Between love and betrayal

Harmonic voices

Layla had survived her first day of work at the company's branch office, despite Margot and the murmurs of the crowd. So she and Brianna decided to celebrate with a dinner outing.

At the end of the day, Layla came home and started getting little Milka ready. Brianna had reserved a place for the three of them at a well-known restaurant in town.

—Where are we going, Mummy? —asked little Milka.

Layla leaned over to her and explained that they were going out to eat with Aunt Brianna that evening.

Milka was happy, she liked going out, she wanted to get to know the place where she would be living for a while, but inside she missed her sister Jasmin.

After eight o'clock in the evening, Layla finished getting Milka ready and started with her.

She was gleaming, like a princess straight out of a fairy tale. She wore a dark, short-waisted, sequined dress and adorned her feet with high black booties.

Brianna had sent Layla the address, so it was her turn to arrive alone with Milka, so they had arrived first, while Brianna was out working.

—Mommy, Mommy, I want to go to the bathroom,— Milka said a little anxiously.

Layla looked at her, and looked up at her surroundings to find out where the toilets were. When she saw them, she took Milka by the hand and got up from her seat, however, Milka, with her great sense of maturity, asked Layla to let her go alone, after all, "she was a big girl".

Layla agreed to the trip; it wouldn't be the first time Milka had gone to the toilets alone.

As Milka walked, Layla watched him, but the waiter approached her and she lost sight of him.

Milka was concentrating on the path, but her gaze became confused and she became enraptured by a dessert on one of the tables. Her face turned back, and her feet continued forward, so that Milka, not paying attention to the front, collided with a person.

The blow was absurdly hard, and Milka fell backwards onto the floor.

—Oh, baby, are you all right? Are you hurt? —He knew how hard little Milka had hit.

The light in the restaurant was vague, and there was little to see at the moment. He could only notice her white dress and princess hairdo, along with her little pink shoes.

—I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to hit you,— Milka mumbled as she quickly got up from the floor.

Bradley could see from a distance that her parents had brought her up properly and with good manners. So he got up and helped the girl to her feet, and shook the shirt off her back.

Bradley smiled and looked at her with intrigue. there was something about her that seemed familiar, pleasant at first glance.

Milka looked up, a very tall man with a youthful face. As she looked at him more closely, she noticed a strange, shiny gold watch on his wrist. She knew he was a rich man, she could tell just by looking at him.

Instantly, a grandiose idea sprang into Milka's little mind. She thought at once of her tired mother, and of the arrangement to get her a new husband.

Her childishness had omitted what that might mean in the future, and she saw only a man of great stature and money, the perfect man for her mother after all.

—Sir, you can talk to my mummy. I got my clothes dirty and I don't want her to scold me,— Milka mentioned in her idea of a plan to get them together.

Bradley heard this and was somewhat intrigued. It didn't seem at all congruent with what the girl was asking for. It was stupid, like a mother sending her daughter out to pick up girls.

It seemed like a desperate and pathetic act. So he immediately refused Milka's invitation. She looked at him, and looked down in disappointment. She guessed things would be more difficult than she had imagined.

—What's your name, little girl? How old are you? —Bradey asked with great interest.

He firmly believed that this girl had been manipulated by her mother to get something by pushing against him.

—Oh, my name is Milka Delfigalo. I'm five years old,— said Milka, as she held out her open hand.

As soon as Bradley heard her last name, he automatically remembered his former wife. His mind was invaded by his past. However, he came to his senses and tried to ignore her, maybe it was just a coincidence. But why was he thinking about Layla lately?

—And you, sir, what is your name? —Milka asked again.

Bradley smiled, she was a very smart girl and it seemed right to introduce himself to her. She had some kind of strange connection with little milka.

So Bradley reached into his pocket and pulled out an ID card from his company.

Milka raised her little arms and received the card. She had an unrelenting memory, and as she read the name Bradley Simons, she remembered what the woman at the airport had told her, the owner of that huge building in the city that had enchanted her.

Bradley looked at Milka, she was polite, she had taken that card in a different way than any other little boy would have. He thought little Milka couldn't read, so with soft words he repeated her name to make her understand.

—Is this your number? —asked Milka.

Bradley couldn't help but laugh, he was stunned, the little girl was so cute, he nodded in response and was stunned when Milka hinted that she would call him sometime.

They both extended their hands and greeted each other politely, as if they were best friends, then Milka said goodbye to Bradley and ran off to the bathroom.

Bradley looked away from little Milka when he saw her disappear into the walls of the toilet, and smiled. It was a rather strange moment for him; he had never met a girl as unusual as Milka.

As Milka entered the toilet he noticed a tall, slender figure coming out of one of the cubicles. She stared at it carefully, it looked very familiar and she raised her eyebrows.

It was indeed Francin, coming out of the bathroom, and he noticed Bradley's eyes, no longer empty and indifferent as before.

—What's wrong,— Francin asked.

When he saw her, he ignored her, got up from the table and spoke to a waiter for a table in the upper part of the restaurant. The waiter kindly guided him and Francin to the high tables.

—Well, Bradley, I know you've been busy lately. Are you tired? —Francin asked again, feeling ignored.

Bradley was tired. How could he not be? He used to travel all the time, and that was really stressful for him.

—I've been travelling a lot, I know. Work is a bit hectic these days. And you, what have you been up to,— Bradley hinted.

Francin was stunned, it was strange, Bradley didn't usually ask him about his day. Francin felt loved and important in the life of her "ideal man".

—I'm fine. My week in Milan was great. I met a lot of famous people,— Francin added.

Bradley nodded and fell silent. The conversation died at that moment, and thereafter silence abounded.

Immediately, Francin felt that her happiness had waned. Bradley was no longer as interested as she had thought he had been just a few minutes before. He was cold, silent, had no idea what he was doing with her.

At the table on the other side of the restaurant was Layla, and towards her Milka walked again.

—Daughter, what happened, what took you so long,— Layla asked, a little worried.

Milka smiled a little and explained that she was just waiting for her turn to go in. Layla heard her and fixed her shirt a bit and placed it on a seat next to her.

When Layla looked up towards the entrance, she saw Brianna enter the restaurant, looking tired and dejected.

—Oh, gee, Brianna. If you're tired, we can come another day,— Layla said.

Briana declined the invitation and reminded her that they were there to celebrate their first day of work. So she immediately settled into a chair and opened the menu.

—Tell me, how was your first day at work,— said Brianna.

—The work environment is a little tense, but I think I'll survive,— Layla added.

Brianna knew the branch staff well, so she reminded Layla to keep her eyes open and avoid distractions. There were a lot of skilled people at work, and it was easy to fool them.

—Don't worry, my friend, I know exactly who to deal with,— Layla replied with a smile.

—You can trust me, and tell me if you have any problems in the company. I know who to talk to and help you if you do,— said Brianna in a faint voice.

Layla and Brianna called the waiter and mentioned their order. As they waited, they began to talk about personal things.

The restaurant wasn't full that night, so the food arrived soon enough. Milka received the first course, a children's specialty, Chips, with roast chicken and ribs to taste.

While Layla and Briana enjoyed a more western meal. As the minutes passed and Milka finished eating, a yawn came out of her mouth unexpectedly.

She was a little late, sleepy, perhaps. Layla then decided it was time to leave, and called the waiter. At first Brianna wanted to pay the whole bill, but Layla felt a bit embarrassed, Brianna had already done so much for her, so she felt that as a matter of ethics she should pay the whole bill.

The two were ready to leave, and Layla didn't have a moment to turn around and look at anyone from the restaurant, she just walked out with Milka and Brianna, and went home.

When Milka went into her room, she immediately pulled out the business card the man from the restaurant had given her.

Milka quickly grabbed the corded phone next to the bed and dialed the number. It was all a game to her, but she didn't know that things were escalating.

—Daughter, what are you doing? —said Layla as she suddenly entered little Milka's room.

She let out a playful giggle and dropped the phone to hide under the bed covers.

Layla couldn't help but laugh at little Milka's antics, so she just looked at her and sat on the edge of the bed.

—Milka, child, you have to sleep. I told you not to play with the phone. Get some rest, okay? —Layla said.

She turned off the light and closed the bedroom door to go to her room.

Milka heard her mother's bedroom door close, picked up the phone again, and dialed Bradley's number.

Bradley answered Milka's call and was glad that it was a girl who had decided to call him. For a moment he thought his mother had sent him.

However, Layla could hear voices coming from Milka's room, so she got up immediately. Milka heard her mother's pssos, dropped the phone and went back under the covers.

When Layla opened the door, she asked her if she was asleep and, hearing no answer and seeing nothing strange, went back to bed, but this time she left the doors open.

Milka sighed and ran to the phone.

—What's that voice? —Bradley asked.

Milka explained that it was his mother and that she wasn't allowed to use the phone.

Bradley couldn't hear her, he could only think about that voice. He was stunned, and scared, that soft, passive voice sounded exactly like his ex-wife's, and it was killing him.

No one but Bradley himself knew exactly what was going on in his heart. No one had any idea that for years he had been an empty, lifeless body, working only morning, noon and night.

Yet when he heard that soft voice, his heart began to race. As if his soul was re-entering his body.

In his thoughts only the image of that evening appeared, when he came home and Layla was not there. She had disappeared from one moment to the next.

He never heard from her again, even though he fought against everything to find her. He knew what he had done wrong, he knew his mistakes and the way he used to mistreat and ignore her. He was truly sorry for everything he had done to push her away.

He only remembered walking into the room and finding that divorce agreement on the bedside table, next to the wedding ring Layla sei had taken off her finger.

At first Bradley thought she was coming back, and that it was all a whim she was keeping up because of her father's problems.

But as the days passed, he realised that things were happening. She was really gone.

For the first few years, she worried about Layla, believing that those affected by her father's debt would persecute her or, worse, harm her. However, he soon learned that the debt had long since been paid off.

Bradley didn't understand, nothing made sense, or at least he couldn't accept it yet.

When he heard that voice, he actually smiled to know her. Layla's voice was unique, and soft, there was no doubt about it. However he wanted to confirm it before entering a strange environment.

—Little girl, Milka, what is your mother's name? —Bradley asked with a small sigh.

He felt dread in his gut, to hear an expected answer.

What if he was mistaken, what if he was losing his mind?

—My mother's name is Layla Delfigalo. She's very pretty, although she gives me a lot of presents,— Milka mentioned.

When Milka mentioned that name, it overcame all of Bradley's thoughts. He couldn't believe it. He was talking to Layla's daughter, his ex-wife.

—Milka, so your mommy doesn't scold you for picking up the phone, don't tell her you talked to me, okay? —

Bradley was thrilled with what was happening, however, he feared Layla would find out, she might run away again, and he wouldn't stand for it.

—I'm not going to say anything to Mum. I'm going to sleep,— said Milka between gasps.

They both said goodbye and hung up. Bradley was stunned, he didn't know what to imagine now. It's Milka, Layla's daughter. He would never have imagined meeting that little girl in the restaurant.

That explained why there was something familiar about Milka that he still wasn't sure about.