THE WEDDING DINNER
The week passed quickly, and Laylah and Liam finally tied the knot. The dinner followed immediately. They had a lot to prepare throughout the week, as the Mayor wanted it to be a wedding that would leave people talking. It was one of those extravagant weddings that had everyone talking.
Liam was reluctant, but he had to accept what his mother and uncle wanted. Fortunately, it managed to divert attention from the rumors, no one was discussing the fire incident or the scandal with his ex.
The hall was filled with numerous distinguished guests who graced their wedding dinner, and even they couldn't stop talking about how beautiful everything turned out. It was one of the most luxurious weddings most of them had attended.
The wealthy could literally obtain anything they desired, especially his uncle, the Mayor of Los Angeles. The couple wore bright smiles as they exchanged pleasantries with guests, alongside Lydia's twins who were clinging to Laylah ever since she was introduced to them.
They were in the midst of their greetings when the Mayor approached them. Before he could speak, Laylah spoke up and pulled him into a hug.
"Uncle, I haven't seen you for the past twenty minutes. Where have you been?" She released the hug.
"I was busy with some of my friends. If you don't mind, allow me to introduce you to them. Liam, I will take her for a few minutes." Liam nodded in approval. However, the twins held her back.
"Father, don't keep her with you for too long." Erica said, with her brother Philip quickly echoing her sentiment.
"Yes, father." Laylah giggled at their behavior. Despite being twenty-one, they still acted like teenagers.
"Alright, she will be back as soon as we are done." The Mayor responded and took her hand, leading her to where he had left his friends.
They walked to where two distinguished men were seated, and the Mayor pulled out a chair for her. Laylah froze at the sight of them, she recognized them instantly.
"Ms Laylah, meet my friends. I'm sure you must have seen them on the news." Laylah was still stunned, she couldn't believe she was seated with renowned politicians.
"Yes, I know them. I have seen them countless times on television. I never thought I would meet them in person. It's an honor to have you at my wedding." She was overjoyed. The men couldn't stop smiling at her reaction.
"Come on, Mrs. Liam, you are family now, so you will see us at the family house." Salvador said.
Laylah looked at the Mayor, and he nodded to reassure her. She would definitely see them since they visited him mostly on weekends.
"I'm jealous Liam gets to marry someone as beautiful as you. I hope my son finds a bride soon, I can't wait to be a grandpa." The other man, Gilbert, said, eliciting laughter from everyone.
"Mr. Gilbert, you know your son can always find a bride. Don't tell me you wish my daughter-in-law were your son's bride?" The Mayor teased subtly.
"Okay, you caught me there. I must admit, Liam found himself a beautiful bride."
"Your son will find a bride soon, so don't worry." Salvador reassured him, patting his friend's shoulders.
"What's so funny? I have been hearing laughter." Rose interjected, diverting everyone's attention. Laylah stood up and hugged her.
"Mrs. Rose, it's a pleasure to meet you. I was just about to ask about you." Salvador said.
"Thank you. I'm glad you all came, it means a lot to me and my family." She responded sincerely.
She's familiar with them since they work alongside her husband when he was the Mayor before he passed away.
"Don't mention it. Before we forget, we have a gift for Mrs. Liam." Gilbert said.
"A gift for me?" Laylah asked, astonished, staring at them, eye's wide open.
"Yes. Please, let's go outside." They all stood up and followed until they reached the parking lot. There they met someone standing beside a small, decorated room.
"Please, go ahead and open it." Salvador instructed the figure standing next to the gift. He proceeded to open it, and mouth gasped open.
"Oh my goodness! Ferrari 250 GTO For me?" Laylah was taken aback. This was a dream come true for her, a car she had always admired from a distance, now in her name.
"It's yours, you can have the key." Laylah accepted the keys, went to the car, and hugged it. She returned and hugged each one of them, a small tear rolling down her cheek.
"Come on, sweetheart, you will ruin your makeup. You deserve everything you have received." Rose cheered her up.
Laylah nodded and ran back to check out the car.
"Rose, we will head back inside, you can stay with her, but please return soon; there are still guests she needs to meet." The Mayor said as they returned to the hall to join other guests.
Five minutes later, Laylah finished checking out her car and walked back to Rose, pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you so much, mother. I don't understand why you chose me, but I'm grateful I'm the chosen one."
"Listen, I don't want you to doubt yourself. Have you forgotten who you are married to? You deserve everything, but in return, I want you to love my son."
"I will, mother. I promise to stay humble and respect him."
"Good, let's head back inside." Rose responded, and they turned on their heels. They reached the entrance to see the guards turning someone away.
"What's going on here?" Rose asked. The elderly man turned around and hurried to Laylah.
"Laylah I showed them my invitation, but they refused to let me inside. They said I'm not well-dressed."
"Is he your guest?" Rose asked, checking out the figure.
"Yes, he's an old friend of my father's. We have stayed in touch, so I invited him."
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rose Fernandez." She extended her hand to shake his.
'Is her husband Spanish?' he thought.
"I'm Martin, nice to meet you." He was an old friend of her father's; he was once a lawyer.
"Please come inside." Rose welcomed him, and they all walked back into the hall.
"Laylah, I will be right back, just give me a few minutes." Rose excused herself.
"Welcome, Mr. Martin. I thought you wouldn't make it. You should have attended the church wedding and walked me down the aisle."
"I'm not comfortable with you marrying into this family, there's no way I would have shown my face." Laylah sighed.
"I have told you to put your mind at rest. You are just worried for nothing, and it's not good for your health."
"Okay. I should enjoy myself, but there's something we need to discuss. I have met with the family as you instructed, and he agreed to sign the papers." He informed her. They were still talking when Erica tapped on her shoulder. "Where have you been? There are people we should meet?" She heard Liam's voice and fidgeted, hoping he hadn't heard their conversation.
"I'm sorry, I had a guest. Meet Martin, he's an old friend of my father." Liam reached out to greet him.
"You are welcome, feel free to make yourself comfortable." Liam said, extending his hand in greeting.
"Uncle Liam, why don't you go with her while I keep Mr. Martin busy?" Erica suggested.
"Alright, you both go ahead." Liam agreed, taking Layla's hand and guiding her back into the crowd.
Ten minutes later, Jerry approached Liam and whispered in his ear, causing him to glance over at his Aunt.
"Is everything okay?" Lydia asked, growing suspicious, knowing Jerry's nature.
"Yes, I need to speak to him. Stay with her while I have a talk with him." Liam excused himself.
"Boss, I just confirmed it, your mother made a transfer two days ago."
"To whom?"
"It's to a male's account, a man named Martin. I think they had a business together. She transferred a thousand billion dollars to him."
"What? billion? What kind of business requires such a huge amount of money? Have you looked into Martins?"
"No, not yet."
"Look into him and find out what sort of business transpired between them."
"Okay, boss." Jerry turned and strode off.
Liam couldn't shake the thought off, his mother had never made such a huge transaction before. His mind wandered to Laylah, she could have been the one who used the account to receive the payment. Liam pushed the thought aside and made his way back into the hall.