Ever After Awaits (Layla) novel Chapter 118

Chapter 118: Xavier POV

The kitchen is relatively quiet, save for the rhythmic scratch of my pen and the faint click–clack of my laptop keys. Early morning light filters through the various slatted kitchen windows, casting a soft golden glow and shadow pattern across the island and dining table. It’s the kind of light that should feel peaceful.

But it doesn’t. Not today.

Laid out in front of me – every page tabbed on various places, and all the pertinent clauses highlighted – is the legal documentation Layla received earlier. They’re spread across the table like evidence in a trial that hasn’t started yet, while a slow–burning fury pulses at the base of my spine as I read over them again, even though I could already recite half of it from memory.

Upstairs, Layla is with AJ. And that helps my rage, a little. I need her to have that moment of quiet. Because down here, I’m already lining up the battlefield.

Hunter’s voice breaks the silence behind me. “Think she’ll be okay?”

I don’t look up. “She’s with AJ.” I don’t need to elaborate, because we all know he’s the best person for her right now.

Cade walks in through the back door with bare feet, his hair an absolute mess from running his hand through it way too many times, cradling a mug like it’s the only thing keeping him upright right now. “So… What’s the damage, counselor?”

I tap the document lying right in front of me once with my pointer finger, right under the heading that’s been drilling a hole through my calm since about an hour ago.

“Her mother’s suing her. Technically, it’s a civil claim due to a perceived breach of intent to transfer property. In plain English? She’s trying to force Layla’s hand through litigation.”

Cade lets out a low whistle. “That’s ice fucking cold, man.”

“Worse,” I say, finally looking up at them both. “It’s calculated. The wording is vague enough to make Layla doubt herself. But structured just enough to appear legitimate. It’s psychological warfare dressed up as law.”

Hunter folds his arms and leans against the counter next to the stovetop, “What’s the play?”

I have my laptop open, and all my notes are pulled together with a solid strategy forming in my

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Chapter 118: Xavier POV

mind. My phone is angled beside me, open to a call log. “I’ve got my mentor, Selma Ortiz, on standby. She’s reviewing the documents now. She’s a civil litigator, and one of the best. She’s also drafting a preliminary injunction request till Layla gives the go–ahead. It’ll freeze any attempted transfer of the property until we sort this out properly.”

Hunter grunts, and his jaw is tight as he declares, “She’s not signing anything. Not now. Not ever.”

“No one’s asking her to,” I say quietly. “But her mother knows that. This isn’t about the house anymore. It’s about Allison’s need for control. She’s trying to rattle Layla into surrendering to her.”

Cade drags out a chair beside me and sits down, his eyes scanning the nearest pages. “Can we countersue for emotional distress? Or just…maybe slash her tires?”

I don’t laugh, but the corner of my mouth twitches, though. “Let’s try the legal route first before we decide to become felons.”

“Boring,” Cade mutters. “But fair.”

Hunter finally moves and pours coffee for everyone without asking, again. He slides my third cup of the morning toward me, and another to Cade, then asks, “What happens next?”

“We stall first,” I say, taking a tentative sip of the hot liquid gold. “Then we build our own claim. Layla has equal ownership by inheritance, which means she has the right to challenge any sale of the property. But we need to establish clear evidence that this lawsuit is a coercive tactic.”

“And you can do that?” Hunter asks, raising a skeptical brow.

“I will do that.”

Cade lifts his mug towards me in a small salute. “To our in–house future lawyer and resident overachiever.”

I allow myself a thin smile before saying, “Just doing my job.”

But that’s not really true. I’m not doing this because I have to. I’m doing this because I want to. Because I’m doing this for Layla. And no one’s happiness is more important to me than hers.

Time blurs around me as I draft motion language, toggle between tabs, and flag sections of the lawsuit to send to Selma. Cade’s no longer seated next to me because he’s pacing the kitchen floor

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…

:

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Chapter 118: Xavier POV

with a half–eaten apple in his hand. Hunter’s also not sitting down, but he is leaning against the kitchen island, busy on his phone, most likely with Cody and getting his second opinion. We’re all near, but never still. We are each moving in our own ways, but none of us leaves.

That’s how this house works. How it has always worked. We circle each other. We protect each other. We stay by one another. And now, that includes my princess, too.

Footsteps can be heard echoing from above, then the soft sound of a door opening. And then AJ’s

voice filters down the stairs. It’s low and comforting–saying something to Layla we can’t quite make

out.

I, along with the others, come to a complete standstill as she steps off the stairs and tentatively

walks towards us. Our Layla.

Her hair is still slightly damp and tucked behind her ears. She’s in a soft–looking grey sweater that

hangs off her one shoulder and a pair of shorts that hug her hips perfectly. Her shoulders are

squared back. Her eyes are tired, but clear and filled with determination. Her presence reshapes the

room the second she enters it.

She doesn’t speak right away. Just walks forward, each step steady and measured. She stops on the threshold between the kitchen island and the dining table, and then says, “I’m okay. Or at least, I’m

getting there.”

AJ walks past her to the kitchen, grabs them both a cup, and then hands her one as soon as he’s made her coffee like she likes it vanilla creamer, no sugar.

—

Cade’s next as he crosses the kitchen to her and then bumps his shoulder lightly against hers. “You scared the shit out of us, Sunshine,” he mutters. “Never do that again.”

“I’ll put it on my to–do list,” she replies, and her signature sass can faintly be heard in the depths of

her voice.

I gesture toward the table before me and say, “I talked to my mentor. She’s already drafting a formal

response.”

“Good,” she says as she starts walking towards me.

Placing her mug on an open spot between all the pages, she sits down next to me. Her delicate

fingers hover over some of the documents for a beat before she finally presses her palm against the cluttered tabletop.

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Chapter 118: Xavier POV

When she looks up, her eyes are focused and filled with resolve as she says, “Let’s fight her

properly.”

Chapter Comments

R

Visitor

7 days ago

there’s no need to repeat the exact same thing from different POV’s

♡ 6

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