Layla's POV

“Layla!”

“Irene!” I exclaimed as I rushed past him to hug the girl behind him. “I knew you were alive!”

I intentionally left him there. I even acknowledged Andrew's presence.

"I never wanted to deceive you, Layla," Andrew pleaded. “I don't understand all of this. All I have ever wanted was to make you happy.”

His words hung in the air, a delicate plea echoing through the moonlit night. I met his gaze, uncertainty, and anger battling within me. “By ...