Chapter 2 Laila POV

Staring at the paperwork in front of me, mindlessly, I couldn't fathom where the zeal I came to work with had suddenly gone. Tired and couldn't wait to finish up and head home, even though it was the last place I wanted to go. I picked up my phone to make a call, and suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door, followed by an aggressive push on the door. My phone dropped from my hand in shock.

"What are you doing here?", I asked, in the calmest tone possible. "Don't get smart with me, Laila", Anton yelled angrily at me. "You've been ignoring my texts and calls since this morning Laila. "Been choked with work", I replied.

He came closer, hand behind the wall where I stood. He looked sternly and furiously at me and said. "I do not care if you're the only one heading this company, you should answer whenever I call you".

I became agitated and tried to step away from him, but he grabbed me strongly by the arm. "So because you got this fancy job, you feel you're too good for me now, is that it?"

Struggling to break free from his grasp, but at the same time, not wanting to alert the attention of the other employees. I finally got free after so many pushes and slaps on his chest. "You can never be free of me Laila. Never," he slapped the papers off my desk and walked out.

I stood there for what felt like forever but could be only minutes.

I couldn't understand how I let myself be treated that way. After the miscarriage incident a while back, I vowed never to let a man, especially Anton treat me that way.

"Why did I marry this bastard?"

He pisses me off so bad, I could break his head open. Wiping a drop of tears trailing down my cheek, I picked up my bag and left the office. Going home after what had just happened wasn't in the books for me and I wasn't in any mood to deal with any of my husband's bullshit for the rest of the day, so I made my way to my local regular bar.

Walking into the dimly lit bar, the soft sound of the jazz music swaddled me like a warm hug. It was my go-to spot to relax after a long, stressful day at work. And with what happened with Anton, I sure needed a few drinks. The smell of leather and whiskey filled my senses, suddenly calming my tensed nerves. I made my way to the bar, exchanging a smile with the bartender, Tim.

"Hi there! The usual?" Tim asked, his face lit up with the brightest smile.

I nodded, sitting on one of the old wooden crafted stools. The light flickered everywhere, giving the bar the usual expensive look.

"Yes please", I said to Tim.

As Tim started to mix my drink, I couldn't help but notice a sense of relief engulf me. It had been a stressful week, and the worst day, ever. I was grateful for this little slice of peace. My job at Mascot Group of companies was stressful, to say the least, but nothing compared to being stuck at home with my unbearable punk of a husband. Juggling between presentations, travels, meetings, and my husband, I'd barely had the time to breathe, let alone properly relax. A loud sigh escaped me as I thought of him. He pokes on all my bad sides, and he'll soon realize how wrong he is for doing that.

"Peace finally", I murmured.

I picked up my drink and was just about to take a large gulp when I felt a chill run down my spine. It felt like someone was watching me. Felt a bit reluctant to turn because I wasn't ready for any more drama today, but when I did, there was nothing or no one suspicious.

Turning back to my drink, there was suddenly a subtle tap on my shoulder.

My heart skipped a beat, as I turned again, my eyes locking with his. I hadn't expected to bump into him here, of all places.

He looked even more ripped and handsome than ever. His chiseled abs were visible through his shirt. His skin glowed in the dim light. His beautiful gray eyes seemed to burn right through me. The familiar smile inviting. I quickly looked away, and then back at him, just to make sure, I wasn't drunk on Mimosa and seeing things that weren't there.

His eyes cramped slightly. A smile played on his luscious lips. "Laila Evans, I didn't expect to find you here", he said, his cavernous eyes and deep voice sending butterflies to the pit of my stomach. "Everything okay?", he asked.

My cheeks became red hot. He was real. He was staring right at me which made me weak in the knees, and speaking to me. Smiling and, trying to play it cool, hoping he didn't notice my burning red-hot cheeks. "Yeah everything's fine", I answered hoping my voice was as calm as I had imagined it in my head.

The conversation flowed smoothly from there, and before any one of us knew it, we'd been chatting for hours. We talked about nothing and everything. The bartender, Tim, brought more drinks following our request.

We were drinking and chatting but there was this unease I couldn't quite shake off.

It felt as though someone was watching me. "Could it be Anton?", I thought, looking around the bar, searching for clues, but nothing. I picked up my drink facing him again and speaking when I heard a loud buzz from my phone. I ignored it, thinking it was probably Anton being classic Anton. He wasn't going to ruin my evening too.

We kept chatting but the buzz came again, and this time, I picked up my phone, ready to curse out whoever it was that was interrupting my peace, but my expression changed immediately I looked at my screen. It was the weirdest unsettling text from an unknown number. I felt chills but tried to shake it off. Staring at the second text, it was now clear that someone was watching me.

"What was this text about? But more importantly, why was the person watching me?" This question kept playing on my mind.