The Broken Tale

New Home

Though the exterior of the mansion was far from luxurious of Chanel's other mansions Layla had seen online but the inside of the mansion was gorgeous and cozy. It had couches, chairs, pillows, silk curtains and inch long fur rugs in every room.
But most importantly, it was guarded by highly advanced security systems. Chanel had to click on different keypads and unlock different laser and holographic security systems so they could enter. Now Layla understood why Chanel had chosen this mansion for them and it made them feel a little safer.
Alaya skipped by her mother's side hand in hand as Chanel showed them around the mansion.
"I'm sure you'll be safe here." Chanel said as she showed them around the kitchen, "But I can imagine you'll be a little...uncomfortable since you can't leave when you'd like all the time."
"W-We what?" Layla asked in complete shock.
Chanel turned around with what seemed to have been an apologetic face.
"Yes, Layla, the device can hide your face just for a few hours so it's not very safe to go outside." She explained in Kurdish, presumably because her daughter was there with them, "You never know who will see you on the streets and call the cops on you. What will I be able to do for you then?"
"So we're basically gonna be under lockdown here?" Brian asked.
He probably did not understand what Chanel had explained because she was speaking in Kurdish but the pale look on Layla's face told anyone willing to listen all they needed to know.
"Depends on how you look at it, Brian." Chanel answered calmly, "It can either be lockdown or tricking the legal system out of its own strategy. You choose how you look at it. You told me to help you and I'm doing all I can to ensure your safety while I work on your case."
"What about when she gives birth? How are we supposed to manage for months in one house?"
Chanel sighed sympathetically, "Let's hope I can fix everything in that time."
"We both know that's unlikely."
"I know. But it's not impossible. Who knows? Either way, if things aren't fixed by then, I'll find something for you when she gives birth."
Layla did not say anything but Chanel surely noticed her eyes yet again glittering in tears. She sighed and patted Layla's shoulders.
"I know it must be very hard for you, Laili. But remember, nothing worth having comes easily." Chanel said softly, "If what you want is hard to get then it must be worth it."
Layla nodded her head with narrowed lips, just wanting to get everything over with rather than to talk about it.
"I'm sorry it has to be like this, Layla. I wish I could make this easier for you but there's only so much I can do."
"It's fine, Chanel. You're doing all you can." Layla sniffed back, "I get it."
The little girl cut into their conversation and took Layla in her tiny arms.
"Why are you sad?" Alaya asked.
Layla forced a small laugh.
"I'm not sad, darling. I'm just a little tired."
"Do you want to play?" She took Layla's hand and pulled her to the living room, "I learned this game from Rosie."
Layla sat down on one of the red sofas, Alaya sat by her side.
"Look so you hold your hands out like this."
The child was just as vivacious and gleaming with energy like her mother and Layla soon found that her father too was like that. Cameron Valdez was laughing or smiling every time Layla's eyes landed on him, he spoke just as vivaciously and as frequently as his wife.
Chanel showed Brian around the mansion, explaining how to operate some of the more expensive devices and interior security systems in the rooms while Alexander and Cameron got to work in the kitchen. The delicious smell of kimchi soup and fish told Layla that the men were cooking. All the while chatting away at whatever conversation seemed to have interested them so much.
Once she was finally done, Chanel joined Layla and Alaya in the living room while Brian went to the kitchen. It was then that Layla realized that the two old women had left, the baby had been asleep between some pillows on the sofa. Chanel picked the baby, now fully awake and gurgling at her mother, up in her arms. She sat down next to Layla with the baby in her arms.
"Look who's awake, baby girl." Chanel said, tossing her baby into the air.
The baby laughed every time her mother tossed her into the air. Chanel kept her baby tightly in one arm and taking off her big rose red coat and matching boots.
The baby looked like a spitting image of her father. The same peach skin tone, light chocolate hair and big green eyes.
"She's beautiful." Layla commented.
"Thank you."
"What's her name?"
"Crystal but we call her Kiki." Alaya replied.
"That's so cute."
"Have you thought of a name for your baby?" Chanel asked.
Layla shook her head, "We don't even know the gender."
"How come?"
She shrugged, "I chickened out each time I wanted to find out so here we are."
Chanel giggled.
"It'll be a surprise of a lifetime then, huh?"
"You can call it that, I guess."
"Brian's been talking about waiting for a daughter so I kind of assumed the baby was a girl."
Layla laughed, "He's been doing that ever since I told him I was pregnant."
"Cameron was obsessed with having another daughter when I was pregnant with Crystal too."
"I hope it won't be too disappointing if the baby turns out to be a boy."
"I don't think it'll be disappointing." Chanel replied, "Brian doesn't seem sexist. I'd probably be shooting him in the head if he was though."
Alaya slipped under her mother's arm, bopping her sister's nose.
"Do you go to school, Alaya?" Layla asked.
"Yep. But daddy said we can spend the holiday here."
"Who's hungry, ladies?" Cameron asked, joining them.
Alaya jumped into her father's arms the second he stepped close to them. She climbed him and sat on his shoulder.
"Me!"
"If there's kimchi then I'm down." Chanel answered, getting up.
"I hope you like kimchi, Layla." Cameron said with a smile.
"I've never had it before."
"Well then let's hope I'll impress."
Layla chuckled a little.
Chanel already started for the kitchen, too distracted with singing to the baby to remember anyone else was there. Cameron too started to walk to the kitchen but Alaya grabbed onto his hair and pulled him back.
"Daddy! Where are your manners?" She shouted jokingly as she pouted, "How can you just leave Laili? That's disrespectful!"
Cameron chuckled a little and gave an awkward glance at Layla.
He slowly approached her and offered his hand out for her.
"Will you join us please, Layla?" He asked, trying to fight back laughter.
Layla got to her feet and awkwardly put her hand in his very lightly, just enough to satisfy Alaya's desire for elegant and royalty role play that most girls her age liked.
"Am I clear, Princess?" Cameron asked as he held Layla's hand just barely and lead her towards the kitchen.
Alaya smiled with crossed arms, "We'll see if you can pass Mommy's birthday."
Cameron froze at the kitchen door.
Brian was leaning against the entrance frame with crossed arms, glaring at them with furrowed brows. Cameron's hand quickly dropped. He cleared his throat awkwardly as Chanel joined them. The tension radiating off of Brian along with his raging hostile jealousy made it difficult for Layla to keep her eyes locked in his. The awkward, tenacious silence lasted a few seconds before Chanel gestured for Cameron to just come into the kitchen and not say anything.
"The little girl asked him to." Layla muttered, "He and I were both uncomfortable but he didn't want to disappoint the kid."
Brian paused for a moment but he quickly sighed and wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing her temple.
"It's fine. Men just get jealous every now and then. Not that that's an excuse for being an ass though. I'm sorry."
"You didn't even do anything, Brian."
"Anyway. Let's go, the kimchi is amazing. You have to try it."
Alaya sat in mother's lap while Cameron had the baby playing over his shoulder at the table. Chanel fed Alaya while she spoke to Brian and Layla but Alexander barely took part in any conversation for he was too busy texting on his phone. Alaya was engulfed in conversation with her father in a different language that sounded Hispanic.
"Don't you think it'd be safer if we left the country?" Brian asked.
"Brian, that'll get you arrested even if all the evidence in the world proves you innocent of everything else." Chanel answered, feeding Alaya some fish sticks, "Plus I won't be able to get you out of the country without getting caught either."
"So let's say if everything lasts over a year. Will we have to be locked up in here for a year?" Layla inquired as she took a sip of her water.
"Sadly yes. But of course you can go out for a walk around the house every now and then but overall you're restricted to a small radius around here until you can go out safely. Both from society and the legal system."
"No offense, Chanel, but how is this different from prison?" Alexander asked.
"Staying here won't cause a stain on your criminal record and it won't attract the media, Alex."
Alaya tugged at Chanel's hair. Chanel looked down as the girl whispered something to her in the same Hispanic language. Chanel nodded and handed her a glass of orange juice.
"I know this is hard for you all." Chanel continued, "But believe me if I knew there was any other way to this, I would. But this is the only way. I promise I'll try to keep you as safe and comfortable as I can and I'll try to get everything done for you as soon as I can. But I'll need you go stay strong and just try to forget everything's that's going on for now."
Layla sighed, "There's just one thing that worries me."
"Which is?"
"What will we do once I need to give birth?"
Chanel exhaled, "I can bring special FBI doctors to help you here."
"How? Won't we be caught?"
"I have my ways. Don't worry about that, I'll sort it out. Just take care of yourself until then, alright? It'll help if you and your baby are healthy and no complications occur."
Layla nodded obediently.
"Are you gonna have a baby?" Alaya asked.
Layla giggled, "Yep."
"Oh my god! It'll be so awful when you'll have to talk to the baby later."
Layla raised an eyebrow, "Talk...?"
"I told her that we had to talk to the baby to come out when I was in labor." Chanel explained in Kurdish, "I can't tell her the truth yet, can I? She's only ten."
"Y-Yeah. Let's hope the baby will listen to us, huh?" Layla said nervously to Alaya.
"Will you be going back to Austrailia next week?" Alexander asked.
"I will be with the kids but Cameron's gotta be in Amsterdam." Chanel answered, "I have some business to handle back home for two weeks or something. Then I'll be going to Seoul for a week and hopefully I'll be able to be back here within three weeks or so."
"Alissa will be in Seoul by then as well." Cameron said to Chanel.
"Yeah, Jack told me. She's making her comeback stage there, right?"
"Mhm."
"Can we go, Mommy?"
Layla sighed and watched as the family quibbled over Alaya skipping school to attend the concert with her mother but Chanel insisted that she herself would be too busy to attend anyway and she could not skip school.
"Anyway." Chanel said, ending the conversation, "I think we should get going. Give these lovebirds some time to settle in, hm?"
Cameron picked Alaya up and handed the baby to Chanel as they both got to their feet.
"Everything should be here for you. Food's in the fridge and I got some clothes ready in the materbedroom for you both. Soap, shampoo and razors are in the bathroom. Just look around, everything should be here. I'll be locking down the security system. You'll only be able to get out in absolute detected emergencies. I already told Brian how to use the devices for emergencies but feel free to call me if you need anything." Chanel said.
It suddenly dawned on her. She would be locked up in that house for probably months! They would not be able to get out even if they wanted to since neither one of them knew how to use the security systems. No one to protect them if anything happened. It all became to overwhealming for her, the sudden realization of everything and of her incarcerated life almost completely crushed her.
She bolted to her feet, knocking behind her chair as she did. Even Chanel was shocked.
"You can't leave!" Layla yelled hysterically, "I-I-I-I c-c-can't do this."
Everyone stared with their confused eyes stretched wider than any of them had ever see of each other.
Layla shook her head quickly, "Don't leave please, I can't do this."
Layla's legs gave away underneath her. Brian quickly jumped out of his chair and helped Layla sit in his seat. She broke down, unable to stay strong anymore nor to hide the clenching pain in her chest. Alaya was the most shocked. She stared at Layla, clenching her father's collar while her mind raced about what to do. But Chanel did not need time to think of what to do.
She slowly knelt down by Layla's feet, holding her hands in her own warm but callous palms.
"It's okay, Layla, let it all out." She said softly.
"C-c-can you p-please...just for one day...s-stay?" Layla muttered between sobs, "J-Just for t-tonight?"
Chanel glanced over at Cameron who simply shrugged.
"Fine by me." He replied indifferently.
Chanel turned her gaze on her daughter, "Alaya, tesoro, starai bene se restiamo qui stanotte? Andremo tutti a casa domani, lo prometto. Solo per stanotte."
"Ovviamente!" Alaya replied without hesitation, "Why would I mind?"
Chanel smiled back at Layla and patted her back. She got to her feet and helped Layla stand up.
"Let's get you into some warm clothes so you can get some rest." Chanel said optimistically.
Chanel lost all of her socialite status. She helped Layla walk to the materbedroom.
The bedroom was big and beautiful. The bed was a huge brown king sized bed with gold silk sheets that matched the golden carpets and curtains. A TV hanging down from the wall sat across the bed. Two doors were on either side of the TV, one was open and Layla could see it lead to a private bathroom but the other was shut.
Chanel helped Layla sit on the bed. Brian knelt by her feet while Chanel opened the other door, revealing it to a closet completed with what seemed to be feminine clothes on one side and masculine clothes on the other. She went inside and came out with a big, oversized blue silk dress. Chanel herself knelt down and began to untie the laces on Layla's boots.
"No, Chanel, please don't!"
"It's okay, I can do it." Brian said, trying to take the laces from Chanel.
But Chanel shoved his hands away, "It's fine."
Much to Layla's embarrassment, Chanel took her shoes off and set them by the nightstand.
"Do you want me to help you change?" Chanel asked.
"No, no. I can do it."
Chanel still had her purse with her. Her phone began ringing in her purse, playing a Spanish song as her ringtone Layla had heard at her party before. Chanel pulled the phone out of her purse and looked down at the screen.
"I'm sorry, I have to take this." She said with a sigh.
"No, it's fine."
Chanel gave her a quick smile and stepped out of the room, already answering the call in yet another language that did not sound Hispanic this time.
"Are you okay?" Brian asked, sitting by her side.
Layla sighed and shook her head.
"What's considered okay at this point?" She replied.
Brian sighed, "Things are improving."
"Would it be weird if I said I can't really tell the difference between improving and collapsing at this point?"
"That breakdown...what was that?"
"I don't know anything anymore, Brian. I don't know where we are, who we're with, what we're doing and why we're doing it anymore. I don't even know who the fuck I am!"
Brian only watched helplessly as she fell into another breakdown.
"Wh-What has my baby Don's to deserve this? Why does this have to happen to me? Happen to us?"
"La-"
"Shut up! You don't know anything!" She screamed, "You don't know what it's like to be beaten 'till you bleed everyday for your entire life! You don't know what it's like to wake up to fear and hopelessness everyday! You don't know what it's like to be alone! You don't know what it's like to hate every breath you take!"
"But I do."
Layla's mouth hung in the air.