Beautifully Disturbed | ✓

[47]

Laila's POV

After pacing around the room for a few minutes, trying to shake off my anxiety. I finally pick up my iPhone to call.

I click the call button and wait. James did say this is Alex's father's personal number so his assistant won't pick up, he will personally pick up.

As the call rings, my heart begins thudding against my chest so hard, I really through I was going to pass out.

"Hello?" A man said on the other line.

I take in a sharp breath because I'm panicking.

"H-hello, Mr. Romano." I greet.

"Yes? Who is this?" His voice is polite but it seems like he's in a hurry.

I couldn't form words. I almost went numb. I don't know why I'm doing this anymore.

"I'm Dr. Alexander R-Romano's w-wife." My nerves seem to come nowhere close to calming down.

The he goes quiet for a few seconds.

"Dr. Laila Khan." He doesn't ask, but states.

"Y-yes."

"How did you manage to get my number?" He asks. He's not angry, almost amused. "I'm sure Alexander doesn't have it."

"I f-found it in James' p-phone." I answer.

"Ah, yes. James did say he knew you for a long while before you met Alexander." He he does silence for a second longer, as if he's thinking. "But I suppose James doesn't know that you have my number?"

"No." I answer without hesitation. I'm not throwing poor James under the bus.

If I have anything to ask, I'm going to ask it now. "C-can I ask y-you something?"

"Yes?"

"How come nobody from his family attended the wedding?"

Alex's father laughs bitterly. "My dear, we didn't even know he was married until a few days ago. James is the one who sent us a few pictures and videos. By the way, it was a very beautiful wedding, both of you looked lovely."

"Thank you." I say.

"Our relationship with Alexander has been unstable for many, many years." He continues. "I'm sure he would most definitely will not be pleased if he finds out you're speaking to me behind his back."

"No, he won't be." I agree.

"Let me guess... you finally found out about his violent, angry outbursts?" He asks with almost pity.

No, I found out long before I married him but couldn't do anything about it.

But I stay silent, to give him the answer he's expecting.

"He was a spoiled child. Spoiled by both his mother and I because he's an only child. When things don't go his way, he can be very... erratic. It's... nothing more than that."

He's lying. He's clearly lying. I can tell instantly by the tone of his voice. He's hiding something. 

"I'm sure he was very spoiled, sir. But as someone who's in the specific field of cognitive sciences, I have the right to believe that being spoiled does not make a man behave like Alex, it's something more." I stand my ground.

"You're a smart one, dear. All of his other girlfriends believed that with no hesitation... I wonder if they're... alive..." he almost whispers the last word.

What does he mean— Don't fall for it, Laila. He's just intimidating you.

"I suggest you stop looking any further if you would like to live hassle-free. Alexander will not take this lightly, you talking to me behind his back. It will not be a pretty picture once he finds out." His voice is a grave warning.

Is he going to tell Alex? If I knew he was a snake, I would have never called.

"Don't worry, child. It won't be me who tells him. I also enjoy my peace of mind. But Alexander always finds a way to figure things out, nothing slips away from him." 

Nothing slips away from him.

That sends chills down my spine.

"I understand you have a good heart. James has told me a lot about you." Alex's father's voice softens. "I'm glad my son is married to such a wonderful woman he probably does not deserve in a million years. Alexander isn't a perfect man, probably nowhere near how you think of him."

He sighs. "I was not able to give you a wedding gift and likely will not be able to give you one now either. But I can give you advice, a warning. Stay away if you can, do not dig any further. As his father, even I do not know what his anger is capable of."

"But why?" Is all I could manage. Everyone keeps warning me off but no one tells me why.

What happened? What's wrong? Why is Alex like this?

"I wish you contacted me before marrying him. I would have told you to not to marry him, that it's not worth it. Divorce is probably not an option anymore, Alexander will not let you go unless he wants to." He goes on as if trying to find me an escape route from my marriage to his son.

I realize that everyone avoids the actual question I ask. No one has been giving me a straightforward answer.

Why is that? So just in case I get caught, they can say they didn't say anything? But what are they hiding... what is Alex hiding? Why is everyone so afraid?

Before we hang up, Alex's father lets me know that Alex's mother would have loved to talk to me but she's at home and he's out on a business trip.

"Alexander's mother loves him dearly, even though he hasn't reciprocated that feeling in years. You know how it is, he's an only child. No matter what, we will always love him." He says.

After a bit more polite comments, he needed to hang up because he has to attend to some work. We say our goodbyes and I put my phone away on the desk.

It looks like this conversation didn't decrease the amount of questions I had, but only increased it by a couple hundred.

For the rest of the day, I couldn't focus on anything. I could barely eat, let alone study or do assignments.

I try to take some food in and decide to go to bed a little early around 9:30PM. Maybe some sleep will help me clear my head.

• • •

A loud bang jolts me up. I look at the clock to find that it's 4:20AM.

My first thought was that someone broke in and I'm probably going to die. I quickly grab a the flower vase and quietly slip out of bed.

"Laila!" I hear Alex's voice roar through the hallway.

My heart drops to my stomach, my blood starts thumping so loudly in my ears that I almost couldn't hear anything anymore.

No one broke in but there's a possibility I might die today.

- - -

A/N: GUYS! I put up the playlist for this story on my Wattpad bio! The links for both YouTube and Spotify is up, please let me know how you feel! 🥰🥰🥰

Also, sorry for the short chapter! I didn't have time to write more! 😔

Please vote and comment and let me know how y'all feel!!