The next morning Azeem was sitting inside his office thinking of ways to woo Layla when Alfred walked into the office.
"Master!" Alfred called out for the third time now.Azeem blinked once before looking at Alfred with a questioning gaze.
"What?"questioned Azeem called his lips twitching in annoyance as he was disrupted from his thought. Alfred gulped hard at the sudden drop of temperature.
"There's a situation that you need to check before you leave the base" Alfred explained passing a black file towards Azeem.
"Brief me"Azeem ordered taking the file in his hands.
"It a proposal that the gang leaders made to boost and enhance the economic system of the Mafia world.".
Azeem nodded his head and open the file for his eyes to scan before he dropped the file with rage.
"Didn't I warned them not to talk about these things again.!!" Azeem voice echoed through the room and Alfred took a step back.
"My apologies Master." Alfred tried to cool the beast but Azeem banged his fist on the desk hard that had the muscles on his knuckles to tear.
"For the fifth and last time. I am not engaging into prostitution and drug dealing during my reign!."
Getting up from his seat,he ran his hands into his hair for multiple times and shook his head vigorously.
"I am not crazy,I am not mad and I am not my father."
"Alfred I cannot be my father!." He tightly held Alfred shoulders as his nails dug deep into his flesh. Alfred got no choice but let his Master to vent his rage on him.
"I can never be him!!" He hissed as the look of madness passed through his coppery eyes.
"Bloody !!I am not okay!" he tugged his hair in rage and looked at Alfred.
"If anyone propose this bullshit to me again..,"he paused trying to compose himself
"Cut his head off."
"As you wish Master" Alfred bowed his head before he picked the file that Azeem crushed and made his way out but Azeem's voice stopped him
"Go to any possible cafe or restaurant that you think Layla could go and ask them to condemn her résumé,don't let them offer her any job."
"As you wish Master." He bowed again and closed the door behind him leaving the now composed Azeem.
He walked back to seat,he released a sigh and looked to his bloody knuckles.
"You're still hard on yourself Azeem. Letting that dead man control you." He muttered as he closed his eyes to lean on his chair.
~
"Okay let's get this done and over." Layla put the last pin to her hijab. She picked her bag and folder to walked out of her room. Biding Harriet mother goodbye she closed the door to the apartment and made her to certain cafes.
Getting inside one of the cafe on her list she saw Alfred Leaving,her brows cocked a little with the thought that ran through her mind.
"I pray not to meet that person." She muttered slowly and made her way to the counter.
"Excuse me please." She called and the girl behind the counter raised her head to ask.
"How can I help you?"
"I am here for the part time job." Layla
"Ohh okay are you Layla Harris?"
"Yes yes I am."
"Okay follow me."
The girl gave her a long look before standing up from her seat and gestured Layla to a certain way,to the manager's office.
After Layla got in she a woman in her late forties on a chair behind the office desk.
The counter girl bowed her head slightly and walked out.
"Good morning Ma'am. I am here for the application of part time job."
The woman looked at Layla before pushing her spectacles back from the base of her nostrils.
"Morning,may I see your résumé."
"Yes." Layla quickly fished a folder from her bag and passed it the woman. The woman's dull grey eyes scanned through the folder and raised her head to say.
"Well you can sta...." She started but stopped
"What was your name again." She hurriedly asked and at same time looked back to the folder where she found the name.
"Layla Harris." Layla voiced out and that moment the facade of the woman changed which diminished the light of hope that surged in Layla's heart.
"So sorry Layla,but we already have enough workers." The woman declared and Layla's eyes widen 'was she not ready to hire me,why did she suddenly changed her mind."
"Ma'am please I am in so much need for this job. Please help me"
The woman bubbled her head as her mind sharply recalled how that man warned her to not hire this girl. If not she'll be dead.
"I am sorry but we can't hire you. Your résumé is not that good."
Layla's shoulders slacked off and she sadly smiled before she stood up from her seat. She thanked the woman and collected her folder.
Making her way out she went to the next cafe on her list but all the same. They rejected her.
Layla now sat on one of the benches in front of the last cafe she visited. Sipping the hot coffee she bought she used her other hand and ticked the 10th cafe she visited.
"Did I woke up on the left side of the bed today?" She questioned no one and released a tired sigh.And leaned her head back at bench edge. But without a minute passed she heard the ringtone of her phone.
"Who could be the person calling now." She said trying to bring the phone out of her bag and when she saw the name of her university she lamented and slowly stamped her foot.
"What an unfortunate day."
"Good evening. Mr. Morris. May I know the reason behind this generous call." She sarcastically replied with a fake smile. The man behind the phone replied with a stern voice.
"Well Harris you know why I called. So cut off this game of ignorance."
Layla grimaced before she replied with.
"Yes sir!"
"Okay the condition is your name won't be registered for examination Harris.Try to pay by the end of this week"
Layla tried to reason by quickly saying.
"Sir I am in a not so good situation pardon my negligence please and I promise to pay after the examination."
"Harris you can't be pardoned this time. Try to pay." And with this he cut off the call.
Layla's mouth hung open like a dead fish and when it sunk into her that he had cut off the call. She lowered the phone from ear into her bag.
"Hmm I can't be in a good mood now,can I?" She soliloquized but a certain voice made it a dialogue with his reply to her question.
"Well you can be,since I am here.pure coincidence that I meet you"
"What a useless coincidence." She mumbled and stood to her feet.
Looking up to Azeem she said
"We're meeting for the third time now. Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action."
Azeem chuckled and slipped his hands into his pocket. Indeed for him it was a pure coincidence. He made no plans to meet her today but as his car rolled into this street after leaving his base his sight caught her sitting on a bench outside a certain cafe and he can't just pass by.can he?
"I am amazed. Had a bad day?" He asked to which she glared at him
"Yes and it is not getting anyway better with you here."
"Like I have said already "If you don't want me to make your life miserable than it is already"marry me."
"Excuse me?" She questioned but he kept quiet. Rehearsing his words into her head her eyes widen the next moment, and everything made sense to her now.
"No way!" Her voice pitched higher as her blue eyes widen to their might!!
"Y-you..you caused all this,you made aunt Marion to fire me.a-and..-." She stammered
"Wait! You were again the one that called my school to pressure me about the tuition fee.?"
She asked but Azeem calmly stood to his ground with a smirk.
"Oh my God!.." she placed her palms to her mouth as she gasped.