Layla's POV
I was woken up—again. This time, not by panic or a phone call, but by the blinding Spanish sunlight pouring through the sheer curtains. 🌤️
If there's one thing about me, it's that I love sleep. Like love-love it. But apparently, the universe had other plans for me. I groaned, rolled over, and grabbed my phone from the nightstand.
9:00 AM.
Yup, still exhausted.
I dragged myself out of bed, stumbled into the bathroom, and started my daily routine. As I brushed my teeth and splashed cold water on my face, I glanced at my phone again and—yep—regretted it immediately.
92 messages.
12 missed calls.
A group chat on the verge of digital explosion.
Kill me.
I sighed and tapped into the chat.
Lexi: "Bro. You LEFT. What happened??"
Aurora: "Girl, WHERE are you?!"
Olivia: "Stop ignoring us!! We're worried!"
I took a deep breath, typed up a quick response, and hit send.
Me: "Hey guys, something came up at home. I had to leave immediately. I'm okay, but I won't be able to text much right now. Please understand."
Within seconds, messages flooded in.
Lexi: "So like…what happened??"
Aurora: "You in trouble? TELL US."
Olivia: "Layla, seriously. Spill. Now."
I groaned again, flopping back on the bed like the world was ending.
Me: "I'm in Valencia. I can't explain right now, but I promise when the time is right, I'll tell you everything. I love you all. Take care."🤍
Their replies were quick, caring, and confused.
Lexi: "Spain?! Okay now I'm freaked."😱
Olivia: "Be safe. Please."
Aurora: "You better not ghost us again, Forbes."😡
I tossed my phone to the side. That guilt? Yeah, it was creeping in hard.
Luna had also sent an email—some updates from work. I didn't have the energy to go into full CEO mode today, so I just told her to handle it however she thought best. I trusted her.
That's when I heard the knock.
I turned to see Lily standing in the doorway, quiet, eyes a little distant. "Hey Lily, what's up?"
She didn't say anything. Just walked in and sat beside me on the bed.
"You okay?"
She shrugged. "I'm bored. I thought maybe you'd know what to do."
I smiled. "You ate breakfast?"
"Yeah, just did."
"Alright," I said, stretching. "Here's the plan. I'll eat, then talk to Dad about some stuff. After that, we're going to the beach. Grab Lara and Lev and get ready."
Her face instantly lit up—until it dimmed again. "We're gonna find Mom, right? Lara says not to worry…"
My throat tightened. "Yeah," I whispered. "We'll find her. I promise. And listen to Lara she's mostly right, even when she's annoying."
That got a giggle from Lily before she nodded and skipped off. I sat there for a moment, letting my thoughts wander. Where was Mom? Why no ransom call? No threat? No sign?
Just… gone.😔
Downstairs, I had a quick breakfast—though, honestly, I wasn't that hungry. My mind was spinning too much.
Dad was on the phone—clearly mid-international mafia-level calls—so I didn't bother him.
Instead, I called the only tech genius I knew who could hack into places even the CIA would side-eye.
Noah.
It rang once.
Twice.
"Layla?" His voice was stunned. "You—wait, is this really you?"
"Yeah. I know. Long story. You're mad. We'll talk. Later. But right now, I need your help."
He paused. "Okay… I'm listening."
"My mom's missing. Disappeared two nights ago. Dad's launched full-scale searches, made hundreds of calls. Nothing. I need you to track her phone, any hidden messages, cryptic logs, anything. You're the only one I trust."
He sucked in a breath. "Holy shit. Okay. Send me her number and last known details. I'll start now. You'll hear from me in an hour."
"Thanks, Noah."
My phone buzzed again, but I ignored it. I had a car full of hyper siblings to wrangle.
We loaded up, and I took the wheel. Lily rode shotgun, Lara and Lev argued in the back about which playlist to put on.
I settled it the only way I knew how—by blasting a throwback playlist of Starships, Timber, and Party in the USA. Don't judge me.
By the time we reached the beach, the vibes were immaculate.
The sea, the salty air, my siblings laughing and running into the waves—this moment felt like peace.
Until I heard it.
That voice.
"Layla?"
I froze.
No. Nope. No way.
I turned slowly and came face to face with Ace Alston—aka the last person I wanted to see. His eyes locked with mine, stormy and unreadable.
"You gonna explain what you're doing here?" he asked coldly. "Or are we pretending you didn't just vanish three years ago without saying a word?"
Ouch.
I stood. "Please, Ace. Not here. Not now."
He didn't budge. "You left us. Me. No goodbye. No answers. And now you show up in Valencia like nothing happened?"
I exhaled sharply. "Please don't tell the others. I'm only here for a while. My dad called… my mom's missing. Everything's a mess."
His expression softened, just slightly. "Missing? Like… seriously?"
"Yes," I said, voice cracking. "And no, I don't have answers. Not yet."
He looked torn. Angry. Concerned. "Layla, we've all missed you. Every day. You meant everything to us. Then you just ghosted."
"I had to."
"No. You chose to."
I couldn't do this. Not here. Not with my siblings watching from the shore.
"I gotta go," I mumbled, stepping back. "Please… don't tell them. Not yet."
"Fine," he said, jaw clenched. "But this conversation isn't over."
I grabbed Lara's arm. "Get Lily and Lev. We're leaving."
Lev pouted. "But we just got here—"
"Lev. Now."
One look from me and he shut up.
The ride home was tense. Lev sulked. Lily stayed quiet. Lara kept throwing glances at me like she knew something was up.
When we got back, Lev stormed off to his room.
"What's wrong with him?" Lily asked.
"Nothing," I lied.
Lara raised a brow. "Do the others know you're here?"
"No."
"Maybe you should tell them."
"I don't know if I can face them."
She sighed. "They'll understand. They always have. And I don't get why Dad hasn't reached out to the Alstons, Covingtons, or the Whites."
"He probably has his reasons."
My phone buzzed again.
Noah.
"Check the file I just sent," he said. "It's urgent."
I opened the attachment.
And my blood ran cold. 😧
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