FULL NOVELXO Chapter 1
Chapter 1 Getting Engaged
The sound of rushing water came from the bathroom. Layla Edwards, supporting her sore body, sat up on the bed. She gathered her clothes from the floor and slowly dressed herself.
Once dressed, she grabbed some pills from the table, popped them in her mouth, and swallowed hard.
Wesley Harrington had just finished showering and came out. He saw her taking the pills but didn’t say anything. He wiped his hair with a towel and casually sat on the bed.
“I’m getting engaged,” he dropped the bomb.
His voice lacked any warmth, catching Layla off guard. Her fingers froze, and a cold chill ran through her heart, leaving her frozen.
Layla turned her head, her eyes locked on him. He was wrapped in a towel, his chiseled chest shining. He had a handsome and flawless face, but there was an endless coolness about him.
Suppressing her inner pain, Layla tried to act natural. “Well then, I guess I won’t be coming here anymore, right?”
He didn’t answer, just turning his head to meet her you willing to leave me?”
gaze.
“Are
He asked like he didn’t care her answer.
Layla’s gaze faltered. Willing or not, what difference did it
hidden from the world. No one knew about the woman who shared Wesley’s bed.
She still vividly remembered the day she first laid eyes on him, in the midst of a snowy winter.
At eighteen, Layla lost her parents in a tragic car accident, with the culprit fleeing the scene. Her younger brother was left fighting for his life in the ICU, desperately needing money for
surgery.
Lost and on the verge of despair, Wesley appeared. The memory of him wearing a sleek, brown coat still lingered in her mind, his presence oozing with elegance and irresistible charm.
Someone held an umbrella over him, shielding him from a single snowflake. He looked down at her, just a step away. But they might as well have been from different universes, separated by an unbridgeable divide.
He leaned in, his gloved hand clasping her frozen, cracked hand. He examined it closely and murmured, just like now, “Such gorgeous hands, wasted on nothing.”
Layla’s eyes snapped up, meeting his icy gaze as cold as the falling snow.
He handed her a business card and a check, commanding, “Come with me.”
And so, Layla became his plaything, trading her body for his support. She was at his beck and call, fulfilling his every desire and whim, wherever and whenever he wanted. Now, it had been a full six years.
He had always been generous, helping pay for her brother’s medical treatment and supporting her through college. They both got what they needed, and he had shown incredible
kindness.
She knew from the start that they were never meant to be in the same world. Layla had always anticipated this day would come.
Layla looked down and whispered, “I won’t tell anyone. From now on, I’ll pretend I never knew you.”
Wesley’s eyes slowly moved from her graceful neck to her slender fingers. He couldn’t help but remember the first time he saw her, when she looked sickly and frail.
But now, she was pampered and delicate, elegant and beautiful.
Suddenly, he grabbed Layla’s wrist and pulled her close. He lifted her chin with his fingers and studied her face intently.
Her face used to be chubby and round. Now, it had transformed into an elegant oval shape with refined features. It was flawless, maybe even too perfect, with a hint of detachment.
Layla’s fingers tightened, and her long lashes quivered slightly. He rarely looked at her like this, as if it was just a routine every
time.
After a moment of locking eyes, he kissed her.
Feeling his cool lips, Layla instinctively closed her eyes.
This kiss felt like a farewell.