Chapter 169 Unveiled Before Him
Owen hailed a cab.
"Where to?"
"Don't ask stupid questions—Lighten Hotel, of course."
"But we don't have invites. We can't get in."
"Just follow my lead. There's nowhere I can't get us into. Cut the chatter and let's go!"
## Chapter 169: Embarrassed beforeUnveiled Before Him
Layla and Owen first boughtbegan their venture by procuring two cheapmodest suits to fit, suitable for the occasion.
event at hand. Owen had, with his ways, skillfully bypassingcunning and resourcefulness, managed to circumvent the security, sneaking measures, surreptitiously guiding Layla and himself in through the back door toand into the soiree.
Insidegrand soirée.Within the opulent banquet hall, Layla's anxiety finally settledbegan to ebb. She breathedexhaled a sigh of relief and looked atturned to Owen with, her gaze a mixblend of annoyanceirritation and amusement,. "You're pretty goodsurprisingly adept at this."
"Of course"Indeed! Who do you think I amtake me for?" Owen boasted proudly. "replied, his chest puffing out with pride. "Look, there's Uncle Liam's over there."
Liam."Layla's eyesgaze followed Owen's direction andpointed finger, immediately spottedlanding on Uncle Liam, standing. He stood out likestarkly amidst a sore thumb among a groupcluster of wealthyaffluent entrepreneurs with his nouveau riche aura.
, his newly acquired wealth radiating off him like a beacon.Upon seeingspotting them, Uncle Liam's brow furrowedknitted in a mix of confusion and panicalarm. "How did you two get in here? You don’t have manage to infiltrate this event? You don't possess invitations..."
"That's none of your business.irrelevant. My dad came looking for father sought you out a couple offew days ago, and then he vanished.prior, only to disappear. Where didhave you taketaken him?"
"Uncle Liam, just be honestit would be in your best interest to be forthright with us, or we mightmay need to involve the policeauthorities," Layla pressed.
asserted."Threatening me? Ha, thisThis is my turfdomain. The cops can't touch mepolice hold no power here. I saidI've told you, I haven't seen him, and that's final. Stop nagging."
. Cease your incessant questioning."In his haste to brushdismiss them off, Uncle Liam clumsily spilledknocked over a glass of red wine all over, the crimson liquid splattering across Layla's pristine white dress, the stain standing out starkly.
"What's going on here?"creating a stark contrast."What seems to be the issue here?" A security guard approached.
"They snuck in. Get"They've trespassed. Escort them out, now."
"You wantimmediately.""Care to try?" Owen steppedinterjected, stepping protectively in front of Layla, protective.
.As the tension rose...
escalated..."Miss Adkins." A voice, all too familiar voice.
.Layla's breath caught. Standing hitched. The person standing before her was the last personindividual she wantedwished to seeencounter—Nora Eilish.
Nora Eilish, adorned in a high-end gown, radiatedexuded an ethereal grace like elegance akin to the legendary moonlight. She, too, wore was clad in a white dress, but the differencedisparity in their composuredemeanors was likeas stark as night and day.
Every time she encountered Each encounter with Nora Eilish, left Layla found herself in disarray, playingfeeling disoriented, assuming the partrole of someonethe utterly embarrassed.
party. Layla instinctively clutched the hem of her dress. She, always feltfeeling inferior in front of Nora Eilish.
Eilish's presence."Miss Eilish, they didn't haveinfiltrated the event without an invitation. They snuck in," the security guard reported.
There was aA subtle curl to tugged at the corners of Nora Eilish's lips -, a mockingderisive sneer. etched on her face. She couldn'tfound it hard to believe that Layla, of all people, had the audacity to show up here, with crash this event, accompanied by her brother in tow.
.Layla's shamelessnessaudacity had set a new low for Nora.
Only men could be fooleddeceived by Layla's fakefeigned innocence.
Despite her disdain, Nora didn't want Samuel to run into cross paths with Layla at that moment, fearingdreading any potential drama.
"Miss Adkins, this is an exclusive dinner hosted by the Holland Group in partnershipcollaboration with the Eilish Group at our seven-star hotel. An invitation is requiredmandatory for admissionentry. I'm afraid you'll needhave to leavedepart if you don't havepossess one," Nora said politely.
stated, maintaining a polite facade."I understand, I'll leave right away," stammeredimmediately," Layla, anxious not stuttered, eager to encounteravoid a run-in with Samuel and eagerdesperate to escape, but. But she was already too late.
A commanding figure emerged from the crowd. His piercing gaze coldly swept over Layla, leaving her heart feeling stabbed, numbness creeping over her entire as though it had been pierced, a numbing sensation spreading throughout her body.
"Mr. Holland." Nora herself felt a twinge of nervousness herself and quickly latched onto his arm.
Witnessing this, Owen suddenlyswiftly grasped the situation. Enraged,Anger surged within him as he clenched his fists and confronted Samuel, "ScumbagScoundrel, what's your dealbusiness with her? Weren't you involved with my sister..."
"Owen!" Layla interjected sharply interrupted, her panic changing her complexion paling with panic as she rushedhurried to pull him away. "Let's go."
leave.""But I haven't finished!"
"I need to set things right for you."
Nora's brow furrowed; their public disputealtercation was ruiningtarnishing the evening, and the. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to learn aboutuncover Layla's past with Samuel. It would be utterly humiliating. She was about to summon security when Layla called out in a rush.
hastily interjected."If you don't come withaccompany me now, I'll disown you as my brother!"
Owen groundgritted his teeth, "He wronged you, and yet you..."
"Who wronged whowhom, exactly?" Samuel saidinterjected with a cold smile, his eyes narrowing.
"Please, let's just goleave," Layla pleadedimplored, her eyes redreddening as she dragged Owen away.
They leftexited the hotel.
"Hey, let gorelease me!" Owen yanked his arm free, fumingseething. "Why are you defending this jerk? I should have given him a piece of my mind."
"It's not his fault. I'm the one to The blame lies with me," Layla saidconfessed softly.
"Please, you're too passive to hurtharm anyone. He's the one taking advantage ofexploiting you. Layla, why do you put up withtolerate this?" Owen’s frustration boiled over as he loudly beratedvociferously chastised her for her meekness.
Layla choked backstifled a sob, her lips twistingcurling into a bitter smile, "YeahYes, I'm that worthless. People like me, we justmerely exist to suffer.endure suffering. I don't deserve happiness. I'm destined to be abandonedforsaken and end up alone forever."
Owen frowned, his response lacedtinged with discomfort, "End up alone? You think I'm dead or something? Sure, I like to tease enjoy teasing you, but I'll be damned if I let anyone else do it."
"Are you even a Whitaker? Why do you always let people push you around? If you want that HollandsHolland guy back, then fight for him! What good does crying do?"
"I'm not crying," Layla denied, her voice betraying a quivertremor she couldn't control.
suppress."Deny it all you want, but your eyes are red," Owen retorted, torn between pitysympathy and irritation at her lack of fight.
"Let's just drop it and go backreturn," Layla pleaded, unable to bear another secondmoment there.
...
...In the hotel's secluded back garden.
Samuel sat on the veranda, a bottle of whiskey at his side. He picked it up and took a swig.
"Isn't that a bit of a wastewasteful, drinking like thatin such a manner?" A teasing laugh echoed behind him.
Nora Eilish stood bathed in the moonlight that bathed, her figure in a pristine glow, as aglow with an immaculate radiance, as divine as a goddess.
"The shareholders are all waiting for youawaiting your presence, and here you are, hiding away secluding yourself and drinking alonein solitude. Don't you need someone to keep yourequire some company?"
Samuel ignored Nora, taking another hefty gulp of whiskey.
There was aA mocking sneer formed in Nora's heart. Even men at the pinnacle of their careers resort to drowning their sorrows in boozealcohol when heartbroken. Samuel was no different.
exception.But how she wished she wasyearned to be the woman who had caused himinflicted such pain.
upon him.With that thought, a surge of envy crept into Nora's heart.
She couldn't fathomcomprehend what Layla hadpossessed besides pretense; when it came to talent, there were plenty more talentedgifted than her. Losing to such an ordinarya mediocre woman was something Nora could never get overreconcile with in her lifetime.
"Anthony..." Nora Eilish steppedventured closer, but Samuel continued his drinking, undisturbed.
unperturbed.This was the closest they had ever been, the scent of alcohol mingledmingling with the faint aroma of tobacco from his breath, intoxicating Nora.
Though he was the one drinkingconsuming alcohol, she was the one drunk onintoxicated by his presence, bewitched by his aura.
A man like this, she vowed to hold on tocling onto him tightly, for life.
Men awere defensceless against a woman's tender care atin times like these.
of vulnerability.Nora's gaze grew deeper and more affectionate, "I don't know what's troubling you, but I'm really worried. Whatevergenuinely concerned. Regardless of what has happenedtranspired between us, my feelings for you haven't changedremain unchanged, and they neveralways will."
Forever? The word sparkedignited a wave of sarcasmcynicism in Samuel's heart as he coolly glanced at Nora Eilish, pinching her chin with his fingers.
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