Tangled Hearts

Chapter Twenty-Six

Zaid's POV

What is she doing here?! After all this time, she's decided to come back now? She can't be the new receptionist. I turn around to face her and tense up again when I see her standing behind my desk. She is smiling at me, just like she used to. She has that same smile, she looks exactly the same. She's pretty, I can't deny that. I can see past her smile, though.

Layla is wearing a skin-tight white blouse, which is see-through. She has paired it with tight black trousers, and she is wearing red heels which must be at least 5 inches tall. Her hair is curled and styled perfectly, and her makeup is done professionally. She looks exactly the same as she did over a year ago. Layla is pretty, but she isn't beautiful like Zara.

Speaking of Zara, where is she?

Layla is smiling at me, showing off her pearly whites. Her smile won't deceive me again. I can see past it. I fell for that smile once, but not again. I know exactly what a cunning, deceitful girl she is.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask, angrily. She has no right to walk back into my life like this, like nothing happened.

She comes over to me and hugs me, kissing both my cheeks. I tense, throwing a dirty look at her. That's when my office door opens again, revealing a very shocked-looking Zara. Shit.

'I-I'll come back later,' Zara mutters, but I stop her before she leaves.

"No. Come in," I tell her. So she does, hesitantly. Zara looks upset.

'I'm the new receptionist!' Layla says, cheerfully. I glare at her.

"No, you're not. Who took your interview and gave you the job?" I ask her. Zara looks confused.

Layla shrugs, glancing over at Zara.

'And who is this pretty young lady?' Layla asks me.

"I'm Zara. Zaid's PA," Zara answers. I don't want Zara to just think of herself as my PA. She means a hell of a lot more than that. How can I make her understand?

'I'm Layla. You might have heard of me before?' Layla asks, raising an eyebrow. Then she places her hand forward, for Zara to shake. What the hell is she doing here, though? Why is she back, so suddenly? If she thinks that she can come back to me like that, then she is in for something else. I've moved on, completely. Seeing Layla again confirms this. I don't feel anything for her now. Nothing at all.

Zara doesn't answer her. She hands me my coffee, and turns to leave my cabin. 'Zara, stay. Please,' I say, looking into her eyes. Layla frowns at me, but doesn't say anything.

"I...hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Zara asks, frowning at me.

I quickly shake my head. 'Of course not. Layla was just going.'

Layla frowns again. "Zaid, don't be like this, baby! I'm sorry! I apologised so many times, and you didn't forgive me! Now we're going to be working together, so you can at least forgive me now!"

'Layla, if you want this job, you will do as you're told. I'm your boss, nothing else. Move away from me. Now,' I order, angrily.

She looks hurt, but I won't fall for her expressions now. She's not what she may seem like from the outside. "Zaid? Have you moved on?" She asks, quietly.

I nod. 'Yes. Now go to reception, Alicia will tell you what to do. If you don't do your job properly, you're fired.'

I then turn to Zara. 'Zara, thanks for the coffee. I really need it now.'

Layla looks at me, frowning. "So, you're Zaid's PA? Zaid, I didn't know she's so pretty! Wait a second..you look familiar!" She looks like she's stuck deep in thought. I roll my eyes. She is not fit for this company, whatsoever. I can already tell that she's going to give me a hard time.