Chapter 36: Give me a chance
The next morning, as planned, Layla and Lucius departed for Norway on a private jet. The journey took just two hours. To Layla’s surprise, Lucius had arranged for them to stay in a secluded cottage.
"Lucius, this must have been expensive," Layla remarked, noticing the amused glint in his eyes. "Never mind. It’s just that... I’ve never had the chance to travel like this before." She remembered how, before her marriage, she rarely had the opportunity to go on vacations with her family. The one time she did, she swore never to repeat the experience.
"Nothing is too costly if it makes you happy," Lucius replied, gently pulling her from her thoughts. Draping his arm around her shoulders, he added, "Come on, let’s get some rest," as he led her to the bedroom upstairs.
Layla sat on the bed as Lucius mentioned he needed to make an important call and would return shortly. She slipped off her heels and slid under the duvet, grabbing her phone to pass the time. A message from her mother caught her attention:
"Are you going to ignore me forever? Just call me once."
Layla sighed, unwilling to deal with her mother, Seraphina, who always seemed to scold her for no reason. She had no desire to engage in yet another argument.
Just then, her phone rang, displaying an unknown number. Curiosity got the better of Layla, and she picked it up, bringing the phone to her ear.
"Layla!" The familiar voice on the other end made her freeze for a moment. It was Roderick.
"Please don’t hang up on me. You blocked my number, so I had to use a new one," Roderick quickly explained, sensing her hesitation.