His Kryptonite

Chapter 29

Michael's POV

I stride up to my office on the second floor, only to find Laila hunched up on the couch, her sobs echoing through the room.

I let out an exasperated sigh, my patience wearing thin with all this damn drama. "Fucking hell! How much longer is this gonna drag on, Laila?"

She wipes her tear-stained face and mutters, "Just leave me alone."

The pain etched on her face mirrors the torment I've witnessed for the past two weeks. I've tried every damn thing to bring back her happiness, but it slips away as quickly as it comes. I've resorted to showering her with gifts and gestures, just to see her fucking smile. But this woman, she's making it goddamn hard on me.

"This is getting fucking ridiculous," I mutter, sinking into my black chair, though I know that provoking her further won't get me what I want.

She lifts herself from the couch and heads toward the door.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" I demand.

"Downstairs. I don't need to hear your opinion right now."

I pin her with a piercing stare. "Fix your damn face first."

"Why? Everyone knows I'm fucking unhappy! There's nothing to hide!"

I'm taken aback, surprised to hear Laila swear for the first time. It sounds strange, out of place, as if such foul language shouldn't escape her perfect mouth, further confirming that she's not herself.

"You're ungrateful, that's what you fucking are," I mutter.

"What did you say?" she replies, squinting her eyes as if challenging me to repeat it.

I meet her gaze head-on and repeat, "Ungrateful."

"Am I not fucking here, doing everything you ask of me, Michael?" she yells, arms raised in frustration.

"Hey, lower your fucking tone and cut out the swearing."

"Answer my question. Am I or am I not? I'm being ungrateful because I can't help but cry about giving up everything important to me to be with you? So, you want me to fake my happiness too? Well, I can't. I'll never be able to do that."

I scoff. "I'm giving you everything you could possibly need, and that's not enough. I'm putting everything on the line for you. You're doing this to yourself, Laila. You're just enjoying being fucking unreasonable and causing yourself harm."

"No." She looks at me with a fierceness I've never witnessed before. "You're the one causing me harm. My papà means everything to me, and you took that away. The firm was my workplace, and now I can't even set foot in there. Ashley was a friend I genuinely cared about from college, but I had to cut ties with her because you intruded into my life. Four Roses may seem like a shithole to you, but it was my favorite place in the world because it was where I could truly be myself. And home... home was my safe haven with my family, the people I love and who loved me back. You single-handedly removed all my anchors from my life. So excuse me if I'm completely turned upside down, Michael."

She turns around and storms out of the office, slamming the door behind her. I could chase after her and demand the respect I deserve, but I find myself rooted to the spot. I wish, with every fiber of my being, that I didn't give a damn about her feelings or anything she just said, but that would be a lie. This isn't what I wanted for her, and the fact that it gets under my skin fucking irritates me.

In a fit of rage, I sweep everything off my desk, sending them crashing to the floor with one swift motion of my hands. "Fuck!" I scream. I feel too damn much, and I hate it. I despise the hold she has over me. I hate that I care so goddamn much.

Moments later, I hear a knock on the door, and from the camera feed, I see that it's Gianna. I don't feel like talking to anyone, but perhaps she has something to tell me about Laila, so I press the button under my desk to unlock the door.

She opens the door, her eyes widening as she takes in the shattered objects strewn across the floor. "Wow," Gianna says. "I can see you're doing just as well as Laila."

"Where is she?" I ask, my tone low and menacing.

"She's trying to put on a brave face downstairs, but failing miserably."

I run my hand through my hair. "Sick of this shit. This damn woman is ungrateful. She doesn't realize everything I've risked for her."

Gianna strides over to the chair in front of my desk, carefully avoiding the shattered glass, though some crack under her hot pink high heels.

She sits down, giving me a look that screams she's about to deliver some brutal honesty, whether I like it or not. "I don't know what the hell you expected, Michael. Laila wasn't raised like us. You were the one who reminded me of that," she says, crossing her arms and settling back into the chair.

"You know, when I got married, I didn't give a damn about never seeing Papà or any one of you for that matter," she says, a smirk teasing her lips. "But Laila's different. She's attached to her family. And you know that, Michael. You can't expect her to just be okay with this and put on a poker face."

I know Gianna's speaking the truth. Deep down, I always knew Laila was a different breed, and yet, that's the very reason I pursued her relentlessly, still needing her to be mine like a greedy bastard.

I lean back in my chair, spreading my legs wider, my left arm resting on the armrest as I press my temple where a headache is starting to form. "There's nothing I can do."

Gianna recoils, surprise etched on her face. "Since when? You're the fucking boss!"

"Francisco is just as obsessed with her as I am. He won't budge on this," I admit.

Gianna looks at me, baffled. "And what about your persuasion and negotiating skills? You became the boss for a reason, not just because you're Papà's son. With all due respect, Mike, get out of your damn feelings and mend things with her family. It can't be that fucking hard."

I furrow my brow, because Gianna is pushing the boundaries of disrespect, but maybe that's exactly what I need right now. So I meet her gaze, making it clear that I'm listening.

"Listen, Laila loves you," she shrugs. "She's crazy about you. Plain and simple. And even if she's struggling right now, this girl won't leave you even if she could. All she wants is to have a relationship with her family. If you want your Laila back, that's all you can offer. And if you're truly my brother, you always get whatever the hell you want, Mike."

I ponder the fact that Gianna seems so certain of Laila's love for me. How the hell does she know that? But if it's true, then maybe I can put aside my ego and do that much for her.