LAYLA - DARK BEAUTY

Dark Beauty

   

Ariana fled in terror, while Jones merely watched the drama unfold, relieved to be rid of her clinginess. Layla, however, was just getting started.

"Jones Ares Phiamonte, how could you let that woman get close to you and touch you?" she questioned, her eyes blazing with intensity. Jones smirked, unfazed.

"Princess, you don't have any right to dictate who I can see or who can touch me. Stay within your limits, young lady." With that, he walked away, leaving Layla to her thoughts. She chuckled to herself,

"My King looks so cute when he's angry." She gushed .

As the day was nearing it's end , Donning a hoodie to conceal her identity, Layla made her way to Ariato Industries. She waited until the employees had left, then lit a small fire outside, distracting the security guards as she slipped in undetected.
Reaching Phil Ariato's office door, she found it locked, but her hairpin came in handy as a makeshift lockpick. She had learned such skills at a young age, being the daughter of a notorious criminal specializing in  breaking and entering.

With ease, she accessed Phil's laptop and transferred his files to her iPad using a USB stick. After a quick escape, she devoured her favorite  Mexican chilli  pizza while scouring the files. Within two hours, she stumbled upon a crucial piece of evidence to use against Phil.

"Checkmate," she whispered, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. Using a burner phone, she sent a chilling text to Phil's private number:

"Dare to Defy." Those three words would send shivers down his spine, and she knew it.

Feeling satisfied with her mission, she changed into her workout clothes and began her daily martial arts routine. With years of practice, she had become an expert martial artist, skilled in various disciplines. Her father remained unaware of her abilities, but she had secretly honed her skills in mixed martial arts classes since she was 15. Now, at 23, she was a force to be reckoned with.
Phil Ariato had no idea what was coming his way, as messing with Jones was like signing his own death warrant. Layla was fiercely protective of Jones, her heart's desire and obsession.

" l will  make the whole world witness Phil's downfall, as he had dared to cross the one person l would burn the world to avenge." She vowed to herself when she finished her workout.

At his home, Jones was surrounded by the warmth and laughter of his family as they gathered for a farewell party for his Aunt Roxanne Smith, who was leaving the next day to reunite with her husband and children. The atmosphere was lively, with games and merriment filling the air. During a game of Truth and Dare, Jeremy asked Jones.

"Have you ever been in love, brother?" Jones's mind instinctively wandered to Layla, and he subtly touched the bracelet she had given him, which he kept close to his heart.

"Love is an illusion, I've never been in love nor will I ever be," he replied, trying to convince himself as much as Jeremy.

Jeremy, however, saw right through Jones's facade. With a knowing glint in his eye, he said,

"The day you fall in love, you will be clean bowled, brother. That woman will become your world, and you will think of nothing but her all day long. You will treasure her every belonging like it's a precious gem, like that bracelet you keep close to your heart, huh, brother?" Jeremy's words were laced with a subtle understanding, hinting that Jones was already smitten with Layla, and his actions betrayed his true feelings.

Friday arrived, and with it, a half-day at work, giving Layla ample time to focus on her mission to destroy Phil Ariato. Over breakfast, she sent another chilling message from the same untraceable burner phone:

"Truth is but an illusion." These five words were a deliberate response to her initial message, designed to send Phil into a panic. She knew that if he thought someone was bluffing, this second message would confirm his worst fears. The complete message now read:

"Dare to Defy... Truth is but an illusion."

These words had started it all, and now Layla was determined to use them to end it all. The countdown to Phil Ariato's downfall had begun, and in just 7 days, she would bring him to his knees... tick tock... tick tock.

Phil, already on edge after the first message, was now driven to madness. He had locked himself inside his house, and this second message confirmed his darkest fears:

"Someone knows my  deepest and darkest secrets."

"But who? And how?"  His mind raced with possibilities, and one name kept surfacing:

" Jones. Could he be the one behind the messages? ". He asked himself. 

" Highly Unlikely, but l  couldn't take any chances. " He answered himself after which he contacted a notorious contract killer,

"I want Jones Ares Phiamonte eliminated within the next 24 hrs "
He ordered the contract killer.

After clocking out at 1 pm, Layla swiftly made her way to Phil Ariato's villa, her determination to protect Jones driving her every move. She broke in undetected, her stealth skills honed from years of training.
Phil, still reeling from the mysterious messages, remained oblivious to her presence as she expertly installed cameras and voice recorders throughout the house. Her mission was to keep him under 24/7 surveillance.

As she entered his bedroom, Phil was in the shower, unaware of the danger lurking just outside. Layla quickly installed the cameras and was about to leave when she heard his phone beep.
Curiosity got the better of her, and she read the message from an unknown number:

"I received half the money; will take the rest after the job is done. You can consider Jones Ares Phiamonte already dead."

Her eyes widened in horror  "Phil hired someone to kill Jones!" She mouthed in shock.

  "You think you  can defeat me , l'm Layla ,the Queen of this game , l'm the one who has been destroying everyone in my path and l will do the same to you "

"You want to take Jones away from me ? How dare you ! , now l will show you the true meaning of hell , by the time l'm done with you , you will know what it means to be truly ruthless "  She said all this while staring at Phil's bathroom door.

Then with lightning speed, Layla raced to the company building, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios, when she arrived, She took the stairs, her feet pounding the steps in urgency.
Reaching the top floor, she sprinted towards Jones's office, her heart pounding in her chest. She burst through the door, relief washing over her as she saw Jones exiting his office.
She rushed to him, embracing him tightly as tears streamed down her face.

"My King" she said in relief

Jones, confused and concerned, tried to calm her down.

"Layla, Layla, what's wrong?" he asked, cupping her cheeks and wiping away her tears.

But before she could respond, a gun cocked, and a bullet whizzed past them, When she heard she gun cock sound again , Layla instinctively pushed Jones aside, taking the hit in her right Then with a swift kick, she disarmed the assailant and knocked him unconscious.

Unable to stand the pain of the gunshot she fell to the ground, unconscious,

Jones cradled her body in his arms, begging her to wake up.

"Layla, Layla, please wake up! Don't leave me... please wake up Princess and scold me again, shout, scream, call me names - anything but don't keep quiet! Please, my love... wake up... don't you know I love you?" His confession surprised even himself, while an unconscious Layla smiled unknowingly.

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