The Broken Tale

Paranoid

        With the urging of Chanel, Brian and of course little Alaya, Layla got out of her comfort zone a little. Though they were trapped in the house for the coming months, the mansion had quite a lot of entertainment. The basement was more of an indoor pub, there was a dance floor with a bar and amplifiers for music. Upstairs, the attic was a home theater system.
        But Chanel explained that if they played music, they should set the house under sound lockdown so no one would hear them. She also explained that the movies and films were all recorded ones that she would bring to them herself because TV signals could be traced back to them. They were also not allowed to call anyone from their phones. She gave them special phones that would not be traced back to them.
"It's one of my secret products." Chanel said with a wink.
She said that all the numbers they needed, her own, Cameron's just for safety and Talya's special number that Chanel had given her earlier were in the phones.
        Alexander left early, not wanting to leave Talya alone for too long. Layla had not gotten out of her breakdown earlier, she was still shaking and keeping to herself entirely while Chanel showed them around the house again, with Alaya singing and dancing around them the entire time.
        The time went by slowly. Chanel switched on one of Layla's favorite movie in the theater, she made some popcorn and gave it to them with some some orange juice. Alaya sat by Layla's side, rubbing her big belly silently and watching the movie with them but Chanel and Cameron spent the entire time in the kitchen or living room on the phone. Layla could hear snippets of their conversations when she would go to the bathroom but she could not understand anything. They were either speaking different languages sometimes and when they were speaking English, it was all about business, meetings and employees.
       Once the movie was over, the sun had already set. Layla stepped out of the theater, completely unaware and oblivious to everything that had happened in the entire three hour movie. Brian had left the movie thirty or so minutes beforehand and so had Alaya, leaving Layla alone to stare at at the screen unknowingly while her mind...
...went blank...
Nothing came.
And nothing went.
She didn't even remember blinking for the entire time.
         Downstairs, a scent of delicacy ran through the air from the kitchen. Brian was in the kitchen, whistling to himself as he always did when he would cook. Chanel had changed out of her tight dress and heels into a violet silk nightgown. Layla had seen it folded on a shelf in the closet from earlier. It was very short.
Almost too short, Layla thought.
It had a low cut neckline embellished with lace. It was completed with a silk robe of a slightly darker shade of violet that Chanel had left open. Her hair was left down and unstyled, her make up was wiped off and her diamond jewelry was off and away.
          She was pacing back and forth in the living room, still on her phone. Her eyebrows furrowed and her forehead wrinkled as she spoke demandingly yet still softly on the phone with baby Crystal wiggling around in her arms.
         Cameron had not changed out of his clothes. He was sitting on the sofa, his phone glued to his ear like his wife with Alaya stretched out and laying on his lap, watching videos on another phone.
         Both husband and wife looked indulged. Cameron looked more stressed but Chanel looked frustrated and focused. They seemed to be too stressed so Layla decided not to disturb them.
        She quietly walked off to the kitchen.
"Is it over?" Brian asked when he saw her come in.
Layla nodded with a sigh as she sat down. Brian set down three big bowls of salads down on the table.
"So. How was it?"
"Okay." Layla answered shortly, tracing the margin of the glass with her finger.
"How did it end?"
Layla shrugged, "I wasn't really paying much attention to be honest."
Brian frowned and let out a sigh. He set some steak down with a bottle of apple juice. He kissed the top of her head and mumbled something but Layla couldn't catch what it was.
       Before she could ask him what it was he said, Chanel came into the room. Crystal whining in her arms. She sighed and walked over to a cabinet on the left corner of the kitchen. She pulled out a bottle of vodka and quickly poured it into a glass for herself, not stopping until it almost overflowed.
"Woah, that's plenty." Brian commented lightly.
Chanel drank down half of the glass in one gulp. She seemed to be very annoyed at something, stress lined her face.
"It's not plenty enough." She replied, drinking down the rest, "Sorry. I had to take those calls."
"It's okay." Layla said in almost a whisper.
But Chanel heard her and flashed her a quick smile.
"You were saying something about arrest." Brian started, "Is there anything new?"
Chanel sighed and poured herself another glassful of the vodka.
"Yes."
"Is it okay if you tell us?"
She sipped the alcohol and nodded.
"Omar Elmar and Jamila And Tariq Tamin are in Los Angeles."
"They're here?" Layla shouted in shock.
"Yes. They may have come here to discuss you to Ali. Anyway, it doesn't matter. We're working to get them into custody."
"What good would they be?" Brian asked.
"From what you tell me, they have knowledge of that night. They can be arrested and threatened with a sentence for attempted murder for information."
"But they don't know anything." Layla protested.
"They know what happened that night. They can be witnesses of Ali's domestic violence against you."
"Is that it?" Brian asked.
"Nope. We're also working to get Raina Deminos and Noah Minore into custody. We want to get confessions out of them without being detected at least for now."
"And Tony?"
"We're working on it. I can't just barge in and handcuff him. I need to find a way to arrest him either behind closed doors or to find some kind of excuse in the orignal case against you to arrest him." Chanel explained, drinking yet another glass down as if it was water, "I'm looking for some kind of wormhole in the case. Well, my team and I are. Maybe if we can get Tony into custody for some other excuse in the original case and once we get something out of him, we can use that to take the first step to turning the case on its head."
"And this isn't the way to think it through, babe." Cameron cut in, snatching the glass of vodka away from her.
        He set the glass down in the center of the table and carefully took Crystal from Chanel. He sat down into a chair by Brian's side. Alaya ran into the kitchen, Chanel picked her up and set her down onto her lap, pecking a kiss on her cheek.
"You're so annoying, Cam." Chanel said to Cameron, "I have a banging headache and I can't focus. A few glasses won't hurt anyone."
"Except you."
"Just give me that!"
He snatched the bottles of vodka away before she could reach for them.
"Mommy, can we go to Paris?" Alaya asked.
Chanel looked down at her with confusion.
"Paris?"
Alaya nodded with a yawn.
"Lucie told me he's having a concert there in two days."
Chanel sighed, "We'll see, my darling."
"Eat up before it gets any colder." Brian said, changing the subject.
"How much longer do you think it may take?" Layla asked nervously.
"The investigation may take around another few months." Chanel answered.
"Let's not forget the trial that'll ensue." Cameron added.
Brian sighed in despair, "So at least another year?"
Chanel nodded sadly.
"Maybe a bit less but yeah, generally speaking it'll be around that long."
"Look at it like this, Layla. Just another year at most will reward you both and your baby a whole lifetime of freedom." Cameron said optimistically.
Layla gave a small, polite smile.
"I hope so."
       Chanel and Cameron put Alaya to bed in another room. Layla and Brian were talking downstairs in the kitchen so they decided not to disturb them. Instead they retreated to one of the bedrooms, closest to Alaya's. Cameron jogged j to the room first. He set the pillows on the bed in a circle and very carefully set Crystal down in between them, careful to not wake her. Chanel followed him inside, tossing her phones on a sofa nearby.
"Everyday it feels like life is challenging itself to see how exhausted I can be without dying." She said exhaustedly.
"What was that all about?" Cameron asked in a whisper to not wake the baby.
"What was?"
"Don't play dumb, amore, you know it doesn't work on me. I mean the drinking. Why did you do that? What's wrong?"
Chanel sighed and sat down on the bed. She knew it was useless to try to lie to him, he could read her like no one else could.
"I'm having trouble keeping this case under wraps." She confessed, "Luna's already getting suspicious. If it comes out, I don't know what'll happen to Layla but it ain't going to be good. Not to mention all the trouble I'll be in myself."
"Why? Is there a mole?"
"No. But Luna noticed I suddenly got involved in the case despite no one telling me about it. Now she's set up a few bastards to keep an eye on what I'm doing."
"Can she even do that? You're second command afterall."
"What do you think is stopping her? I'm the deputy director but she's the director herself."
"She's not an empress, she's required to abide by the law just as much as anyone else. If not more."
Chanel exhaled, "She is but just in theory. She's supposed to but if there's nobody to enforce the law on her then what can stop her?"
Cameron wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brushed his lips against her neck, sending sways of pleasure down her spine.
"I know I do it a lot but I won't ask you to drop this case." He said against her neck, "Neither Layla nor Brian deserve this. For once I'm glad you're taking on a more risks. I don't know much about the FBI but all I can tell you is to stay strong and be patient."
Chanel rubbed his arm, tilting her head to give his lips more access.
"Good. I don't think I would've forgiven you so easily if you did." She answered.
"Are you gonna tell them?"
She shook her head without hesitation, "No. Not yet at least."
"How come?"
"I thought of telling Brian over dinner but honestly, what's the point? It'll only scare them more and it's not like they can do anything about it either way. For now, I just need them to be safely out of sight and Layla's baby to be born safely. Stress won't do either one of those much good."
"I guess you're right."
      Cameron's hands explored her body just as quickly as his lips devoured her neck and shoulders. He undid the light silk robe but before he could even touch her she got up, leaving him to look up at her rather annoyed. But she just looked at him with crossed arms, a grin on her face.
"You don't deserve fun, Mister Valdez." She said.
Cameron smirked in amusement. He stood up and stepped towards her so close that only inches separated them.
"Why's that?" He asked.
"Why would I waste my time with a man who can't satisfy me?"
He raised an eyebrow, his amused wide eyed stare seemed to only help her grin grow.
   He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in, enclosing the distance between them.
"Don't forget who was making you scream in the car earlier this morning, Mrs.Valdez." He said, "I think it's you who can't satisfy me."
"Challenge accepted."
Chanel pushed him on the bed almost instantaneously, knowing he had his guard down. While he tried to wrap his head around what had happened so suddenly, Chanel took off her silk robe, tossing it down on the floor. She climbed on top of him slowly as to not wake the baby asleep on the other side of the bed.
"We'll about that, Cameron Valdez."
        She claimed his lips before he could say much more. Though she had started it, Cameron immediately started fighting her for dominance of the kiss. But Chanel did not back down, she put all her weight on him, trapping him between her legs knowing that he couldn't bounce her up because of the baby on the bed. She slipped her hands underneath his shirt, feeling and massaging his perfectly sculpted abs as his hands squezzed her behind.
Desire.
Unbearable desire for him, Chanel felt as if there was not enough time for her to be with him.
       Her lips slowly traveled down his neck to his shoulder and chest, leaving violet evidence of her love on him. Though he had tried to keep quiet to not wake the baby, Cameron couldn't stop himself. He let a few soft moans escape his lips.
"I love it when you moan." Chanel whispered.
"Oh really?"
"You should've known that by now."
        At he moment, it was like it was only them who existed in the world. It was only their passion that mattered. They heard nothing but their own moans until the door was slammed against the wall. They barely had time to break their lips from one another before Layla was standing by the bed.
       One look at Layla's face was enough to tell anyone that something was wrong. Her face was pale, her eyes wide in fear and her hands shaking with panic. Her voice seemed to have been snatched away, she wanted to say something but the words were trapped and her mouth would hang in the air. Chanel slowly sat up, still on top of Cameron with his hands still on her but neither one of them really noticed.
"Layla? Is something wrong?" Chanel asked in concern.
Layla stared on, her lower lip trembling as the words stuck in her throat.
"Is everything okay? Layla, take deepbreath and tell me what's wrong." Chanel repeated more calmly this time.
"I-I-I...s-s-someone i-i-is at the d-d-door." Layla stammered, "It's-its probably th-them! They're h-here, w-w-we're gonna b-be attested!"
Chanel wasted not but a moment. She quickly hopped off of the bed and ran out of the room, snatching up her silk jacket and throwing it on as she sped down the stairs with Brian and Layla behind her. Brian was waiting behind the door but he too seemed terrified. Relief washed over his face when he saw her.
"You didn't go out, did you?" Chanel asked in a whisper.
He shook his head, "Neither one of us did."
"Good."
Chanel tied the robe around herself and stepped outside.
        She genuinely did not know what to expect. It was almost midnight, who could be ringing the doorbell to an isolated mansion in the top of mountains?
        A tall man who looked around his thirties was waiting. He was wearing a grey hoodie with the hood over his head but Chanel could see scrubs of his unkept brown curls. But one thing about him was confusing.
He was unfamiliar.
Chanel did not remember ever seeing him anywhere else. She had never met him nor known him. The rain was pouring all around them, only adding to the mysterious situation.
"Can I help you?" Chanel asked politely.
"Yes, um my car broke down around here. Can I use your phone?"
"Don't you have your own, sir? There's perfectly fine signal here." Chanel answered suspiciously raising an eyebrow.
"I didn't think I'd need it so I left it at home." He replied, "I know it's late, Ma'am, but it's really soaking out here. I'd just like to use your phone to call my mate to pick me up."
Chanel eyed the man suspiciously. Normally, she would not hesitate to help someone but there was just something... very fishy about him.
      But either way she had no real reason to fear him. He seemed harmless, his hands were hanging down and she could see no gun.
"Who's at the door, amore?"
Cameron came up behind her. Shirtless with messy hair, he added to the image of a regular couple interrupted in intimacy, nothing suspicious about them.
"Who's this?" Cameron asked, eyeing the man.
"He needs a phone, his car broke down." Chanel answered.
"Alright."
Cameron pulled his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it and handed it to the man.
"There you go." He said, wrapping his arm around Chanel's waist.
The man gave them an awkward smile and walked off a few away from them and began dialing.
"There's something fishy about him." Chanel whispered to him.
"The quicker he leaves, the better."
"Is Layla okay?"
"She's fine. Just a little scared but Brian's taking care of her."
She sighed, "Good."
       The man gave them no reason to fear him but the feeling of suspicion still hung in there. Chanel eyed him from head to toe time and time again. With each glance suspicion grew in her along with no reason to fear him. He sp key quietly so neither one of them could hear what he was saying.
       But he returned with a smile of gratitude and handed the phone back to Cameron.
"I seriously don't know how to thank you." He said.
"Will your friend pick you up?" Chanel asked.
He nodded, "Yeah, he said he'll be here in a few."
"Alright then. Good luck with that." Cameron said.
"Good night." Chanel added, quickly going inside impatiently.
        Layla was standing in a corner, sweat running down her face and still trembling even with Brian's arms around her. She looked up immediately when she saw Chanel, running to her without a second thought.
"Wh-Who was it?" She asked shakily.
"Don't worry, Layla, the man just wanted to call his friend since his car broke down." Chanel replied tiredly, "It's fine. Don't worry too much about everything."
Layla looked at her with disbelief, still in what others may have called paranoia but Chanel considered reasonable doubt.
"Don't worry, Layla." Chanel reassured with a smile, "Don't you remember why I brought you here? Because even if something did happen or someone did come, you'll be more than safe here even if I wasn't here."
"You head that, babe? I told you so." Brian added lightly.
"Alright he's gone." Cameron said, joining them in the living room.
Layla quickly looked away, preferring to keep her eyes on the floor than Cameron who was shirtless.
"Mommy, mommy!" Alaya shouted, rushing down the stairs to them.
Chanel's business phone was in her hand, vibrating and ringing.
"Who is it, honey?" Chanel asked, taking the phone from her.
"I don't know him."
She looked down at the caller ID. Frozen for a moment of what seemed to have been discomfort before she let out a sigh and answered the call.
"Yes?"
She chewed on her lower lip as she listened.
"Now?" She asked, her forehead creasing in a frown, "Fine. I'll be there in an hour."
Layla's face went pale at thae last sentence. She had to go?
Now?
Why?
Could it be about her case?
     Caught up in her own ever growing panic, she had not noticed that Chanel had hung up.
"Layla, I'm so sorry." She said apologetically, "I have to be present at a meeting like right now."
"M-Meeting?"
"You didn't talk about a meeting earlier today." Brian said.
"Yes, it's an emergency meeting. It's last minute, even I thought it'd be in two months."
"Y-You can't go yet!" Layla shrieked.
"Calm down, Laili." Brian whispered, rubbing her shoulders tenderly.
"I'm so sorry, Layla, I know this wasn't what I promised but this is really urgent. If I could skip it, I would."
"Are we going somewhere, Mommy?" Alaya asked, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"Yes, Honey." She turned her gaze on Cameron, "Is Jack in LA?"
"No, he's in Las Vegas."
"Good. You can take the kids to Jack's for tonight and leave them there tomorrow."
"No, it's fine. I'll just take them to the Arenay penthouse and call Jane to be there tomorrow before I go to work."
"Okay, fine."
Alaya clung onto her father's legs. Cameron knelt down and picked her up as the child yawned, resting her head on her father's shoulder.
       Chanel sighed, fidgeting with her hands to relieve some stress. Suddenly her dotting attention on Layla disappeared. She seemed to not notice her her still trembling and ran outside, not even taking so much as an umbrella or a jacket in the rain. Cameron too also forgot them, instead focusing his attention on texting someone on his phone with his free hand. Chanel came back a few seconds later, soaked in the rain with a bag in her hand.
"Cameron, can you please get Alaya into her coat?" She asked, already starting for the stairs, "Brian, can you come with me? I need to talk to you."
Cameron nodded though she didn't seem him. Brian glanced over at Layla nervously before he hesitatingly followed her upstairs. Layla, too anxious to stay alone, ran after them.
         Crystal was well awake and crying in the room. Chanel was rocking her in her arms while running in and out of the bathroom when Layla and Brian stepped in.
"Panic is setting in, Chanel?" Brian asked.
"No, Brian." Chanel said, opening the bag and pulling out a small clear bag bulging with make up, "Ten years of something will get you used to it even if that thing is emergency meetings at three a.m."
"Don't your employees have night offs? Or are night shifts mandatory?"
"It's not a company meeting, Brian, if it was I'd be well aware beforehand."
"Is it an FBI one?"
She didn't answer.
"A CIA one?"
Still nothing.
"Oh please quiet down, baby girl." Chanel said to the baby.
The baby gave her mother a break and quieted down at least for a while. Chanel seized her chance and set her down on the bed, taking the black bag and running to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
"Chanel, do you need help?" Layla asked.
"No, no, it's okay." She answered from behind the door.
"Why'd she call us here?" Brian asked in a whisper.
       The door flung open and Chanel ran out. But now her steps clicked against the floor. The nightgown was gone. In its place, Chanel was wearing a gorgeous mermaid gown. Clinging to her body so tightly, it looked like it would burst. It had long, loose sleeves that reached down to her wrist on one arm and nothing but revealing spaghetti straps that exposed her shoulder and back on the other arm. A V shaped neckline plunged down her cleavage but the dress reached down below her ankle.
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting." She said, picking up the clear bag and going over to the dressing table, "This meeting is really important. It only happens annually so I didn't think it'd be anytime soon. I could be busy for the next two days maybe longer."
"I thought you had one meetin get."
"I do, Brian, but it's going to be a long one. I won't et anything except hourly breaks so I won't be able to go home either." Chanel answered as she started doing her make up, "So in the meantime, I'll need Layla to take it very easy. We don't want anything to happen to the baby when I'm unavailable to help."
"What if we need something?" Layla asked.
Chanel picked up her eyeshadow not pallet, "I've made sure you have enough of everything to last you here at least another month without me. I'm sure you won't need anything for two days at most."
"Won't you be flying back in a week?" Layla asked, "How will you sort out everything for us if you're gonna be gone for two whole days?"
"Tight schedules are part of my life. Don't worrry, Layla, it's my job to take care of the case and your job to take care of yourself."
      Quickly and swiftly, Chanel had her eyes enhanced with quick swipes of perfect eyeliner and strategically chosen eyeshadow. She very quickly did the rest of her make up, finishing off with light peach lipstick. She fetched a black box from the bag. She opened it so casually and quickly that it made the diamond jewelry in it seem like child's play. She put on the small dangling earrings and the big droplet styled necklace. With a little perfume, she was glowing and stunning.
"No time for hair." She hissed as she looked down at her phone, "Layla, will it be okay if I leave the bag and make up here?"
"Y-Yes of course."
Chanel fished out a small white purse from the bag, "Thank you. I don't have anything important in there, just some money, another dress and undergarments and all that. I'll take them the next time I come."
She stuffed a perfume, lipstick and a bottle of mascara in the purse and picked up the baby.
"I'll make sure to call you as soon as I'm out." Chanel said hurriedly, "Just relax and try to enjoy your time. You'll miss the days you were pregnant once the baby's born. Trust me."
"We'll try." Brian replied.
"Hard to enjoy anything at the moment to be honest." Layla murmured.
"Don't say that, Layla." Chanel said, running down the stairs with the baby gurgling in her arms and Brian and Layla following her, "The secret to being happy is to enjoy every moment like it's your last. You never mow of it could get worse or better."
Downstairs, Cameron was talking on the phone. Layla no longer had to look away for he was now back in his black turtleneck sweater and coat. Alaya was dressed warmly in her pink coat and asleep in her father's arms.
"I'll go over the plans when we get back." He was saying, "I'm in LA right now. You can send me the plans now but I still want to go over them myself in person. Alright. Altight, I'll talk to you later."
He hung up. He handed Chanel Crystal's tiny coat.
"One more thing." Chanel said as she slipped the baby's arms into the coat, "It'd be better if you didn't call me until I'm free. It's safer for you."
"I thought the phones weren't traceable."
"They aren't but where I'm doing, even I'm never sure of anything so I don't want to take risks." Chanel answered, "I'll see you both soon. Please just try to follow my advice and I'll handle everything else myself. It'll all be okay, I promise you that."
Layla nodded with a discontent sigh. Chanel gave her a quick but reassuring pat on the shoulders with a smile before she left.
       Chanel put the entire house under lockdown, she spent a good deal of time typing down on keypads for the security system outside under an umbrella in the pouring rain.
      Chanel put the children in the backseat of the black SUV. She gave Cameron a quick kiss before she got into the white sports car.
     As Layla watched them both drive down the rocky mountins, leaving them essentially stranded up there in a house, defenseless, helpless and alone. She felt something crack inside her.
Now they were the playthings in someone else's hands.