LEILA.
1112 Words
Chapter 8: The Uninvited Guest
The mansion's foyer was a hive of activity, the soft hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses filling the air. Jimmy, dressed in a tailored black suit, his hair styled impeccably, walked into the living room with his mother, Sophia, and sister, Aisha, by his side. They had already exchanged pleasantries with the guests, who were there to sympathize with the family over the loss of Richard, their father and patriarch.
Having learnt so much about being Jin, Jimmy knew better than to remain there conversing with the guests as Jin was not such a social person. He knew how to keep business as business and how to ensure that a person never crossed boundaries with him even when it came to his fiancee Leila. He was mostly stern. A part of him she had learned to live with even if it killed her by every passing second, she wished he could be a little rigid with her and make their relationship feel more like home and less than office work. Leila had confronted him so many times about this but he just couldn't change, she decided to stick with him, since he wasn't anything like a cheat or an abuser, he was just finding it too difficult to be more open around her and less cold towards her.
As Jimmy excused himself from the guests, he made his way upstairs, his movements fluid and confident a perfect replica of Jin, they possess too much of the same traits together which made it easier for Jimmy to blend into Jin without anyone suspecting . Ryan fell into step beside him, his expression serious.
"Jin, we need to talk," Ryan said, his voice low and urgent. He could not risk calling him by his real name Jimmy, even with the lowest of volumes as the saying applies, ' the walls have ears'.
Jimmy nodded, his eyes locked onto Ryan's. "What's going on? You sound like you're about to drop a bombshell."
Ryan glanced around, ensuring they were alone, before speaking. "Helena has brought up the will for the umpteenth time, and she's pushing for a DNA test to prove the paternity of her children. The will is to be read in a month's time, and things could get complicated."
Jimmy's expression turned serious, his eyes narrowing. "That woman is like a bad rash that won't go away, No one is in to argue with her if her bastards have a father or not, the point is, she finalised her marriage with my father long ago on terms that no one of them will claim any financial right whatsoever . What's her game?"
Ryan's expression was grim. "She's after the family fortune, Jin. And she's not going to stop until she gets it." Every inch of seriousness in his voice.
Jimmy's jaw clicked, his eyes flashing with determination. "Over my dead body will I let that happen ."
Ryan's expression softened, Jimmy was more similar to Jin than he imagined, a hint of a smile formed on his lips. "That's the Jin I know. But there's something else."
Jimmy raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "What is it?"
Ryan's voice dropped to a whisper. "Leila is on her way here. She's been trying to reach you, and she's not happy. She's furious, actually." Ryan said and for the first time, he wondered if Jimmy could handle being Jin this time around.
Jimmy's eyes widened, his mind racing. "What did I do now?"
Ryan chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "You haven't been responding to her calls or messages, Jin. She's starting to think you've ghosted her."
Jimmy groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I'm so dead, have I mentioned it to you that I am not so good with women? ."
Ryan's expression turned serious once more. "You need to deal with her, Jin. You can't just ignore her forever."
Jimmy nodded, his eyes locked onto Ryan's. "I know. I'll handle it."
Just then, the door to the study burst open, and Leila stormed in, her stunning beauty taking Jimmy's breath away. Her long, blonde hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of gold, her piercing blue eyes flashing with anger. Her full lips were pursed in a pout, her porcelain skin flushed with emotion. Jimmy watched her, moving towards him and for a minute it felt like the world had come to a stop. Her hair bounced up and down as she marched towards him, never in his life had he seen someone who looked this beautiful, she looked too beautiful to be an actual human.
Ryan's expression turned apologetic, and he excused himself, leaving Jimmy to face the music, even he did not know how to deal with Leila, only Jin did. Leila was an actress, a top actress she was stubborn, fierce but sweet at the same time, only, she was impossible to tame but she was Loyal, very Loyal, Jin had tested her so many times without her knowing till date. But now was one of the times when she was fierce and impossible to tame so he was not going to have a share in this today, how about Jimmy suffers all alone.
Leila's eyes locked onto Jimmy, and her anger seemed to intensify. "Where have you been?" she demanded, her voice low and husky. It felt like Leila was indeed carved from Jin's ribs, no nonsense person .
Jimmy, playing it cool, leaned against the desk, his arms crossed. "I've been busy, Leila. What's wrong?"
Leila's eyes narrowed, her anger simmering. "You haven't been responding to my calls or messages. I've been trying to reach you for days."
Jimmy shrugged, his expression nonchalant. "I've been dealing with family stuff. You know how it is."
Leila's eyes flashed with anger, and she took a step forward. "No, I don't know how it is, Jin. Because if I did, I wouldn't be standing here, feeling like I've been blown off."
Jimmy's eyes widened, and before he could react, Leila turned to storm out of the room. In a moment of madness, Jimmy reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back.
Leila spun around, her eyes flashing with shock, and that's when Jimmy realized what he had done. He was hugging her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.
Leila's body went rigid, her eyes wide with shock. "Jin, what the...?" she stammered, her voice barely audible.
Jimmy's eyes met hers, and for a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them palpable.
Then, Leila's eyes dropped to his lips, and Jimmy felt his heart skip a beat.
JJ'S PEN
- Writer
