After the video call, Mike looked at the time and said, “why don‘t we go shop? You mom said that Layla will be celebrating her classmate‘s birthday tomorrow, so let‘s go get a gift.”
Hayden didn‘t like going out at night and rejected his suggestion. “Go find Uncle Chad for that!”
“Alright! Layla will get home a little late tonight, so you can go ahead and sleep first if you get tired. Don‘t wait up,” Mike reminded. “I will be out late as well.”
“Okay.”
The next day, Layla arrived at her classmate’s home with a present accompanied by the bodyguard. As the living room was packed with children, the owner of the house invited the bodyguard to a poker game in the multi–function room.
After playing with the others for a while, Layla slowly developed the urge to relieve herself, so she headed to the bathroom.
A woman followed her inside.
Layla, who didn‘t want to be watched as she used the bathroom, said, “Auntie, I don‘t need help.”
The woman locked the door from the inside and said, “go ahead and use the bathroom first, Layla. I came in because I needed to ask you something.”
Layla was not a clueless child. She glanced at the woman who followed her in with the corner of her eyes. She did not know this person at all, so why would she claim that there was something she needed from Layla?
Layla relieved herself and swiftly pulled her pants back up.
“Don‘t be nervous, Layla. I‘m not a bad person,” the woman immediately started talking once Layla was dressed. “I am sent by Elyette.”
Layla instantly lowered her defenses at the mention of Elyette. Though she did not officially admit that Elyette was her father, he had been nice to her; at the very least, she believed that Elyette wouldn‘t hurt her.
She sighed a breath of relief and said, “you scared me, Auntie! Why did Elyette sent you here to look for me? Why didn‘t he just contact me directly? I saw him just yesterday!”
Guilt flashed by the woman‘s eyes. “It‘s more of an important matter and it‘s peculiar, so he was worried that he might scare you if he talked to you directly; that‘s why he told me to come instead.”
Layla was only beginning to let her guards down, but immediately became nervous again at the woman‘s words.
“What kind of important and peculiar business do you have to say to a kid like me?” Layla enjoyed pretending to be an adult, but she had never forgotten the fact that she was a child.” My mom is in Bridgedale, but you can call her! You can talk to my brother as well!”
In Layla‘s mind, though her brother was the same age as her, Hayden was already a mature individual.
The woman shook her head. “Your mother doesn’t know about this. It’s about a crimson colored box.”
The look on Layla‘s face instantly froze in response to the words.
‘A crimson–colored box?‘
Layla had received countless gifts on every special occasion and they were all wrapped in boxes of different colors, so Layla couldn‘t quite understand what the woman meant by ‘a crimson colored box‘.
“There‘s no rush, Layla. The crimson box I‘m talking about belongs to Elyette. Did you and your brother take a crimson–colored box from his house before?” Woman explained in details , Layla immediately remembered.
It was the crimson–colored box that she had taken from Elyette‘s study room when she went to his house.
In truth, her mother had been rather strict on educating them and stealing from someone‘s home was absolutely forbidden; however, something ticked off in her head that day when she thought of what a dirtbag Elyette was for not raising her and her brother, and making her mother angry. Hence, she took something of his on purpose as a punishment towards her.
She had been younger then and there wasn‘t much she could do to Elyette even if she wanted to, but she had never imagined that a box that she had randomly taken contained something that important.
“Do you remember it now, Layla? The box contains something really important to Elyette.” The woman noticed Layla looking away and instantly knew that there was something to it. If Layla hadn‘t seen or taken the box, she would have denied it right away.
A child her age could never hide what was truly on her mind.
Layla looked up and scanned the woman up and down.
Her brother had told her that the box contained something important to Elyette and that she was to keep it a secret. None of them had mentioned it to their mother or mike that the box was buried under a tree in their yard.
But how did Elyette realize that she was the one who took the box?
Unsettled, Layla had no clue as to what to do when there was no one else she could rely on.
“I… I don‘t know… Auntie, I want to go home.” Layla lowered her gaze and tried to exit the bathroom.
The woman stood before the door and stopped her from getting out.
“Layla, I know that you might be a little scared right now. So am I,” she lowered her voice,” but if you don‘t tell me where the box is, not only will Elyette me, he will kill the bodyguard who sent you here as well. You should have heard what kind of a man he is, right?”
Layla shook her head frantically without a moment of hesitation. “Is he going to kill me, too, if I don‘t say anything? No way! He won‘t do that!”
“He is definitely not going to kill you. You are his daughter, after all. But do you want to see the bodyguard who sent you here die?” The woman‘s voice was soft, yet filled with threats.
Layla‘s eyes reddened as she sobbed, “no… I don‘t want my bodyguard to die…”
“Layla, that box belongs to Elyette. All you need to do is to return it and nothing bad will happen,” the woman coaxed, “it was Elyette‘s to begin with, so let‘s return it to its owner, okay?
Layla‘s defenses crumbled. “I… I need to talk to my brother first…”
“Why would you need to talk to him? What would happen if he doesn‘t approve? If that happens, both me and your bodyguard would die at the hands of Elyette.” Tears scrolled down the woman‘s face as she spoke, “return the box in silence and tell your brother when he finds out. Surely he wouldn‘t blame you; he might not even notice it at all.”
Layla raised her hand to wipe away her tears as she struggled. She had never encountered a situation like this before and how could a six–year–old like her possibly made up her mind?
“Layla, is that box at your house? Let me send you back, okay?” The woman continued, “tell you bodyguard to drive the two of us back to get the box.”
Layla reluctantly nodded. “My brother would be mad if he found out.”
“Then don‘t tell him. The box belongs to Elyette, not your brother. It was wrong of you to take something that isn‘t yours to begin with.”
The woman’s words finally convinced Layla to let her guard down.
She was the one who took the box now, she had to be the one to return it; it could be a good thing to pretend that nothing had ever happened.
They drove back to Starry River Villa. The woman and the bodyguard waited in the yard while Layla went into the mansion on her own.
It was the first time she had ever felt so alone. Mike and Hayden were not at home and there were only nannies left to clean the house. Had any of them been at home, she would have rushed towards them to tell them what had happened.
Layla sighed gloomily and took out a shovel, before walking back to the woman and point at one of the trees. “It‘s under the ground.”
The woman accepted the shovel in pleasant surprise.
Hayden was the one who buried the box. Since he was still a child and could hardly measure up to the strength of an adult, he couldn‘t bury it too deep; it took the woman a short while of digging before she found the crimson box.
The woman gave Layla an overjoyed smile after getting the box. “Layla, you are such a good girl! Well then, I don‘t overstay my welcome,” she said happily, before leaving the mansion with the box.
The bodyguard watched the woman left in confusion. “Layla, what did she just dug up? Why are you giving it to her?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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