Chapter 4 Elijah Pov

I helped Laila up and out of the bed. I had an idea of why she was at the hotel so early. While we were chatting, my phone buzzed and I stepped outside to take the call. Leaving her side was hard, but this call was important.

I came back a few minutes later and she looked worried. She had every reason to be. I had gotten off the call with a private investigator who was helping me get to the root of what happened to her. It might be related to the pestering texts and calls I've been getting for a while now, or it could be something different. Whatever it was, I was determined to find it out.

Taking her hand in mine "Where were we?", I asked, trying to force a smile, but there was clear evidence she knew he was worried. I tried harder to hide it because I didn't want to worry her. "You were about to tell me why you look disturbed, she answered casually" in a bid to cheer me up.

My face broke out into a wide grin.

I loved being there for her, but had this undeniable feeling that she was hiding something from me, and an impending doom lurked around us. "I'll be damned if I let anybody hurt her", I cursed under my breath.

We left the hospital straight to my house. I couldn't let her go home, and she seemed to feel the same way.

We talked all night, mostly about what happened at the hotel. I had found her lying on the floor, and my whole heart sank, thinking I had lost her.

"Good morning, Princess", I whispered in her ear. Sitting up on the bed and placing her hand on mine, I asked "Do you remember anything from last night?", my eyes fixated on her beautifully shaped face. "What happened last night", she said.

I had hoped she would remember something. Maybe a face or anything that could help catch the perpetrator.

I leaned in to kiss her. Hoping she'd kiss me back, and she did. I loved her, even though I hadn't said a word of that to her. Being in love with her was the best thing that ever happened to me in the entirety of my life, but I was worried for her. I couldn't imagine what Anton would do to her if he knew she'd been with him. He was one abusive bastard and I hated every of his being for it. I knew we had to come up with an agreement, and soon.

"We need to get you home, princess, but before that, we need to figure out what to tell your husband", I said.

"Let's not tell him anything. I'll handle him", she suggested. I nodded in agreement.

It was too soon but I suggested it was time she left her old life, and she reluctantly agreed.

I knew her answer had nothing to do with us, but everything to do with Anton and what happened at the hotel. I could sense her fear and I hated myself for not having a solution to that.

"Let me talk to him first, see what he says about an annulment", she said to me, once we were close to her house. Watching as she went inside the house was nerve-wracking. This was the one woman I wanted forever. "What if Anton disagrees with the annulment?"

"What if he finds a way to manipulate her into staying?". She'd brushed off the idea of us getting married when I brought it up and I understood why.

I wanted that woman and was willing to to go any length to have her, even if it meant going against Anton Leigh.

As long as I was sure she felt even a quarter of what I felt, fighting for this love with every last breath in my bones wouldn't be an issue.

Staring at my cell phone, while inside the car. "You're gonna regret not taking my words seriously", I read the text on my phone. It was from an unknown number. I've been getting weird texts from the same number for weeks now. Shutting my phone and looking up, there she was, running towards the car. Puzzled, I ask "Is everything okay?"

"I'm sorry, there are just a few things I need to do before speaking to him," She said trying to avoid my eyes.

She convinced me everything will be sorted out soon. I had questions because it seemed she was hiding something from the hospital. "Was she sick", I asked myself but praying that wasn't the case.

I drove off without asking any questions. Trust this woman came with ease for me and she would tell me whatever it is when she's ready.

We were close to the house when she asked me to bring her back to their house. She wanted to pick up a few things for her doctor's appointment.

I was waiting in the car when she came running again but frantically this time.

She was crying.

"Fuck! I should have gone in there with her", I yelled out.

Pissed, I made my way into the house to mess that bastard up but she stopped me. My every nerve was riled up. Seeing her cry woke up something in me I didn't know was there.

"What had happened in there? Did that fucking bastard put his hands on her? ", I asked myself as we left.