chapter 5

“Sir crisis averted she's out of the boutique” said Jake as he breathed a sigh of relief.

“That girl in the store? What's her name?” asked Ayden as he rejected the suits shown to him by the tailor.

“Susan Eddy” said Jake as he went through everything about Susan.

“Fire her” said Ayden as he poured himself a glass of wine.

“Sir we can't actually fire her” said Jake trembling in fear for himself and Susan.

“Buy the boutique and fire her” said Ayden as he stared at Chloe looking at him through the CCTV camera.

  Jake looked shocked he wondered who Chloe was to his boss that she  could make the boss do anything without giving it a second thought.

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     The warm sunlight spilled lazily across the boulevard, casting long golden shadows as Ayla stepped out of the boutique, her heels clicking on the pavement. She had just picked out the perfect dress something soft, romantic, something Ayden would notice. She blushed at the thought of Ayden proposing to her or even complementing her.

She felt victorious today.

But then… she froze. A lone figure was walking across the street, casual but graceful, dressed in a simple cardigan and jeans. Her hair caught the light just like Chloe’s used to. That walk. That confidence. That aura.

Ayla’s heart nearly stopped.

“No…” she whispered, blinking hard. Her perfectly manicured fingers clutched her handbag like a lifeline digging deep. She took some steps backward and a hesitant step forward, the traffic passing between her and the figure.

The woman turned slightly.Those brown eyes.

Ayla staggered back a step.

It was her.

It couldn’t be....

"She's dead," Ayla whispered to herself, chest tightening. "I made sure…"

But the figure across the street glanced toward her and smirked waving then disappeared into the moving crowd.

A sick feeling settled in Ayla's stomach. Her skin turned pale. She stumbled back into the boutique doorway, trying to steady her breath.

“No. No. No. It’s just… stress. My mind’s playing tricks on me,” she muttered trying to calm herself. But the tremor in her hands betrayed her.

And deep down, she knew.

She had seen Chloe

And if she was back… everything Ayla had built was coming down.

Ayla stumbled into her car, slamming the door shut as her hands fumbled to unlock her phone. Her perfectly painted nails trembled against the screen. One ring. Two.

“Pick up, damn it,” she hissed.

“Calvin speaking,” came the cool reply but one could hear the stress and tiredness in his voice.

“She's back,” Ayla blurted out, panic in her voice. “Chloe is back. I just saw her.”

There was silence on the line. Then Calvin sighed. “Yeah. I know.”

Ayla blinked, stunned. “What? what do you mean you know?”

“I mean Ayden already knows. He’s been watching her since the minute she stepped foot in the city,” Calvin said, voice laced with irritation. “He’s two steps ahead of everyone, as usual.”

Ayla's voice broke. “Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because he shut me out,” Calvin snapped. “Said I was too involved. Sent me off the project. Can’t even get past his new assistant. I’m not in his inner circle anymore, Ayla. He’s locked down.”

Her pulse quickened. “Then we’re losing him. I’m losing  him.”

“You never had him,” Calvin muttered, but too low for her to catch.

  “No.” Ayla straightened, wiping away the single tear threatening to ruin her mascara. “I won’t let her win. She ruined everything five years ago, and now she thinks she can waltz back in like nothing happened? No. I have to make Ayden marry me before she gets to him again.”

Calvin’s tone turned wary. “Ayla, don’t do anything stupid. He's got eyes everywhere”

“I’m not. I’m securing what’s mine,” she said sharply.”

Then she hung up.

“Two can play at this game”

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Chloe breathed a sigh of relief as she made it back to her apartment without being trailed by Ayla. The game had just begun, she didn't expect to see Ayla this was an in and out mission, but it kept taking unexpected turns that she wasn't prepared for. All she wanted was her mom's medical book and a rare drug which she discovered is only grown by the Hunter's industry and is limited in supply. Why was fate making things complicated she sighed as she walked up the stairs when her phone rang.

  She looked at it and clicked some codes in before answering. “Hello baby what's wrong?” asked Chloe worried.

“Well that's interesting” said a masculine voice with a soft chuckle “Jayson is asleep , and you haven't been taking my calls?”

“Sorry Yang I've been busy” said Chloe as she breathed a sigh of relief “Any updates?”

“He had another anxiety attack, has refused to eat unless he sees you and keeps trying to injure himself in his freaking wheelchair.” complained Yang he sat down his hand running through his hair “his fever's getting worse”

“At this point I don't know what to do”

   Chloe stared into the wall as tears rolled down her cheek, the phone slipped from her hands as she cried her heart out. He suffered from Traumautis Neural Disorder (TND), a sickness that was discovered at his early age due to the trauma Chloe suffered when she was pregnant for Ayden and was kidnapped the pains and torture led Jayson to be crippled and mentally unstable but Chloe had tried all she could to treat him and help him get better but it became worse so she had to come back and get the miracle drug which could help her son recover and she needed to escape Ayden's eyes and make sure he never finds out about Jayson.

“Earth to the pretty woman on the other side?” said Yang as he knew Chloe was lost in thoughts concerning Jayson “I will tell him you said hi”

  Yang cut the call leaving Chloe in the dark, she couldn't give up like this she had to be brave for Jayson. She tried to stand up but felt a sharp pain in her abdomen it was her own share of the trauma she usually had severe pains in her abdomen but managed to pull it together she needed to be strong even if it meant facing her family.

  Ayla sat in front of her mirror tonight was the night

she conquers Ayden's heart no matter what.

Ayden sat at the back seat headed to the dinner eyes unreadable but he knew tonight was going to be something else......

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