~LAYLA~
"Ma’am, you’ve zoned out again," Helena said, nudging my arm as we sat in a Chicago café the next morning, coffee steaming between us.
I blinked, the threatening text still burning in my mind, but I managed to force a smile. "Sorry, just thinking about the eting."
I took a sip of my latte, feeling its warm bitterness bring back to reality. The café was cosy and bustling with people in the morning rush, all grabbing their coffee before heading to work.
"You ready for the eting?" I asked, pushing the anxiety down.
"Born ready," Helena said, grinning. "Henry’s got the numbers down. He’s an arsehole of a brother, but..." She paused, seeming to struggle with the admission. "I know for a fact that he’s good at his work."
"Is that admiration I hear?" I teased, raising an eyebrow.
"Not exactly," she said, but I saw through the pretence. A small smile tugged at her lips despite her best efforts to hide it.
"It’s okay to admit he’s good at sothing, Helena. Doesn’t an you have to forgive everything else."
"I know. It’s just complicated." She stirred her coffee absently. "But enough about that. You’ll need to charm them ma’am. The distributors are skeptical about new brands, especially ones with our recent publicity."
"I’ll sell it. Eclipse is different from anything they’ve seen."
"You sound like the boss," she teased.
"I am the boss. Well, co-boss."
"True. And you’re going to kill it."
—
It was finally ti for the eting with the distributor, and it felt like trudging through thick mud. Their team sat on the other side of the conference table, and I could see their skeptical expressions as they picked apart our presentation with sharp questions.
"Your margins are tight," one executive said, a stern-looking woman with steel-grey hair and sharper eyes. "How do we justify shelf space over established brands that have proven track records?"
I leaned forward, keeping my voice confident. "We’re not just another brand. Eclipse Beauty’s story—resilience, authenticity, and sustainability—resonates with modern consurs in a way traditional beauty brands can’t match. Our pre-orders hit 160,000 without any retail presence. Imagine what we could do with your reach."
"Your brand’s embroiled in scandal," another executive interjected with a pointed tone. "Arrest allegations, family drama all over social dia. We need guarantees that this won’t affect our reputation."
"The allegations are false, and we have evidence proving it," I said firmly. "The truth is coming out, and when it does, Eclipse Beauty will be stronger for it. Consurs appreciate transparency and brands that fight through adversity."
Henry jumped in smoothly. "We’re also prepared to offer exclusive first-mover advantages. Your chain would be the first major retailer carrying Eclipse Beauty in the Midwest. That’s a significant marketing angle."
They nodded, but it was clear they weren’t ready to commit to anything. Their faces didn’t reveal much. When the eting wrapped up, there was no clear decision, just a promise to have a follow-up call the next day.
—
That evening, when I got back to the hotel, I sank into one of the cosy lounge chairs, feeling completely worn out. A few minutes later, Henry ca over with two glasses of whisky.
"They’re playing hardball," he said, handing a glass and dropping into the chair beside mine.
"They’ll co around," I replied, taking a sip. The burn felt good. "We just need to tweak the margins slightly and show them the long-term value."
"Maybe. I’ll run so numbers tonight and see what we can offer without killing our profits." He paused, studying . "How are you holding up with all this Cassandra drama?"
"Barely. Her bail’s a problem, but Axel’s handling it from his end."
"And that text you got? The threatening one?"
I’d shown it to both him and Helena on the plane. "Probably just Cassandra trying to rattle . She’s good at that."
Henry nodded, then fell silent for a mont. "Speaking of drama, can I ask you sothing?"
"Sure."
"How do I fix things with Helena? Really fix them, not just throw money at the problem?"
I turned to look at him properly. "You’re asking for familial advice? Considering my relationship with my family."
"You seem to have your shit together, despite everything. And Helena trusts you. So yeah, I’m asking."
I considered my words carefully. "She’s scared you’ll disappear again, Henry. Scared that this is just a phase, and once you get bored or busy, you’ll vanish like you did before."
"I won’t."
"Then show her. Not with gifts or apartnts or grand gestures. Show her consistency. Spend ti with Ryan and Jason, I an, real ti, not just weekend visits when it’s convenient. Be the brother they missed, not their bank account."
Henry sighed, swirling his drink. "I’ve been going about it all wrong, haven’t I?"
"You’ve been trying. That counts for sothing. You just need to adjust your approach."
"You’re right." He nodded slowly. "Thanks, Layla. Really."
"Anyti." I smiled. "Family’s ssy. But you keep showing up, and eventually, they see you an it."
"You sound like you’ve been through this before."
"I’m going through it now. Different circumstances, sa principle."
My phone rang, cutting through the mont. Axel’s na flashed on the screen, and I felt my chest tighten with relief.
"Hey," I said, stepping away from Henry for privacy. "Missing already?" I teased, moving toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Chicago skyline.
"Every second," Axel replied, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "How’d the eting go?"
"Inconclusive, but I think we’re close. They’re skeptical because of the Cassandra situation, but we made a good case. How’s the city?"
"Cold and rainy. The eting’s tomorrow morning."
"Knock ’em dead."
"That’s the plan. What about you? Any more threatening texts?"
"No, thank God. Maybe it was just a one-ti thing."
"Or they’re waiting for their mont." His voice turned serious. "I don’t like you being there without , Layla."
"I have Henry and Helena with . And security is tight at the hotel."
"I know. But still..."
"I’ll be fine, Axel. We’ll wrap this up tomorrow, and I’ll be ho before you know it."
"Promise you’ll be careful."
"I promise. Now go get so sleep. You have a big day tomorrow."
"You too, Mrs O’Brien."
"Goodnight, Mr O’Brien."
I hung up the phone with a smile, even though I couldn’t shake the worry in my mind. Just hearing his voice made everything feel a little easier to handle.
When I turned back to the lounge, I saw Helena hurrying toward . She looked pale and was gripping her phone tightly.
"Mrs Layla, check the news," she said urgently. "Cassandra’s team just leaked a new video. They’re claiming you bribed the police to arrest her."
My stomach dropped. "What?"
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