Chapter 203 She is Innocent
Layla was startled.
"Sorry, I..." She began to rise A wave of surprise washed over Layla, causing her to jolt in place. "I... I'm sorry," she stammered, attempting to untangle herself from the warmth of Anthony's embrace but he held onto her tightly.
"Thump thump!" Beside her ear was the sound of a rapid . However, his grip remained unyielding, holding her close to his chest. The rhythmic thumping of a heartbeat.
Not echoed in her ear, a sound that was not her own but belonged to Anthony. The rapid pulsations caused her own heart to flutter in response. As she lifted her gaze to meet his, she noticed the deepening shade of red that was spreading across his face, his breaths coming out in quick, heated bursts. The heat from his body seeped into hers, but Anthony's.
Her own heart skipped a beat as she looked up at him, his face growing even redder. His breaths were fast and fiery.
His body felt hot against hers.
"Anthony..."
igniting a warmth that left her feeling flustered. "Anthony..." she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'm okay now," Layla managedshe reassured him, her hand fumbling to find the car seat with her hand, attemptingin an attempt to push herself up, but after struggling for a bit. Despite her struggles, Anthony's arm only pulleddrew her in closer, makingcausing her tense up and feel uncomfortable.
Anthony'sbody to stiffen in discomfort. His face hovered aboveloomed over hers, his gaze as intensefierce as flames, as if strung tight like a bow,burning flame, taut with tension. "Layla..."
His he murmured, his hot breath fannedfanning across the tip of her nose.
"Don't you understand my feelings for you?"
A buzzing sensation filled Layla's head, blanking outmomentarily erasing her thoughts for a moment.
. Yet, in thatthe midst of the blank expanse, it was as ifvoid, a voice came through: Still, it'sechoed: It's finally come...
All along, she toldShe had always convinced herself that Anthony's feelings for her were nothing more than friendship and gratitude, but. However, she had sensed itthat there was not so simple.
more to it than that. "I like you, Layla."
"Let me go first," Layla saidshe requested, exerting a significant amount of effort to extricatefree herself from Anthony's embrace.
"Sorryhis grasp. "I'm sorry, that was too forward of me," Anthony saidadmitted, his gaze flickering aboutdarting around nervously like a child caught in a mistake, a mixthe act. A mixture of disquietunease and embarrassment coloringpainted his features. Yet, but despite the turmoilinternal chaos, he couldn't rein insuppress his emotions.
Even the most rationallogical minds couldn't escaperesist the lureallure of love.
"But I'm serious about you, Layla. I—" he started.
began, only to be interrupted by Layla's clear and decisive voice. "I'm sorry, I already have a boyfriend," Layla interrupted, with decisive clarity.
Her responseshe declared. Her words left Anthony stunned Anthony, leaving him, his body frozen in place withas a look of sheerpure astonishment etched onitself onto his face. He suddenly found it hardhimself struggling to breathe.
Anthony's With his throat tight withconstricted by emotion, even speaking seemed a Herculeanlike an insurmountable task. "You... you..." he stammered, his voice rough, with disbelief. "You have a boyfriend?"
"Who is it?"
"You can ask Nora," Layla saidreplied coolly, locking eyes with him.her gaze unwavering. Determined to set thingsthe record straight, she didn't shy away but metfrom his questioning gaze, meeting it with honesty.". "Nathan?"
"Is that what she told you?" Layla asked with an indifferent, a nonchalant smile.
playing on her lips. "No? Then why would she..." A shocking thoughtrealization suddenly burst into Anthony's head.
dawned on Anthony. His face, previously flushed with agitation, drained of color.turned ashen. "Samuel?"
Despite his shock, Anthony's tone was confident, and Layla didn't deny it. "How can you be with him?" Anthony demanded, his usual composure slipping. "He's an extremely cold person, not right for you."
The moment Layla heard this, she immediately leapt to her man's defense without hesitation. "You think Samuel is cold because you don't understand him. He has a warm heart."
"Samuel has been engaged to the Eilish family for years, yet he's been stringing Nora along."
"That engagement was the doing of the Holland family. Samuel never agreed to it."
"But he never denied it, either." Anthony, who seldom got emotional about someone, couldn’t hide his hostility toward Samuel. "If Samuel didn't want to be in the engagement, no one could have pressured him. Yet, he never made it clear to Nora, and after letting her feelings deepen, he hurt her like that."
"If you think that publicly rejecting the marriage is right, then that's just naive. If he could do that to Nora, he could do the same to you."
Growing increasingly exasperated, Layla, now growing irritated, stood held her ground. "I'mI am not Nora, so what happened with ," she declared, "and the fate that befell them won't happen to me and will not befall Samuel. Without and me. You have no right to pass judgment without understanding the nature of our relationship, you have no right to judge.. Samuel treats me wellwith kindness and respect, and we are in love."
They were deeply in love, such a resolute."Her statement.
Their was resolute, a testament to the depth of their affection. Their bond seemed to be stronger thanunbreakable, as solid as stone; no one could tear them apart.. Any attempt to separate themsever it felt almost criminal.
, a violation of something pure and true.Anthony was speechless for a moment.
There wasmomentarily struck dumb. A tumult of emotions raged within him: worry and disappointment for Layla, along with jealousy towardtowards Samuel.
For the first time in his life, Anthonyhe had taken a liking to developed feelings for a girl, only to be rejectedrebuffed by Layla.
But feelings cannot be coerced.
, he knew, could not be forced. No matter how influential he was, Anthony was, he couldn'tcould not win the heart of a woman who didn't like him back.did not reciprocate his feelings. He refused to forcecoerce her.
into something she did not want.Anthony's emotions eventually settled, but he couldn't hide a trace of disappointment lingered in his eyes. "You're right, ," he conceded, "it's your life, and you have the right to speak for it. Whatever I say is meaningless."
However...make your own decisions. My words hold no weight."Yet, Anthony couldn't help but worry about Layla, afraid that she wouldmight get hurt.
"If you've chosen him, you must have your reasons to love him. I wish you happiness. I'm sorry, it was wrong of me to be so abrupt," he said, remorse tinging his voice. "I apologize for my earlier."
abruptness."Layla nodded, in acknowledgment. "I know you care. But Samuel reallytruly treats me well, he. He adores me and has mademakes me feel like a princess.cherished. I've never had anyone treat me this been treated so well before."
Anthony gavemanaged a bitter smile. He could have donetreated her the same way, but now it was too late.
Love, after all, iswas a matter of timing...
Filled with Despite his regret and disappointment, Anthony still chose to sincerely hopewish for Layla's happiness.
"Can we still be friends?" Layla didn't wantasked, not wanting to lose a companion of the soul.
kindred spirit."Of course."," Anthony forcedreplied, forcing a smile, despite the achepain in his heart.
TheMeanwhile, at the Eilish family.
home..."Bro, have you been drinking?"
"Brother? What's wrong? I've been calling you, but you didn't respond."
Anthony's gaze graduallyslowly focused on Nora.
His emotions were complex.
a whirlwind.He felt exhausted, justdrained, merely shook his head, and sat onslumped onto the couch, loosely tossingcarelessly discarding his tie aside.
."Did you go networking? I'll have the maid make you some hangover tea."
"Nora..." Anthony stoppedinterrupted her, "I confessed my feelings to Layla today, and she said her boyfriend istold me she's dating Samuel. You already knew about this, didn't you?"
"So when you said she betrayed Nathan, you were trying to slander her in front of me?" Anthony frowned.
Anthony's brow furrowed.Nora bit her lip,. "I wasn't slandering her, I was stating facts. I helped Nathan when he was pursuing her, but she immediately climbed her way upmoved on to Samuel. Layla always knows how to climb the social ladder with men."
"Layla's not that kind of person."
"How well do you know Layla?"
"Layla is the one who saved my life at the orphanage."
"What's it to you? People change. Have you ever looked into Layla's family background? Women raised in those kinds of environments are often desperate for money, and they are willing to do anything to get it. She'll use whatever means necessary to climb to the top..."
Anthony thought of Sarah. Indeed, one's early family life can impact who they are. But Layla iswas different; she'sshe was still thatthe same kind-hearted little girl she had always was.
been.It was because of Layla's innocence that Anthony worried she might get hurt by being with Samuel. It never crossed his mind that Layla might be with Samuel for financial gain or social status.
"Samuel likes Layla for a reason, and you shouldn't blame everything on a girl," he said.
Nora couldn't help but laugh.
Yeah, she used to think like that too — that only brainless women confronted the other woman, while smart women figured out how to deal with the man.
But as it turned out, she was wrong; it wasn't possible to destroy a relationship from one side alone. As the victim in a love triangle, Nora couldn't help but despise the other woman. She believed every 'other woman' was guilty and deserved to go to hell.
Especially a bitchwoman like Layla, who used her innocent looks to deceive men; dying a hundred times wouldn't be punishment enough.
Nora regretted not acting when she had the chance.
But now, any last bit of kindness in her had been worn away by Layla; she wouldn't go easy on her again.
"Given the situation, even if you can't understand or bless, at least don't place the blame on Layla. She's innocent."
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