Chapter 13
LAYLA
When Alpha Alexander leaves, I think the best option is to grab my daughter and make a run for it.
I exit his study and run around the whole house, searching for my baby.
“Ayla.” I huff, opening one door after the other.
The maids inside the house ignore me like they can’t see me when I try to ask them about her. It sets my veins alight, but I am adamant about finding Ayla and leaving from here.
After searching the ground floor, I climb the stairs and look inside the rooms on the upper floor. A door at the end of the corridor opens, and a blonde head pokes out. I pause, staring into her blue eyes. “Are you Layla? Ayla’s Mommy?” She asks.
I nod, rushing in that direction. Maybe this woman knows. She steps aside from the open door when she sees me approaching her.
As I expected, Ayla is sitting on the bed inside. She picks her head, and my eyes meet her red-rimmed small eyes.
“My baby.” I push the woman aside without delay and barge inside the room before dropping to my knees in front of my daughter. “Mommy!” She jumps into my arms, wrapping her arms around my neck like she always does.
My lips press to her head, kissing every spot I can find. My hands pat her sides, making sure she is unharmed and completely fine. “Mommy.” She sniffles, tightening her hold around my neck.
“What’s wrong?” I question in fear.
“Where did you go?” She whispers.
“I am here.” I rub her back. “I am here, Ayla. I am not going anywhere without you p>
Tears slide out of my eyes after finally reuniting with her. I don’t want to let her go for the rest of the day or, perhaps, the rest of my life. But we need to leave.
Theo and Alpha Alexander are at the border, ready to fight each other, but if I am gone, they won’t have a reason to go to war.
“Come on,” I whisper, picking her in my arms and standing up.
“Where?” Ayla pulls her head out of my neck and looks at me. The redness on her cheeks and in her eyes squeezes my heart painfully.
I wipe her wet cheeks with my right hand. The soft skin is heated as if she had been rubbing at it for some time now.
“Away from here,” I utter before turning around.
The woman is standing in the doorway. Her arms are folded over her chest. I frowned at her when I noticed the stern look in her eyes. “You can’t take her away, Layla.” She sighs.
“She is my daughter. No one can stop me.” I let out before progressing towards her.
“Are we going with Daddy?” Ayla inquires, startling me.
“What?” I halt.
“Daddy is coming, right?” Her lips pucker out.
“No. It’s just you and me, Ayla. Like always. “I didn’t know he already told Ayla about himself.
“No. I won’t leave Daddy.” She shocks me with her sudden defiance.
I stare at her with my wide eyes. I don’t know what to say. I can tell her that Daddy will join us later, but that will be a lie, and
I don’t want to lie to my baby and break her heart in the future when she realizes the truth.
“Daddy can’t come with us, baby.” I pat her head softly.
“We can stay here.” She whines, kicking her legs in the air in an attempt to make me put her down.
“We can’t, Ayla. This is not our home.” My frown deepens.
“It ish. See. Daddy has a room for me here.” She points her forefinger to our left.
I look at the light pink and skin-colored walls. I notice the pink furniture is all made for babies, and then I glance at the bed with Barbie sheets.
Does he think he can get my daughter on his side by giving her things I can’t afford? Anger swirls in my eyes when I take them off the things he has provided for Ayla. “We are leaving, Ayla,” I say firmly and start to walk.
The woman blocks the path, keeping her arms folded over her chest. I am ready to throw my hands at her and fight my way out, but Ayla starts wailing suddenly.
My heart sinks as I look at her. She is crying so loud that she hasn’t done that since her first year.
“Ayla, baby.” I cup her cheek, wiping the big tears she is shedding.
“Daddy. I need Daddy.” She sobs.
Something twists inside my chest when I see her crying for him. My anger at him grew because he managed to brainwash my daughter in a mere three days. Now, she thinks she needs him when we never needed him before.
I spent the next few minutes calming Ayla down but it’s nearly impossible when she keeps crying that she doesn’t want to leave here. To make things worse, the woman is looking at me like I am an evil mother. Visit Jo b n i b.com to read the complete chapters for free. If you are not reading this novel on Job ni b.com, some sentences are incomplete. No one understands what’s wrong between Alpha Alexander and me and why I can’t leave my baby here.
“Just quit being stubborn, Layla. How long are you going to keep Ayla crying? Can’t you see she needs both of you? Why are you hurting her?” The woman hisses, at last, surprising me.
A lump forms in my throat as I see my daughter’s face. I know there is nothing I can gain by hurting her heart. I will have to stay and slowly bring my daughter back to my side.
“Shh, baby.” I press my lips to her wet cheeks.
“Daddy.” She wails.
“We are staying with Daddy.” I pull her head to my shoulder before patting her back soothingly.
Ayla stops crying almost immediately. I am not familiar with this behavior. It’s like she has learned to cry to get what she wants, but after her mission is completed, she doesn’t see the need to continue. Alpha Alexander definitely has a bad influence on her. Sighing, I walk back to the bed and place her down on it. She tries to cling to me, but I grab her small hands and place them on her lap.
“Are you mad, Mommy? Are you leaving me again?” Her eyes peer into mine.
“No, baby. I need to go talk to Daddy. Do you think you can stay here with her for a while?” I am reluctant to leave her, but I need to stop Alpha Alexander from waging war against the Lotus Pack. “Serafina. My name is Serafina.” The woman whispers.
“Stay with Aunt Serafina, okay baby?” I wipe the remnants of tears from her cheeks and wait for her small nod before getting up.
“Look after her until I return,” I tell the woman warily.
“I will.” She nods with a nice smile on her lips. It seemed like her hostility was only until I gave in.
“If I don’t find her here after I come back, we will be having a word,” I warn subtly.
Her smile falls. She nods sternly.
I walk past her and leave the room. My feet carry me to the main door before I settle into Theo’s damaged car and follow the line of other cars that are moving in a single direction.
I have to stop this massacre. No one must get hurt because of me. But I don’t know how I will do it. From its looks, convincing Alpha Alexander to do something is like asking a wall to move on its own.