Chapter 16: Chapter 16

FEELINGS OF DOUBT

Rashid stood outside his balcony, scrolling through the pictures of the models who are modelling his new brand, not models though, but the one person his eyes couldn't get enough of, Leilani Gerald.

He was sure she had nothing to do with Janelle, No!!!, he didn't want to admit that the both of them shared similar features, he had almost wanted to go tell his father, the Emir about it, but he decided against it.

His father would eventually taunt him for life, he sure knows that, but....., he set aside his phone.

He paused, his brow arched, he set the thought aside, this wasn't what he was supposed to be doing.

He's got so much work to do and going through his phone, stalking a particular lady isn't among his budget, but yet, feelings of uncertainty pulled at the pit of his stomach.

He had an oil company to run, a modelling house, a fashion agency, and partially an estate to oversee, since he already has someone putting everything in place for him, he wouldn't need to bother so much on the estate, lastly, he still needed to catch up with whosoever had been stealing from him, someone close, someone within.

His mind went back to the discussion he had with his chief bodyguard, Dargok. It wasn't exactly a discussion but rather an argument, they had been going back and forth on it, about the sudden resemblance between Leilani Gerald and Janelle Par..... No, Janelle Zadir.

He still couldn't bear the thought of calling her by her father's name, there was a marriage, a legal marriage and a certificate binding them as couples, until death do them apart. The last thought that came to his mind was about Janelle AKA Leilani Gerald with another man. He didn't even bother thinking about that. He was damn sure it would put him on the edge.

Formally they are still legally bind together, still his legal wife, and there was nothing, definitely nothing one can do about that, but..... he still had to make sure the both are the same, he wouldn't have another man beholding his wife in such a lustful manner, like he's doing.

He still found it somewhat unbelievable that the same Leilani Gerald is the same person that had travelled out from Qatar few days after Janelle left the palace. It was all fishy, and somewhat a mystery to him.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't know when his phone rang, until the fourth time his phone rang, that he received the call.

It was from Dargok.

"Yes!", Rashid answered, his voice filled with impatience, he damn wanted to go back to what he was doing, he had no time for any incessant talks that would add no meaning to his life.

PAUSE!!!...

"What was you doing?", his subconscious bellowed. "All you have been doing is to stare at a picture, is that going to add more meaning to your life?", his subconscious snapped.

Deep silence, different thoughts were whirling through his mind. He would better get hold of his sanity, before, the little one he still has with him would be taken away.

"Your father ordered for you to be on your way to the palace right now", Dargok informed, with a slightly different voice.

"Did anything happen?", Rashid asked in a calm tone, once it came to his father, he knew better than to raise his voice at him.

"Must anything happen before you come see your father?", Emir Abdul thundered from the other end of the phone. Rashid had to take the phone some inches away from his ear for a while.

He wondered how his father was able to speak with him, until he pressed the ON button of his phone, It was a group call.

He made a mental note to confront Dargok later as to why he didn't pre-inform him about his father joining the duo in the call.

"You shouldn't delay me, be here on time", Emir Abdul warned, with an ending tone of finality before disconnecting the call.

Once his father had disconnected the call, Rashid immediately called Dargok via his personal line. He knew his father wouldn't just call him to come back home if there wasn't a problem or celebration, or maybe business deal, but, as of now, his father had acted so rushed, he was sure that he didn't take a breathe until he had finished talking.

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Janelle was just walking into the fashion house when she heard someone yelling her name, she continued walking, sighing withing herself, for such nuisance, this Friday morning.

She would be off work tomorrow, she was happy about that, it's been a week since she called her twins and yeah, her cousin Renee, but it wasn't entirely her fault, mostly when she's back from work, all she did was to slump herself on the couch, just to find out the following morning that she couldn't manage herself to the bed, moreso, she didn't take her night bath.

The new work she's doing, she admitted to her subconscious that it was really exhausting, yet, she didn't even want to take an option of quitting, the pay was more than nice, it wasn't even generous. It was mouth watering.

She had better plans for her twins, Hayden and Hayley.

Until a gentle tap on her shoulder, did she come back to reality.

"I've been calling you from outside the premises, I don't know if you heard me, or you were intentionally snubbing me", Delilah whined, her partner and a very good friend of hers in the modelling agency.

"Ohhh, I'm so sorry. You saw me when I came in?", Janelle questioned.

"No, I saw you when the cab driver stopped and you came out of the car. I came out to purchase a lipgloss from the store opposite the coffee shop, and that was when I saw you", Delilah explained, tucking the strand of hair which were loose around Janelle's hair to the back of her ear.

Truth be told, Delilah had been calling Janelle her signature name, Leilani, Janelle had almost forgotten her signature name, until she was suddenly reminded by her subconscious about her change of name and she heard the familiar voice. Just when she was about to turn, Delilah tapped her squarely on her shoulder.

"Lipgloss?, what would you be using it to do this early morning, like it's too early, or do you have an eye on some very hoooooooooot guy hereeeee", Janelle drawled the hot, and grinned mischievously.

Delilah's face flushed, "Of course not, you know I'm not into guys.... ooooppss, you really didn't know right?, I just let out my huge secret", She replied with her both hands over her mouth.

"I should better stay clear away from you, before you rape me someday", Janelle teased.

"Yeah, you should better do that, just to remind you, you can never run away from me, you are all for me, and no one, definitely no one can stop that, so.... you have no place to hide baby girl", Delilah guffawed with an almost serious tone.

The last statement of Delilah made Janelle cringe in total awareness, those words.... words of Possession, dominance, it was almost like though Delilah was trapped in Rashid. She could remember those words, how he had claimed her ruefully with his possessive words.

She remembered that night, the night he had said the same words Delilah just said, it was the same night before they took off for Qatar.

Rashid had been enraged after her mother had defiantly rejected him from marrying her, of course she didn't know all the while that he is a Muslim, until the day he had come for official introduction pertaining to her marrying him.

Her father was a bit on the edge about them getting married, he didn't even have a say, once my mother had given a negative response, he joined in her say, she knew that if they had agreed about their getting married, the problem between her and Rashid would not have escalated, but no, Rashid wouldn't even hear of that, yet, he told her parents that she wouldn't have to change religion because of him, that she could get to serve in whatever way and to whomever, he wasn't in her way.

"That's all what they say, until the young lady finally says, "I DO", and you would see them showing their real beast, ordering the bride around on what to do and what not to do", that was Janelle's mother response, even after so much plea from her, her parents didn't give in. She threatened them about running away with him, they weren't even bothered about it.

"Prodigal daughter, that's what I would call you, when you start running back to us", Her father had stared into her eyes and told her that, Janelle was dumbfounded, moreso heartbroken, her father had never said something to hurt her, he wouldn't even hurt a fly, if it was her mother that said it, she wouldn't be left speechless. She knew the capabilities of her mother, but.....

"Wait.... Lani?, Don't tell me you're thinking about what I told you right now?, Ohhh no, please don't. You are my friend, and I really love you as a friend should, but... I wouldn't see you as any other persona other than a friend..... I have a wife though, and we are very faithful to each other", Delilah laughed.

"Seriously, whoaaa, you must have achieved a lot then..., why don't you tell me more", Janelle smoothed.

"It should be for later, but for now....., you got to see the surprise waiting for you in there...., I should have said that", Delilah cautioned herself from saying further.

"Surprise?", Janelle blurted.

"Of course yes, a very big surprise....., just wait until you get in", Delilah rushed her words as she left Janelle behind and scurried inside the building immediately, like she was being chased by a predator.

Janelle stopped to go through what Janelle told her, "Surprise?", she kept murmuring to herself. Her heart kept thumping loudly in her chest... she hated surprises, they made her so anxious, and she didn't want to be anxious.

Silently she prayed and hoped it wasn't what she was thinking. It wasn't time yet, it isn't the damn time.

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