The next day came so fast...
Inside the Restaurant
"Thanks for bringing me here. I've always wanted to come." Jessy giggled looking around the restaurant.
Harry smiled at Jessy, but it was a tired kind of smile.
"I'm glad you're here," he said. "You deserve it."
He meant it. Or… at least, he wanted to mean it. Maybe this was how people fixed things—by pretending everything was okay over a fancy dinner.
Then—
She walked in.
Layla.
She didn't make a scene. Didn't try to get attention. She just had it. She wore a simple black dress, heels, no flash—just quiet, calm confidence. The kind Jessy always tried to fake but never really had.
Next to her was Sarah. Tall, sharp, always watching. Loyal.
They were laughing, looking at the menus. They hadn't noticed yet.
Jessy froze.
Harry's jaw clenched.
And then—Layla saw them.
Everything stopped for a second.
It was at that awkward moment Jessy leaned over and kissed Harry. Long. Slow. Right where Layla could see. She smiled a little, like it was a victory.
People nearby whispered.
"Isn't that Harry Jones?"
"Wow, look at them. Power couple."
Harry didn't kiss back. But he didn't stop it either.
He didn't even look at Layla again.
Even though she knew he saw her.
Before Jessy could enjoy the moment too much, Harry's phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen and swore under his breath. "Crap. Emergency meeting. I have to go."
Jessy frowned. "Right now? Like...Now?" She asked.
"I'm sorry," he said, standing. "I'll make it up to you."
He left his black card next to her dessert and gave her a quick kiss on the temple.
Then he was gone.
Jessy watched him leave, eyes cold and calculating.
Then she saw Layla heading to the bathroom. Alone.
She stood up, smoothed her dress, and followed.
---
Hallway Near the Lounge
Layla had just stepped out of the restroom when Jessy appeared out of nowhere.
"Wow," Jessy said with a fake smile. "Didn't know they let just anyone in here."
Layla blinked.
Jessy tilted her head. "Still chasing him? He doesn't want you."
Layla didn't say anything. Her face was calm.
Jessy stepped closer. "You're just a sad little girl who thought she could steal someone else's boyfriend. Get over it."
Layla raised an eyebrow. "You done?"
Jessy's smile dropped. "Oh no. I'm just getting started. Next time, try someone who might actually want you."
"I never asked for anyone to save me," Layla said, voice even. "But maybe if you stopped pretending to be something you're not, you'd see things clearly."
Then—
"Back off."
Sarah's voice. Cool, but serious.
She stepped between them, standing firm. "You've said enough."
Jessy laughed. "Touch me, and the guards Harry hired for me will be here in two seconds."
Sarah just smiled and pointed.
Two bodyguards stood down the hall, watching.
Jessy straightened. "See?"
Sarah nodded. Then another man stepped out from a corner.
He was watching Layla.
Jessy blinked. "Wait… you have security?"
Layla didn't answer.
Jessy stared at the guard. "What is this? Is he fake? You trying to act all rich now?"
Sarah shook her head. "You really don't get it, do you?"
Jessy's eyes narrowed. "She's a nobody. he's just some girl sleeping with men for money, am right aren't I?" Jessy directed the question to Layla who bit her lips.
Yes. Even though she doesn't sleep with men for money, the truth still remains the same, she sleeps with men for her own pleasure.
Sarah's voice turned cold. "You're wrong. And the fact that you can't see it? That says everything about you."
For a moment, Jessy looked unsure. The bodyguard didn't look fake. And Layla—she wasn't scared. She didn't even flinch.
Jessy leaned on the one thing she still had—her past.
"You slapped me once," she said. "Don't think I forgot. You'll pay for that one day."
"Like you didn't hit me first " Layla scoffed and walked past Jessy with head high.
And Jessy?
She stood frozen. Angry but shaken.
Because for the first time… she wasn't sure Layla was just some nobody and that scared her.
---
Back at the Table
Layla sat down again. Her water glass was half full. The food was cold.
Sarah leaned in. "You okay?"
Layla let out a slow breath. "She's worse than I remembered."
Sarah gave a small smile. "Loud bark. Weak bite."
"She kissed him," Layla said. "Right in front of me. Like she had to prove something."
"She always does."
Layla stared at her napkin, twisting it between her fingers. "I don't know why I care. He's not mine. He never was."
Sarah gave her a look. "Layla… don't lie to me."
"I'm not."
Sarah raised a brow. "You're torturing that napkin. That's not nothing."
Layla let go of it and gave a tiny smile.
But the truth burned in her chest. She saw the kiss. Every second.
And what hurts most?
Harry didn't stop it.
Even though he looked right at her after.
Sarah pushed a glass toward her. "Drink. Breathe."
Layla took a sip. It helped. A little.
"I hate that she thinks she knows me," Layla said softly.
"She doesn't," Sarah replied. "And it scares her."
Layla blinked. "Scares her?"
"You don't panic. You don't beg. You don't crumble. People like Jessy—they want control. You don't give it to her. That makes her nervous."
Layla looked toward the hallway. "She thought my bodyguard was fake."
"Of course she did. Her world's small. She doesn't ask unless she thinks she already knows the answer."
Sarah took a little sip from her water, that was when Layla noticed the thick hoodie Sarah was wearing.
"Its hot today, how are you surviving in that hoodie?" Layla questioned making Sarah pause.
"Just felt like putting it on" She lied smoothly but the truth beneath it all was the little cut on her collarbone she was trying to hide.
"Hmmm" Layla hummed not buying the lie.
---
Outside – 20 Minutes Later
They left through the side door.
The black SUV waited, the engine running.
Layla's bodyguard opened the door.
Sarah got in first. Then Layla, stopping just long enough to look back at the warm lights of the restaurant.
Jessy was probably still there. Still pretending.
Harry was gone.
But something about him still lingered.
And Layla?
She had no idea that this was just the beginning.
That all of this was part of something much, much bigger.
Something that would change everything.
*
*
Harry pushed open the glass doors of his office. The place was spotless, quiet—just how he liked it. But his mind wasn't quiet at all.
He tossed his keys on the desk, sat down, and stared at the city through the tall windows.
His phone buzzed. He ignored it.
Instead, his thoughts went straight to her.
Layla.
Why?
He didn't know her. Not really. Just a few moments. A few looks. A handful of words exchanged between all the chaos.
She wasn't loud like Jessy. She didn't fight for attention. She just… stood there. Calm. Steady.
Harry leaned back in his chair, confused.
"Why am I thinking about her?" he said out loud to no one.
She wasn't his type. She wasn't part of his world. She wasn't even supposed to matter.
But something about her stuck.
The way she looked at him—like she saw more than he wanted her to. Like she wasn't impressed… or hurt… just disappointed.
He ran a hand over his face.
"She's just a girl," he said softly. "A girl I don't even know."
But deep down, he knew that wasn't true anymore.
Not really.
---
Jessy didn't stay for dessert.
As soon as Harry left, she waited a few minutes which she used to bash Layla so it wouldn't look too obvious she was meeting with someone.she got up, grabbed her bag, and walked out like nothing had happened.
The valet brought her car. Her heels made soft clicks on the ground. Her lipstick still looked perfect.
About ten minutes later, she stopped in front of an apartment building. No doorman. No security cameras. Just quiet.
She took the elevator up. Calm. No rush.
Two knocks on the door.
It opened.
Luca stood there.
He didn't say much. He never did. He just smiled—like he always knew exactly what she was thinking.
Jessy walked in without a word. He closed the door behind her.
"I didn't think you'd come tonight," Luca said softly, brushing a bit of hair from her face.
"I had to," Jessy said. Her voice was low, almost tired.
Then she kissed him.
It wasn't for show. It wasn't to prove anything.
It was real.
With Luca, she didn't have to act. She didn't have to be perfect.
He didn't care about the way people looked at her, or what she wore.
He just held her. Like she was a person—not a name, not a headline, not someone's girlfriend.
And for a little while, Jessy forgot.
Forgot the kiss she forced in front of Layla.
Forgot how Harry didn't kiss her back.
Forgot how empty she felt sitting there alone.
Because here, in this quiet place far from the lights and noise—
She felt wanted.
And that's all she ever really wanted.
"Did you see the 1 million I sent you?" She asked after breaking the kiss.
Luca nodded "Yes I did. Thanks a lot." he smiled and dragged her inside.
An hour later, a loud moan and groan could be heard from both Jessy and Luca.
*
Hours later...
Jessy stepped out of Luca's apartment just after midnight. The streets were quiet. A few cars passed by, nothing more.
She hugged her coat tighter. The wind was cold, but that wasn't why she was shivering.
She had barely made it halfway down the block when it hit her.
A wave of nausea.
She stopped. Breathed in slowly. Tried to blink it away.
But then it came harder—and before she could stop it, she bent over and threw up on the pavement. Right there. In the street.
"Shit," she whispered, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Her head spun. Her stomach was in knots.
She leaned against a wall, breathing heavily.
It wasn't food poisoning. She hadn't eaten much.
She stood there for a few more seconds before turning around. There was a small pharmacy not far from Luca's building. She'd seen it earlier when she pulled up.
A little bell rang as she walked in.
The place was almost empty. The man behind the counter barely looked up.
Jessy wore her sunglasses, even though it was night.
She walked down the aisle slowly. Her eyes landed on a small pink box.
Pregnancy test.
She stared at it.
No. It couldn't be.
But still… she grabbed it. Paid in cash. Left without a word.
---
Ten Minutes Later
She was in the tiny restroom at the back of the pharmacy. Door locked. Hands shaking.
The box sat on the edge of the sink. Open now. One test stick in her hand.
She did it.
Then waited.
She stared at the sink. At the floor. At her shoes.
Then looked.
Two lines.
Her breath caught. She looked again, Still there.
Two pink lines.
Pregnant.
Jessy sat down on the closed toilet seat, test still in hand.
Her lips trembled. She didn't cry. Not yet. She just stared.
Everything was silent.
The bathroom. Her mind. Her future. All of it.
Her phone rang, it was Harry. She just hissed ignoring the call.
She was pregnant and she had no idea who the father was.
Harry... or Luca.
Her mind suddenly drifted to something evil.
Should she get rid of the child?
*
*
At The Jones Estate...
Harry paced the room, phone to his ear.
"Pick up, Jessy… come on."
Straight to voicemail. Again.
He called back. Nothing.
He muttered a curse under his breath, running a hand through his hair. Something wasn't sitting right.
He called one of her guards.
"Why isn't she picking up?" he asked, not hiding the edge in his voice.
The guy hesitated. "She told us to leave, sir."
Harry stopped. "She what?"
"She ordered us to leave after dinner. Said she was fine."
Harry went quiet for a second. Then let out a sharp breath and ended the call.
This wasn't like her. Not really.
Something was off. And it wasn't just the silence.