• Betrayed •

Layla's POV

After Sinn left my room I just stayed here trying to convince myself that it was just my ego that has been hurt and it has nothing to do with my heart whatsoever

And it's valid, ones ego hearing another person want to be only in a professional relationship would hurt even though it's you who wanted it.

But the problem with this theory is I know myself, and I would've been more than happy to hear someone is on the same page with me even on matters like this. I'd rather someone be honest with me.

So then what does this unsettling feeling in my heart means? It just couldn't be that I wanted to have more than a professional relationship with him.

Cause I can control my sexual desires, I have been able to till now and it wouldn't have been a problem. Even though Sinn Phoenix is one of a kind and I've never in my life seen a man as gorgeous as him, I would've been able to control myself. Right?

But taking into account my actions from that night at the Astor mansion, it wasn't like me at all. This fucking man even fazed me.

It's all making sense to me now, what my actions were. I can't believe this. What the fuck was I thinking.

Even though Sinn Phoenix is an irresistible man, I get it, shouldn't you have some common sense in you and keep your distance from him?

Didn't you know already what consequences your actions would have and it'll make things hard and awkward for you?

I can't even tell anyone they'd just be disappointed and tell me how impulsive I am like they do every time and even call me a whore like how everyone else I've met thinks of me when they see me.

I don't give a fuck about them, but does Sinn also think about me that way.

Now, why would you care whatever he thinks of you?

Concentrate Layla, and focus on the mission you're about to go on. I ranted to myself trying to discipline my messed-up thoughts and feelings.

You set your boundaries with Sinn just because you don't want to regret anything.

You came here for a purpose, you need to prove your father wrong and save your mother. But instead of proving him wrong, you're proving him right.

"You're nothing but a whore, just like the rest of the women."

My father's words rang in my head making me jerk my eyes open and shake his words out of my thought process.

I can't afford for his words to make a mess of my head like, he always used to, right now.

"Focus Layla, focus," I muttered to myself restless trying to get rid of the memory of that day, from when I was 16, as it clouded my thoughts.

"Your mother is a whore, and now you proved me right by being one yourself. How many guys did you fuck other than him?"

We were all in the living room as my father took out his frustration on me after finding out about Seth.

It's only been 2 months since I started going out with him. Seth seemed like a nice guy he approached me and I didn't find a reason why to not agree on going out with him.

"Don't call mom that! You know she's only ever loved you even if you don't deserve her."

I don't know where I got the confidence to say that but lately, I've been more courageous and am calling out my father whenever he tries to use his filthy mouth.

"I've been noticing, you've been getting braver since you started fucking that guy." He started snickering and I tried to contain my anger.

I'm not even going to waste my energy and correct him that I didn't sleep with Seth but he wouldn't believe me so it's no use.

"Do you think he loves you?" My father asked me and I rolled my eyes.

"Why does it even matter to you, if he loves me or not?" I deadpanned getting irritated with the passing seconds I'm spending with him.

He suddenly smiled and walked towards me. He stopped a distance from me and put forwards his hand. I thought he was about to hurt me but then I got shocked when he put his hand on my shoulder gently. That's the most gentle my father has ever been with me.

"Why would it not matter to me, Layla? You're my daughter my blood I'd be concerned whose dating my precious daughter."

Someone who doesn't know my father would think he's like any other father concerned about their daughter. But I know him and he wouldn't be concerned about me even if I jump off a cliff.

There is some scheme of his going on in his head, I know for sure.

"Stop pretending as if you care, it's disgusting." I spat and he chuckled evilly.

"Oh Layla, you're much more clever than your mother, I'll give that to you. Your mother would fall for my pretense every time."

I wanted to punch his face but that would be going too far and I can't threaten the safety of my mom.

"But you've still got a lot to learn. You still can't tell between people who are loyal and who are not." His words even though were deep, I didn't want him to tell me that.

"Why do you even care whether I'm with Seth or someone else?" I asked him getting irritated by him.

"So you do love this guy?" He asked once again and to shut him up I replied honestly.

"I do like him, I like this guy a lot and maybe I might love him. And he might prove to be much better than you could ever be to mom." I blurted out and that caught my father's attention.

"What did you say? So you're going to compare your father with this guy who you've only known for 2 months? Your mother is a lucky woman. She wouldn't have found a man who's loyal to her."

"The only thing you didn't do is cheat on her. What do you have to say about the hell you make her go through since the past seventeen years you've been married?" I scoffed.

My father was growing irritated and I should stop my mouth before his fist landed on me.

"You've been getting out of line I'm noticing, I'll have to teach you a lesson." My father took out his cigarette and lit it.

My hands started getting sweaty cause I know what was about to come next. Whenever he lit his cigarette in front of me, he would do something to teach me a lesson.

Just when I thought he would hit me or kick me, he exhaled and looked at me.

"You must've met Seth at the cafè on Thursday perhaps?" He asked me and I was about to nod my head when I furrowed my eyebrows at him in confusion.

How does he know this? Has he been following me? I should've guessed he would've been monitoring my every movement.

So he knew about Seth since the beginning then why did he only confront me after 2 months?

"You both conversed and your interests match. He loathes his father just like you." His details were accurate and I was growing concerned thinking that he knows about what we talk about. What else does father know?

I looked at him with wide eyes and anticipated what else he has to add but he smiled at me, taking another sniff from his cigarette.

"After spending some time together, he wanted more from you." My father continued and my heartbeat accelerated.

"And lately, he might've been bringing it up quite often isn't he?" He asked and I looked at him bewildered.

All the time we had that conversation of him wanting us to take the next step, to have sex, has taken place privately. Not in a public place where you would expect someone to be around like my father's spies.

We were in his goddamn house.

"You should've been able to put two on two together by now my dear daughter."

I stared at him, my heart sinking finally getting what he was telling me.

"You didn't."

"Oh I did my dear, I wanted to test you on how much of a whore you are that you'll agree on sleeping with any boy who asked you to after dating them for a while."

He exhaled the smoke and continued, "So I asked Seth to help me find out."

"I told you but I think you didn't hear me when I did, people who love are weak. They'll not be able to achieve anything greater in this world cause they'll have a weakness. And you, if I would've given you one more month you would've been madly in love with him."

My father walked around me as I stood still in my spot shocked to my core after finding out it was all my father's plan.

"So you're proving me right, that a woman will never be on the same level as a man. You're so easy to fool."

I stared there frozen. I fell right into my father's trap like a fool. He had a marvelous plan, to begin with, he targeted where I didn't yet have full control; my feeling.

He portrayed Seth to be so loving, caring, honest, and loyal, everything he wasn't ever to my mother, and everything he knew would impress me.

I was in fact about to tell him yes after the many times he gave me signs and sometimes even vocally implied wanting to have sex.

And me being the fool I am was thinking maybe he does care for me and like me cause it had been almost more than 2 months, it would be fine.

After my father left the living room, I stayed there feeling betrayed and heartbroken after he told me bringing Seth into my life was him all along just to prove his theory that I was a fucking whore who is capable of loving.

After I was able to get a hold of myself, I blocked him and never talked to him after that. And I'm sure my father would've already told him, that he told me everything.

After that day, I didn't date anyone, especially, I didn't dare have sex with anyone even if it was a one-night stand, scared that it might've been related to my father setting me up once again.

I couldn't bring myself to trust anyone. I was only sixteen at the time Seth came into my life through the plottings of my father.

I started to think after the betrayal from Seth I would've had complete control of my feelings but I'm wrong.

If I had control I wouldn't have allowed what happened at the Astor mansion.

I put my hand on my forehead as I held it leaning forward while still sitting on the edge of my bed. I don't know how long I've been sitting here.

I look at the time on my phone and see it's almost time for the meeting.

I sighed putting both my hands on my face and rubbing it.

One thing I'm relieved about is that I set up boundaries with Sinn. Even if I do like him or whatever, there's still time to correct them. The damage has not been done and I don't think Sinn has anything for me.

Cause if he did I don't think he would've been wanting to talk about it as well and agree with me.

Plus there's no chance my father would use him for his petty schemes, hell I can say for sure in the time that I've spent here that Sinn Phoenix is not the type to agree on something like that even if by some chance my father were in authority to make him do it. He's not cheap like Seth.

I stood up cause it was now almost time for the meeting.

All I have to focus on right now is to get rid of any weird feelings for Sinn Phoenix and succeed in the mission I'm about to go on.

A fairly long chapter since the last two. I'll try to update daily for now.

What are your thoughts on Layla's past with cheap Seth?