Bear | ✔

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

Leila felt the lump rise at the back of her throat as the color completely drained from her face. She stood rooted to her spot in a state of dizziness whilst her mind struggled to accept the reality that was in front of her. The saliva dried out from her mouth and she sucked in a petrified breath. Her heart was pounding erratically in her chest, screaming out for help.

He was there, right in front of her, yet she couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't even utter a word. Her lower lip trembled as she saw the corners of his mouth twitch upwards in a devilish smile. His eyes glimmered, just like she had always remembered. He had a glass of red wine in his hand, which he lifted up to take a long, relaxing sip.

She swapped her eyes around the room, praying for her husband to show up. But he wasn't there. She could see Marissa and Rosaline in the distance, chatting as they stuffed food into their mouths. Her eyes pleaded for their help. She needed a way to escape, but it was impossible to catch their attention, being so far away.

The man held up his hand and defense against her unspoken accusation. "Don't look for help as it's of no use. I'm not here for a fight," He spoke up in that same gruff voice of his; one that screamed evil. No matter how much she tried, Leila couldn't believe him. She knew for sure that he was a bad person. She had to run away from him immediately.

"What do you want from us?" She questioned hesitantly, not sure if she really wanted to hear his answer. She didn't want to hear anymore secrets. She didn't need any more cracks in the relationship she had been trying so hard to fix.

"I was actually looking for you, Mrs. Gareth. There's something important we need to talk about," He replied so lightly as if they have been friends for so long already. He chugged down the rest of his globe and dropped it empty on a waiter's tray that was passing by.

"There's nothing for us to talk about," Leila stressed out. She felt the heat rise up to her cheeks. She didn't know if it was out of either anger or embarrassment. When her mind finally got back to working properly, she took an immediate step backwards. As a result, she felt her shoulder pump into a barrier that blocked her way. She turned around to see an elderly woman in a purple gown. Her hair was styled up into tiny curls and decorated with jewels. She was chatting with two other men in designer suits. She looked rich, so rich that she didn't even bother looking at her.

"He isn't here to save you now. I made sure of it. You'll have to stand up for yourself this time." He snarled at her failed attempt to escape. His smirk grew bigger as he watched in amusement.

Leila's eyes widened at his words. The fact that he knew about her husband didn't matter as much as that he might be in danger.

"What did you do to him? Is he okay?" She yelled, but her voice was still barely heard over the blast of music in the background. Leila felt the heat shot up in her veins. She felt her body shake in agony, and worry.

"Don't worry. He's perfectly fine. I'm pretty sure he knows how to handle a little bit of drugs. Just a long visit to the bathroom. He's been on it before," The man replied, then he stole a quick glance in the direction of elderly woman next to her. Leila cringed at his behavior. "It feels wrong, doesn't it? Among all those people of rank and power, you're just a little piece of decor to accompany your husband by law. Some unnoticeable person in the sea of business. I wonder if you even know his field of work. I can't believe he still agreed to keep you. So out of place, indeed, both of you."

Leila knew what he was hinting at. She understood his strategy; how he wanted to blame her for disgracing the people. But she wasn't going to give in to him. She had learnt it the hard way, but she didn't want to be that weak again. David had taught her that. He made her aware of her worth.