Chapter 38

Clara's POV

"Are you sure you are alright?" Derek asked. He took my hands into his.

I responded with a nod.

He sighed. "If my mother starts acting crazy or does anything you don't like, just call me, and I'll be there to save you," Derek whispered. "Also, keep your phone nearby and call if you need anything. I'll be there later to see how you're doing," he added.

"I'm sure I'll be just fine," I answered with a smile.

Layla walked over to me, pulling me from Derek. "Come, we should go. You shouldn't be on your feet for so long after what happened to you." She spoke.

She clasped my arm and led us out of the suite.

I could still feel Madison's glare on me the whole time. She was probably getting suspicious. We took an elevator to Derek's penthouse. We waited to speak till we had settled into his suite.

"Do you need anything, something to eat, drink, or anything?" Layla rambled.

"I'm okay. My hit wasn't severe," I answered.

She sat me down on the couch, putting a blanket over me. I wondered why she was becoming so overprotective.

"You should still be careful; they could have killed you. If I hadn't asked you to play along with this plan, Madison wouldn't have been so desperate." She spoke. "That which took things too far this time, and now she will have to face my wrath." Layla continued.

She paced the room impatiently.

Madison was a bad person and probably mentally unstable as well. However, I didn't want to automatically rule out the possibility that someone hadn't planned an attack on her. She could very well be a victim for all we know.

But then again, when did bad things ever happen to bad people?

"Do you think she planned this whole thing? She looked distorted. It would be best if you had been there. It was horrible." I asked.

Layla looked at me in disbelief. I probably looked like a lost cause to her. "Of course, she didn't do it because I paid those guys to pretend to rob her and beat up my son so that I could convince you to continue working with me." She answered sarcastically.

Was that sarcastic?

If I hadn't suffered a concussion, I'm sure Layla herself would have slapped me over the head to knock some sense into me.

It was still difficult to believe that someone would think of staging something as horrible. I knew Madison was only motivated by money, but could she do something that terrible? What if I hadn't shown up? How far would those guys have gotten?

Layla could read my unbelieving expression.

"Of course, she staged the whole thing to get Derek's sympathy. She is even more dangerous than I thought. People like her have no limits at all. She went too far when she decided to mess with my son." Layla spoke. "Did you see the way her gold-digging hands were clinging onto my son? This whole thing is just part of her plan." She continued.

"Maybe that's why she asked me if Derek would be around. She wanted to set a trap," I said.

"And you told her?" Layla exclaimed. "The next time she asks you something, and you think of telling her the truth, tell her the opposite." Layla sat down next to me. She held my hands in hers as she made eye contact. "You see, this is why I can't afford you to back out on me right now. You and I need to work together." She spoke.

She stopped talking as we heard the doorknob turning.

A man walked in. The same man carried Derek to his penthouse on the night that all this madness began.

He froze, looking at both Layla and me hesitantly.

"Uh-oh," I heard him mutter.

He then turned around, ready to make his way out again.

"Luke, stop right there," Layla demanded.

He turned around hesitantly.

"I'm just here to get a document for Derek," Luke answered.

Layla glared at him, and she eyed him to obedience. "I need you to tell me what they have found about the investigation. I know Derek tells you everything," Layla said.

"I don't know much, and we are still investigating this whole thing." He replied.

Layla wasn't backing down as she continued to eye him.

He sighed. "It's something really strange. We still don't understand how this could have happened. A woman, a guest who was booked at the hotel, told security that she had three men here to deliver some things. They arrived here, checked into the woman's hotel room, and then changed into other clothes. It happened to be on the same floor." He paused. "We found the clothes they were wearing in the trash can. Just as the incident occurred, the woman just vanished. Now, it turns out her ID could have been fake, too. We don't know how this could have happened. The cameras didn't get that much, and the men seemed smart enough to hide their faces behind their caps. It's like they knew exactly where the cameras were. We only managed to get descriptions from the security guards. I guess when they walked out, they managed to blend in with the other guests." He explained.

"You think that this could have been an inside job?" Layla asked.

"Maybe, but the whole thing is just suspicious." He answered. "We were only able to get a picture of the woman." He searched through his phone and then handed it to Layla. "You should be careful, and we have a security team right outside for you." He warned.

Something about the woman seemed too familiar. I knew I had seen her before. That's when my mind finally registered.

"I've seen her before, with Madison. They were here together on the first day that Madison arrived." I said.

Sure, her dark hair had been exchanged for a blond wig, and her original eye colour was exchanged for contact lenses, but I could still recognize her. In most of the photos, she always wore sunglasses.

"Would you look at that," Layla responded.

"Are you sure?" Luke asked.

"Yes," I answered with a nod.

"Well, thanks, Clara, we'll have the police look into it." He spoke. I handed his phone back to him.

He then excused himself and made his way out of the suite.

He knew my name.

"Hopefully, they will catch on to her lies and throw her in prison." Layla laughed. "Hopefully, I won't have to do anything to get rid of her."

I spent the rest of my day with Layla. She worked through her plan right to the last detail. She didn't seem too keen on allowing the officers to do their job nor hoped that Madison would get caught.

Most of the time, we talked, laughed, and ate. Layla ordered an entire banquet for the two of us.

Time flew by before we even realised it.

"I hope my mom wasn't giving you any trouble." Derek interrupted.

"Not at all," I answered with a smile as Layla and I turned to face him.

We had just finished doing each other's toenails, which were now dry.

"Some people appreciate me, you know," Layla replied. She stood up to gather her things.

"Anyways, I see. I better get moving." She added.

She collected her handbag on the side of the couch.

"Don't be safe, kids," she winked. She waved goodbye as she walked out of the penthouse.

"That was a joke," Derek said, pointing at the door once he had heard it shut. "I promise you, the day she finds out we are having a baby, she is going to get inside your house through the window in the middle of the night and watch you in your sleep." He joked.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"So, how is Madison?" I asked, trying to be more serious.

Derek sighed. "They had to give her some pills to get her to sleep. She seemed so devastated that her assistant could have planned the whole thing. That explains why the thieves could have known she had some valuable jewellery." Derek explained.

Layla was right, and Madison was a lot smarter than we thought.

"Besides, I heard her mother was coming, so she wouldn't be alone. I don't want to talk about her." He added.

With that being said, at least I knew that Derek would safely be away from Madison, at least for now.

I turned to look at the time. "I think I should also get going," I said.

It was around the time my shift ended. I had the best job in the world. I got paid for doing nothing.

"No," Derek interrupted me as I was about to leave.

He took me by surprise as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his arms.

My breathing increased, and so did my heart rate. I hope he couldn't feel how fast my heart was beating.

"Why don't you stay with me for a bit? I'll drive you home." He suggested. "I want to know how you are doing?" He asked.

I took a deep breath to help me calm down so that he couldn't see how nervous he was making me.

"I told you already, I'm fine. Besides, your mother took really good care of me." I smiled.

He sighed before pulling me into a hug.

"You know, I nearly died today after the way that guy just shoved you aside. The thought that something could have happened to you and our baby completely frightened me." He spoke. His voice almost sounded like a whisper.

My eyes filled with tears as I became overwhelmed by emotion. He cared so much about me, yet I just lied to him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to Derek. A tear rolled down my cheek. I tried to choke back the rest of my tears. He didn't deserve this. I knew I was apologising for all my lies.

"No," Derek answered as he hugged me even tighter. "I should have done my best to protect you." He spoke.

I pulled away from our hug to face him. "Promise me you won't do anything like that again, that you will be more careful." I sobbed.

He stroked my cheek, wiping my tears away.

"I promise," he answered back with a smile.

He leaned in as he captured my lips with his. Everything felt perfect

Deep down, I hoped that everything would turn out just fine.

****

I woke up with Derek sleeping beside me. I felt his breath lightly brush against my skin.

I groaned, shifting in bed as I saw how peaceful he looked.

All my clothes were still on. That had to be a good sign.

I reached my head out for my phone, resting on the nightstand.

"Oh no," I muttered.