouth to say no. "Let me be your friend for a day. Please." He adds and I close my mouth. My head nods without my permission and he gives me a grin that melts me. "Yes! Fuck yes!" He yells and picks me up before spinning around. I squeal and a smile makes it's way onto my face. I stop it before he sees and he kisses my hand.

He pulls me out just like he did yesterday and Ella looks up from her computer.

"Layla. Your phone has been pinging. Someone is-" She stands up to hand me the phone over the desk, when it is snatched from her hand by the Ben. I try to reach for it. He switches it off and puts it in his pocket.

"No. You are not touching your phone today." He declares and starts dragging me again. I sigh.

When did he become so controlling?! The lift arrives and we get in. As soon as the doors close, he pulls me closer to his side by my waist and sniffs my hair.

"When did you become a dog?" I sarcastically ask and he looks up. I raise my eyebrow.

"Since the day I met you." He cheekily comments and I roll my eyes. But my heart is happy.

"You should stop pulling me along with you." I complain.

"Maybe I should start following you like I used to do." He replies and I shake my head.

I have a doubt, this evening he is going to even behave a bit like a friend. For some reason I am so happy, yet so mad. Happy that I get to spend time with him and he wants to spend time with me. Mad that I am happy about it.

But it has been a long day already. If only I knew what was waiting for me when I get home.

I should have checked that message before Ben grabbed it. If only I knew I am nowhere done being a victim to whoever is playing the drug game with me. I have a lingering feeling in my heart that something is going to happen.

Ben brings me back by kissing my cheek gently again as we go this car. He has a smile on his face. I try to hide mine.

For now, the next few hours are going to be absolute bliss!

A/N:

Hey my cute dumplings!

She seems to not catch a break and I hope when she falls Ben is there to catch her. But for now... Friends? Hmm... He definitely doesn't want to be her friend and she definitely doesn't want him to be. Feelings! Feelings! FEELINGSS!!

Tell me what you think.

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