A Writer's Billionaire

Chapter 17: I'll definitely will enjoy this.

"LAILA!!"

I almost choked on the coffee I'm drinking at the shrill sound of Clarisse's voice. It's a good thing that I'm drinking an iced one or else I would have sent her to hell immediately.

I've been having a bad week. Right at the moment I got off the plane I received a call from Tina that things had just got worse for Henry. Some of the people who got injured demand that Henry pays for what happened and his reputation in the industry is going down the sink.

Then there's someone who has been posting nasty things on social media about me saying I copy someone else's work and that I'm using Jer and Henry to get fame.

I wipe my mouth with a tissue just as Clarisse excitedly plopped on the sofa with me. A wide smile on her face made her look like the girl version of Joker. I muster my best poker face both annoyed and wanting to annoy her as well.

"This just came in my mail." She flashed a magazine in front of my face.

"So?" I nonchalantly said getting back in typing at my laptop.

"What do you mean 'So'? Can't you see the details." she whined and I have to look back at her pouting.

"I'm busy Clarisse. I don't have time for that." I pointed out.

"Laila, can't you see you made it to the cover? I mean part of it. Look if you flip this you and Jer are the cover. I mean they had pages and pages of you guys and this caption. Just look." I gave up on her demandingness and look at it.

The cover she's talking about is the one last design we both wore that made us look like we are getting married and I guess for someone else point of view it will look like it. Then Clarisse flipped the pages to our other shots and my eyes bulge out at one picture. It was the shot where our lips were touching and I couldn't believe they actually got that.

"A love perfectly captured by the camera lens." Clarisse read out loud. "Anyone reading this will get a whole different idea. I swear I didn't know about this especially not that Tiana will say anything about you two. All I know was that she'll showcase her new design and not talk about her models. Apparently you two got things more interesting that she kind of used it to sell her brand. Not that I blame her. Why didn't I think of that before."

"Clarisse, I don't care about that. No one ever cares about that anyway. I mean, that was just some photos and we can tell people the truth that you made me model for it." I told her.

"Really Laila, people looking at just the photos will be mistaken for your relationship. I know I don't like him for you but seeing you two together again makes me have second thoughts."

I raised an eyebrow at her and reminded her of the past. "Please tell me you haven't forgotten what happened before."

This time Clarisse put down the magazine and pats my back. Something about her small gesture made me feel sad all of a sudden. She's one of the people who had witnessed the mess I was in before. The troubles I've been through.

My phone rang, and not wanting to answer because I'm guessing it will probably be some blogger I ignored it. But it kept on ringing and I finally answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Laila!" a familiar voice answered on the other line.

"Mona?" Clarisse raised an eyebrow when I said Mona's name. She mouthed 'what's wrong?' and I just shook my head.

"Laila, good you answered. Are you busy? I'm in town and grandma wants to see you badly." there was something off about the tone of her voice but I decided to ignore it.