" Seems we are heading to the same floor", the stranger broke the awkward silence between the both of them. Layla who was embarrassed by the action she played a while ago nodded her head anxiously without looking at him. She continuously rowed her eyes hoping the elevator would eventually move faster.
Suddenly, the bright light in the elevator started to flickering continuously, layla heart jumped into her throat as she froze in one place. Her worst fear, with shaking hands, she dropped her heels and her bag to the floor. Panic overtaking her as she ran to the elevator door, her body was moving faster than her brain could process. "Help! , Help!, someone is in here". She screamed, slamming her fist against the door.
She started pressing the button with force hoping the door could just open "No, no, no". She yelled, her voice was in fear. The guy stood there watching her all along, he finally rolled his eyes and let out a loud sigh "Are you serious?, you are scared of the light going off? ". He asked looking at her in disbelief but was amused. "or are you afraid of being alone with me ". Layla was shocked by his reaction however she did not pay attention to him. She quickly sighted her bag.
Layla jumped at the sharp sound of the elevator coming to a stop. She could hear heart pounding in her chest, she quickly trace her bag as she was about to move the light went off.
Layla could feel the sweat dripping down from her head, Her hands shaking uncontrollably, The world around her spin in dizzying circles, her vision becam blurry. She felt dizzy and all of a sudden she had this sharp pain on her head. She could not breath, the pain on her chest. Her lungs failed her this time around, she placed her shaking hands on her chest as she went down on her kneels, struggling for breath.
"Seem we are stuck here" showing his concern. It was dark so he had no idea what was going on. He notice the slight movement of Layla but was not sure what was going on " Are you okay, miss". he didn't get a respond, he quickly brought out his phone and put on the touch light. He saw Layla who was on her kneels struggling for breath.
He quickly rush to her "Are you okay "he tap her not knowing what to do. Her face was pale, her eyes was tightly shut, her body was really cold, her hand formed a fist on her chest, her whole body was trembling. She was finding it difficult to breath, she was in shock. He quickly pull out his earpiece from his own ear and place then gently on layla's ears.
The soft strains of music streaming through them , acting as a cable back to the present. Gradually, Layla started breathing slowly, her body became calm, she held onto the man hands without letting go, her eyes was still close. He slowly stood up without letting go of her hands. He pressed the emergency button, alerting the other end "someone is stuck , one of us is having an attack ".
He said and slowly went back on his kneels, carefully tapping Layla on her back. "We are sorry for the inconvenience , we are currently working on it ". He heard from the telecom. With relief, the elevator doors opened, and the man wasted no time in scooping Layla into his arms, carrying her out. "Get me some water," he ordered the two staff who stood there , who immediately rushed off to fulfill the request.
Gently placing Layla in a nearby chair, he opened the bottle and offered it to her. As she slowly open her eyes and sipped the water, the color gradually returned to her face. Watching her with concern showed on his face, he finally asked, "Are you okay now?" Layla nodded, offering a faint smile of gratitude.
The staff apologized continously for the incident, "We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience," they said. Knowing who he was, they could get fired but he just nodded and face layla. "Thank you," Layla responded, handing back the earpiece. "Always carry one of these with you, just in case," the man advised. She nodded in acknowledgment. Despite her improving composure, the man sensed an unease feelings in Layla's eyes, "Are you sure you are okay?
"You can go. I'll be okay; I just need to sit here for a while," Layla reassured him, keeping a more convincing smile. He nodded, understanding her need for a moment to collect her thoughts. "Alright then, I will leave," he said, turning to leave. As he walked away, Layla was so grateful for his help, she knows she did not thank him enough and what pained her the most was that she didn't even get his name.
It been really long she had an attack, probably over three years ago. Layla's phone rang out, immediately she remembered she was with Mr logan. Upon recognizing the caller ID, she quickly jump to her feet, hurrying to find her way, while a familiar voice on the other end inquired, "Are you lost?". Rapidly fixing her dress and slipping into her heels, she responded, "I'm already there," as she fished the card out of her bag and began tracing the numbers.
She held the card with one hand as she brought out a small mirror to check if her face was ruined. She was glad it was not ruined, she apply a little bit of powder as she walk fast to find the hall. Layla stepped into the dimly lit hall, where the sounds of slow music and laughter filled the air, along with the clinking of glasses in conversation. The atmosphere gave the impression of a cocktail party, not the business meeting she'd expected. "Is there not a meeting here?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable . As she cautiously moving around in the room, the man from the elevator spotted her and called out, "Elevator, is that you?" His voice carried a note of amused surprise.He was not expecting to see her.
Layla followed the sound of his voice, her eyes settling on the man from the elevator, now surrounded by his friends, champagne and glasses on the table. A smile graced her lips as she approached their table . "Oh, you," she said, her tone carrying a hint of playfulness. "Is your boss here?" the man asked, a quizzical expression on his face as he scanned the room.
Layla was still not sure of what was going on. She responded with a hesitant, "Maybe," still unsure of what was happening.Her eyes scan the room for logan. The noise of the party made it difficult for her to hear, so she raised her voice. "Is a meeting being held here?" she asked loudly. The man from the elevator, sitting with his friend, responded with a shout, "A club party! Your boss must be a member."
"What " Layla could not believe her ears "a club what" her eyes going around the place. "Is anything the matter". She could not believe she went through hell and nearly died for this. She was boiling in anger already "did you bring you secretary here with you ". To make matter worst, she could not find Logan anywhere. " why would I "he said taking a sip from the glass. "I thought you came to give him an important message or something ". Layla nodded negativity, she left her home and the cold evening for something that did not relate to work.
The stranger sitting at the same table as the man from the elevator couldn't help but kept an eyes on Layla. "Who is she anyways?" he questioned, his gaze lingering on her. The man from the elevator gave him a disapproving look, "Hey! She's not here for you." But the stranger persisted, continuing to gawk at Layla, "Come on, she's my type." His actions only made Layla feel more uneasy.
Logan suddenly appeared at the table. "She's with me," he declared, immediately silencing the inquiring stranger."she my assistant "Logan said. Layla, caught off guard by Logan's unexpected arrival, struggled to maintain a friendly feeling, forcing a smile onto her face. Logan sat down with the other men, leaving Layla to feel increasingly uncomfortable. "Who brings an assistant to a hangout?" the stranger muttered, his voice barely audible.
Logan settled into his seat, pouring a glass of champagne,Layla stood there waiting to receive an order. However, the two men at the table were far from satisfied. One of them broke the silence, his tone laced with disbelief, "You must have started today if you don't know Logan's rule of no assistants. You'll be fired tomorrow." His words hung in the air, clearly stating the obvious.
"I've been working for him for about a month now," she stated, her confidence growing , making her feeling proud. The other men, clearly intrigued by her statement, turned their attention to Logan, but he remained indifferent, disinterested in their discussion."But I don't know what am doing here, he said it was a meeting". The two guys was still in disbelief "hey, you have an assistant for almost a month ". The two guys both discuss " I can't believe it either".
Nathan rose to his feet, extending his hand for a handshake, his smile was friendly and inviting, "We'll be seeing each other often, I guess. I'm Nathan Coby." Layla, overjoyed at this turn of events, she was rejoicing inside of her, she achieve something of being Logan assistant. But before their hands could connect, Logan stood up, his body creating a physical barrier between them. "Sit over there, order whatever you want," he commanded, his finger pointing to an empty seat. Layla, caught off guard, slowly nodded in agreement, her hand retreating.
As Layla made her way to the table Logan had pointed out, she couldn't help but feel disappointed, Nathan's smile fading as she turned away. Logan watched her go, a displeased expression on his face. Nathan, sensing Logan's subtle warning, sat back down, his expression did not change . "She doesn't know anything," he said, a hint of concern lacing his words. "This was a private party. Her presence here…, it could be dangerous for her, a lot of eyes are watching " Logan replied, his tone grave.
Nathan cocked his head, a hint of seriousness crossing his face. "you were the one who brought her Here. So why bother now?" he inquired, his curiosity grew. Logan's eyes narrowed, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Stay away from her. Nathan kept looking at her without taking his eyes off her, he was curious about her.
Nathan's brow furrowed, his glass poised mid-sip, his thoughts briefly returning to the incident in the elevator. "Don't you think you're over-stressing her?" he asked, shifting his gaze to Layla, who sat at a nearby table, her posture rigid as she tried to make sense of the strange atmosphere. Logan's expression remained stony, his silence conveying more than his words ever could.
"She being paid for her work, so it not overstressing ". They continue drinking and eventually changed the subject. Layla couldn't help but glance at Nathan from time to time, her thoughts unwillingly drifting back to his charming smile, "Why is he so damn hot and good?" she wondered. But the moment Logan's image flashed across her mind, she felt a sudden chill run through her, a wave of discomfort washing over her. She settled on a cocktail and a plate of beef, taking a seat at the nearby table as the food was brought to her. The drink and the meal were delicious, yet the strange atmosphere made her seek refuge in her phone.
Layla was enjoying her meal when, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure sitting down at a nearby table. Recognizing the scent of a familiar cologne, her smile blossomed. "Nathan, " she said, looking up. He perused her selections, a hint of amusement in his voice, "You're really enjoying yourself, huh?" Layla glanced around, a hint of self-consciousness creeping in. "I'm just trying to blend in..
Nathan leaned back to a chair, his eyes resting on Layla with a hint of curiosity. "You didn't know, it was a kind of hangout?" His tone shifted from amusement to concern. "He said it was a business meeting," she confessed. "And, to be honest, I'm not even sure why he brought me here."
Smith's gaze to the plate before Layla, noticing the uncut beef. With a gentlemanly manner, he took the knife and fork, slicing the beef into manageable portions with ease. "It's pretty tender," he remarked, while Layla watched, touched by the unexpected gesture. As he added a dash of ketchup, he offered the plate back to her, "Here you go." "Thank you," she replied, taking a bite, a contented smile tugging at her lips as the flavors danced on her tongue.
"If only I was somewhere else, this would go great with a beer,". Nathan, sensing her cravings, suggested, "Or, what about red wine?" Layla's face lit up like the sun, joy blossoming across her features. "Red wine! It's my favorite, and the perfect pairing," she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with happiness as she thought on the sweet taste of a good red wine.
Nathan's smile grew wider as he caught the eyes of an attendant, who quickly hurried over. Whispering something in the man's ear, he watched as the attendant nodded and hurried away. "You seem pretty popular yourself," Layla observed with a hint of teasing in her voice, prompting a self-assured chuckle from Nathan. "What do you think?" he asked...
Layla made her way out of the restroom, cautiously finding her way back towards the hall , hoping logan can call it a night soon. Her evening with Nathan was great and fun, Hope she could have more of the wine. Just then, she felt a strong hand grasp her arm, pulling her forcefully against the wall. A sharp pain shot through her arm as she winced, slowly raising her eyes to meet his. "Lucas," she gasped, the name as she recognize him, she was shocked and disbelief. Why is he here, she wondered....