Chapter 10: THE DEAL

**THEY MADE THE DEAL. ONE IS UGLY AND THE OTHER IS ADORABLE**

**LAYLA || NOW**

When Layla reached the hospital with a stuffy nose and headache, Lilly was bawling her eyes out, hugging Raya.

The sight itself broke Layla's heart.

Layla hurried to her, taking Lilly into her arms. The little girl wrapped her arms around her mother's waist and cried hard.

"What happened? Is she sick?" She asked Raya, caressing Lilly's shaved head. "It's okay, baby. Mom is here. Tell me what happened?"

The little girl looked up at her with teary eyes. "Am I going to die? Will you leave me, Mommy? Will I be alone?"

Tears gathered in Layla's eyes and she hugged her daughter tightly, her heart felt like it was pierced with a knife.

"No, no, no. Who told you that? I am going to be with you and you are not going to die. Don't even say that word, Lilly. You just had a fever. That's it." Layla assured her with blind hope that everything would indeed get better.

"When will it stop? Nick told me that I am going to die."

Layla looked at Raya and her friend gave her a sympathetic look. "He is just another kid who got discharged yesterday."

Layla never hated a child till now. But after seeing Lilly like this, she can't say that for sure. This Nick needs to be taught some manners.

"Nick knows nothing. He is a kid. Raya here is your doctor. Ask her."

Raya smiled at her. "Yes, Lilly. Nick knows nothing. You are going to be so strong. Stronger than Nick."

"Will I get my hair back?" She asked her with hopeful eyes.

Both of the women nodded in unison.

"Longer than Nick?"

"Yes."

"Mamma. I want the long hair you used to have."

Layla kissed her daughter on her cheek. "You will get that, Sprinkles. We both will."

That made her smile. "Mamma, remember when my hair got stuck in my mouth? We went to a picnic that day?"

"You mean the day you stuff your hair into your mouth because you want to taste it."

Lilly giggled. "Yes. Can we go to picnic again like that?"

"Of course."

"When?"

"Soon."

"You always say that." Lilly looked out of the window, the large tree caught her attention.

"Mamma. Do you know that there is a ghost on that tree?"

And she went on for another half an hour until her body gave up and she went back to sleep in her bed.

When she woke up, she looked upset again.

"What happened?" Layla asked her, caressing her head.

Lilly used to have long red hair just like her. But they had to shave her head because of the intense chemotherapy and remembering the day when she cried for the whole day still clenched Layla's heart.

"Do you love me?" She asked her.

"Of course, I do. I love you more than anything else, Sprinkles."

"Does my dad love me?"

Layla knew it was coming. Lilly asked her about her father a few times now. But none of those questions were serious and Layla told her that he was simply not there. Her little girl never questioned again.

"He does." She lied.

"Then why is he not coming to see me?"

Layla looked away, trying hard to keep the tears at bay. They said just medication doesn't cure cancer. One has to have a strong will. Lilly has to be how she used to be. So Layla had to lie again.

"Lilly. Your father is earning for us. You see, we had to pay so many bills. So he is earning more money somewhere far away. Once you get better. .."

"There will be no hospital bills. Dad will come home." Lilly completed the sentence with enthusiasm that she had never seen before. Her blue eyes sparkled with so much false hope that it hurt Layla to see her. She nodded her head anyway, smiling.

"Then. I will get better."

"That's my girl." She hugged her little body and Lilly started to jump in her arms.

"What's his name?" She asked her.

Layla had to take a deep breath before she answered. "Leon."

It hurts to say that name out loud like every memory of him does.

"Leon. LUN...Leon?" Lilly tried to spell.

"No, L E O N, Leon."

" L I L L Y, Lilly. L A Y L A, Layla. L E O N, Leon. Hay....we are an L family."

And here she thought she was doing a great job being a single mother while her daughter secretly wished for her father. It would never happen. Her father would never return. There would be no L family. It would be just Lilly and her. And she hopes that when Lilly grows up, she will forgive her for all the lies.

While Lilly was asleep, Layla received a text from an unknown number. It simply read, 'I will be there in twenty.'

Kirill has already called this morning, telling her that his boss wants to meet her and the kid. But to see it with her own eyes, to believe that it is finally happening filled her with both relief and an odd sense of nerves. Her daughter will meet the devil today.

Two minutes. Two minutes are all it took for her to reply to an email and for Lilly to disappear from her eyes. Is it the third time or the fifth? Layla had to search the entire hospital and find her with the most unexpected person. It is like fate. But fate never played in Layla's favour.

"Lilly," Layla yelled. "This is your final warning, young lady. If you ...." Her words got stuck in her throat as she looked at the person who was standing near her daughter with the tag she made for situations like and with Lilly, they tend to happen often.

Lilly smiled at her mom. "I am sorry. I lost you."

"You always get lost, Lilly. I asked you not to leave the room. Didn't I?"

"But this big man has a lighter with him." Lilly pointed at the man before him.

Zaley is in his usual black shirt, rolled sleeves, expensive watch, and shoes. His hair is tousled into a beautiful mess. Lilly seems so tiny before him. Layla walked to them, his eyes followed her movement.

She stood before Lilly, covering her body with hers. "I am sorry if she caused any trouble."

Zaley gave her the tag and she took it. "Lilly, say hi." She told her daughter.

"Hi, big man." Lilly greeted with a mischievous glint in her eyes as if they both shared a secret.

"Forgive her if she caused any trouble." She told Zaley.

"Mamma. He has a lighter. Can I have...."

"NO." Layla and Zaley said at once.

Lilly's eyes widened before she burst into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. "You are like mamma."

Zaley but he didn't reciprocate her smile. He simply stared at her and he even looked bored.

A fit of cough takes over her. It happens often. One second, Lilly will be laughing and playing and the other second, her sickness will make her so tired that she can't even lift her finger.

Layla took her in her arms and soon she fell asleep, muttering something about the sea and monsters. The whole time, Zaley was simply staring at her.

"Did she fall asleep?" He asked her, his tone incredulous. "Just like that?"

"Um... Lilly sleeps at random places and situations. And because of her illness, she is getting tired a lot."

"You are telling me that she gets tired?"

He seemed genuinely intrigued when he asked that.

"What did she say to you?" She questioned him, gently patting Lilly's back.

"She made a deal." He told her.

"A deal?"

"Yup. Your daughter is smart enough to do that. Let's make one too."

"What deal?"

"I will help Lilly get better. I will take care of the bill. You need to get close to someone."

She didn't like that deal. Even though he didn't mention with whom she needed to get close to, she knew, Zaley was after her for only one thing. He believes that Lilly is the heir of Zaley's biggest enemy; The Mayor. For now, she nodded her head even if she had to face the man who abused her. For now, she would yes to anything. But if Zaley knows the truth, he might step back from the deal and she can't afford that.

"He raped me." The words came out as a painful whisper. "Why do you think he will get close to me."

"Leave that to me." Zaley simply told her as they both walked into the laboratory.

She clenched her fist, wishing to disappear from Zaley's unbothered presence. He knew what happened to her but he talked like there was nothing to be concerned about. He is pushing her into her nightmare when it took her many years to come back. For the first time, she truly believed the rumours about him. He is a monster.