leylayilmazx

[leylayilmazx]

Bahama's

Warnings: 💋

Mentions: Berat, Alexis, Cassie, Jess, Laurent

It was probably one of the happiest trips she had ever been to. Somehow, this palace, the house that Laurent almost sold, became a bliss, a gift sent from above for all of the happiest memories. Just a couple of days ago, he had asked her a question she didn’t think he’d ever ask and so soon - she was surrounded by friends, laughter, and the promise of a future together. Leyla had felt a sense of serenity and hope wash over her, a blanket of safety and warmth that she didn’t believe could ever be blown away.

But now, as the sunset painted the sky, casting a glow over the horizon, Leyla's world shattered once more. The news came like a cruel twist of fate, a knife cut into her heart, as she stumbled upon the headline from the TWI flashing across her phone screen.

In our defence, we’d already sorted out the announcements. Sorry he’s dead or whatever. 

She thought it was a joke at first. A cruel joke made by the woman who ran the paper. After all, she was Lara’s friend. Wouldn’t have taken much to do this sort of thing again. But then for what reason? Evidently, people not answering their phones, not telling her anything…

Well, eventually she understood the meaning. 

As she began to understand what was happening, her breath caught in her throat, her hands trembling as she shut her phone off, still somewhat hoping against hope that it was all just a terrible mistake.

But the words stared back at her, firm and merciless. Berat was gone.

A numbness swept over Leyla as she turned away from her friends, her footsteps heavy as she made her way to an empty room. She tried to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to engulf her, to maintain the facade of strength for just a moment longer.

Was it so bad not to want her friends to see her break down again? Not to take the celebration away from her partner? She didn’t want them to see her like this, because it felt as lately it was all she was able to show.

But as soon as the door closed behind her, the dam burst, and Leyla crumbled to the ground, the weight of her grief too much to bear. It was as if the walls she had painstakingly built around her heart came crashing down, leaving her exposed to the agony of loss one more.

She had already endured the unbearable pain of losing her sister, and Jai. And just last year, Aurélie's death had torn through her soul like a hurricane, leaving behind a trail of devastation.

And now, Berat, a pillar of strength in her life, a person who had stood by her through the darkest of days, was gone. The tears flowed freely now, unrestrained, as Leyla allowed herself to succumb to the overwhelming sorrow that threatened to consume her.

Each sob resonated the ache in her heart, each tear screamed to the depth of her loss. In that, Leyla allowed herself to succumb to the pain. “Why?” She muttered over and over again  as she trembled. 

She loved Berat with all her heart, always had. 

“You promised me.” Leyla muttered once more.

With trembling hands, Leyla reached for her phone, now feeling heavy with the weight of the news it had delivered. In a sudden surge of anguish, her grip tightened around the phone, her knuckles turning white with the force of her emotions. With a scream building in her throat, she lifted her arm and with all the strength she could muster, she hurled the phone against the nearest wall.

“You promised me!”

The impact echoed through the room. 

"You promised that you wouldn't leave me," she choked out, Leyla's voice cracked with anguish, her words barely more than a whisper amidst the river of tears that streamed down her face. Each syllable was a struggle, torn from the depths of her shattered heart, a desperate plea to a universe that seemed intent on tearing her apart.

But there was no answer,there would never be an answer for her again. Just the utter silence of the room and the faint voices of her friends coming from somewhere in the house.  

With trembling hands, Leyla reached out to the shattered remnants of her phone, her fingers tracing the broken edges with a numb detachment. The promise lay shattered before her, just like the pieces of her world that now lay at her feet.

But she wasn’t alone for long; one by one, her friends began to come through the door, with a soft knock and barging in anyway after they didn’t hear her answer. Alexis, Cassie, and Jess entered first, their expressions painted with concern as they gathered around Leyla, offering gentle touches and silent support. They brought her water, soothing words, and comforting embraces – a lifeline.

For a while, they remained by her side, they offered no words of empty comfort, understanding that sometimes, the greatest gift one could give was simply to be there, to bear witness to another's pain.

And then, as the weight of Leyla's pain began to ease, Laurent appeared, a steady presence in the middle of all the chaos. With a soft touch and a reassuring smile, he led her from the room, guiding her with quiet strength to their room.

And as Leyla's tears finally began to subside, she found solace in the presence of her friends, her partner; a reminder that even in the darkest of moments, she was no longer alone.

#;; bahamas #;; self para #ft alexis #ft cassie #ft jess #ft laurent #ft berat

[leylayilmazx]

#;; mirror #;-;

[leylayilmazx]

@yvonne-rutherford

Leyla was worn out; she was tired, she was scared and she still wasn't herself. But she promised Étienne to look after the kids while he did what he had to do. What it was, she didn't ask. But with two babies and two kids in tow, she made her way towards her friend.

"Always stay where I can see you." And the body guards which followed them everywhere they went. She didn't feel safe in the park, but it wasn't too far from home and she knew the men were capable. Laurent and Étienne would have made sure of that.

As the girls went to play, immediately taking Maddie with them, Leyla tried to smile at her friend. "They're... A good distraction." Yet not when the girls asked when their mom was coming back. As far as they knew, she was asked to do something for Ballet and she had to be away for a while. That made the most sense, and Lis wouldn't have gone on vacation without her kids.

#;; yvonne rutherford

[leylayilmazx]

Leyla: I did, I'm fine don't worry. Are you ok? Did you get hurt?

Text | @leylayilmazx

Emine: This is me checking in on you. Emine: Hoping you made it out safely. Emine: I'd like to see you soon.

#;; emine yalazm

[leylayilmazx]

Leyla: Only if you're fine with me also bringing Elliott and the twins?

Text @leylayilmazx

Yvonne: Hey, I was thinking a playdate between Antoine and Maddie could be fun? Yvonne: Maybe it can help take your mind off of things.

#;; yvonne rutherford

[leylayilmazx]

Leyla: I'm fine.

David: for my sanity, please respond to this text.

David: nothing better have happened to you.

#;; david pavoncello

[leylayilmazx]

Leyla: [Delivered]

Jessica: Leyla. Where are you? [4 minutes later] Jessica: I need you to answer me, girlie.

#;; jesus reyes

[leylayilmazx]

Leyla: [delivered]

Text: @leylayilmazx

David: You better be fucking safe. David: Surprise, I'm back in the city. David: Let me repeat, you better be fucking safe.

#;; David pavoncello #;; there’s about 99.9999999% chance that Alexis has taken her phone from her because she was so wasted hahhaha

[leylayilmazx]

She’d spent some time in the bathroom after the games, after everything. Was she throwing up? Yes, yes she absolutely was. Should she have acted better and been different? Probably. But she was letting herself off the hook this time. This time she wanted to do all that, this time she felt it was the only way she could cope through the night.

Yet, as she found herself in the main room (as she wondered off to one of the east wing Berkeley bathroom just to be safe) there was a sort of commotion. A sort of panic echoing through the room. Immediately the flashback of the year before came back from her memories in full swing. Her friend’s death, the guns, the people missing. Was it happening again?

The panic set in her again as her chest began to raise up and down heavy as she felt the panic attack coming in. One she didn’t have in a long time. Leaning against the wall she tried to close her eyes but there was just so much motion all around her. She fell to her knees, down to the floor, putting her hands over her ears as she moved away from the people, from the light, from the attention.

It was happening again. All of it and she couldn’t even try and find the people she loved.

#;; reaction #;; post plot drop #;;event ; berkeleys afters

[leylayilmazx]

"I don't think even you believe that."

Being in the position he was, and the way that he looked, and the way he carried himself? Sure, everyone could be disliked, but she found it very hard to do so. Besides, Leyla felt that there really was just one of Giorgio on this entire planet, the good and the bad parts of him, which she was sure she would eventually find out.

"You know what?" She asked, with the glass now in her hand, and her body turned towards him. "My dream is to not be that. To one day not be a burden enough, so someone would worry about me like that. But since he's got his white powder, how about we up our game and just get on with it ourselves?" She meant the drinks. The alcohol was going to make the night easier and the suffering could go on pause until the hangover the next morning.

"Are you?" On edge, she meant.

She took a sip of the wine, and then another one, happy with his choice of beverage. As she learned in Italy, the Italian didn't do anything in halves.

"Oh, so yet another road connects us." She grinned. "Yes, that very same one. I think maybe you should test my best friend.. You know, to make sure that she could be a good judge."

"Fair warning, you might be the only woman to have ever felt that way."

Hard to tell whether there was something wrong with her, or if she just didn't know him well enough to despise him yet. Time would tell. As she placed the glasses down on the table, he made swift work of removing the cork, before sharing a good half of the bottle of red between the two. At her words, he couldn't help but smile.

"He's just worried about you, is all. I'm sure he'll loosen up eventually. I think the French business he's gone to take care of is a significant amount of cocaine, so expect him to return in a fantastic mood," he assured. Laurent was at least respectful enough to not dangle his drug use in the face of the Italians, and so whilst Giorgio disagreed with it wholeheartedly, he could appreciate the effort enough to look past it. "Everyone's on edge after what happened last year. A little more alcohol should help."

Giorgio was already bringing the glass to his lips when she mentioned her friend. An eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"The same best friend who happened to jump my best friend on stage..? Oh, absolutely. If only to confirm my suspicions that Giordana is a terrible kisser."

#;; giorgio pecatti #;; event ; berkeley afters

[leylayilmazx]

Instead of shock or a glance to see if the wife really was watching, Leyla took on the position of a man in a strip club. Like the one she had seen the French take in Vixen - a drink in one hand, chest up and eyes focusing on the show before her, as if asking for more.

"Mhm, that's a good boy." She grinned, biting on her lower lip before laughing out loud when Spencer deemed the show over. "You know what, I can get behind this."

When the bottle landed on the Vixen, Leyla clapped her hands, curious to see who the woman would choose.

"I'd say it can't be easy either."

@maria-azenha

Maria would never turn down an opportunity for a little fun, especially if it would help calm her nerves. A brow raised at Leyla, a smirk curling on her lips at the mention of the dare, slightly disappointed that it wasn't Leyla licking salt off her.

"Come Spence, make it good." Her gaze flickers to him, reaching to take her own shot before twirling the bottle, watching it land on the Italian.

"I dare you to give Leyla your best lap dance."

@giorgiopecatti

#;; truth or dare #;; event ; berkeley afters #;; giorgio pecatti #;; spencer berkeley #;; maria azenha

[leylayilmazx]

With the wine and the champagne and the gin already in her system, Leyla was grinning ear to ear when she joined the table. "Is there any other way to play?"

She extended Spencer's arm, dropping some salt on it. "What about... I dare you and then you dare me?" She bent down to lick the salt of his arm, took the tequila, shot down in one gulp and put the lemon between her teeth.

"I dare you to show off your favourite sex position on Maria."

@maria-azenha

@mobscene-starters Time: After Party.

It hadn't taken him long to polish off the bottle of Krug. Who needed a glass?

The thing came in handy when one of the Vixens who'd been sat at their table suggested they use it for a game of spin the bottle, though. Rescuing it from his drunk hands, she placed it down on the table top with a mischievous grin at all those who'd gathered around. What could go wrong? Spencer reached out for one of the glasses (that the waitress so dutifully kept replenishing) and threw back the shot of what he assumed was vodka. Hopefully.

"It's truth or dare, baby, but the twist is you can only pick dare."

#;; truth or dare #;; event ; berkeley afters #;; spencer berkeley #;; maria azehna #;; giorgio pecatti

[leylayilmazx]

A wave? She waved at her?

What the hell was that supposed to mean? She thought that the whole business, the whole thing was finished simply because Leyla had not uttered one word to a single soul ever since it happened?

But she waved?

Did that mean something? Did it mean she was getting ready for round two? Was that why the other giant kept popping in her way? But what she could have to offer? No... That was no longer the case, now she was tied to Laurent even more so.

If anything, the last thing she needed to do was die because that... That just wasn't what she was going to do.

But she waved.

So there had to be something brewing, right?

Leyla took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, trying to smile at the others who walked by and say hi. And yet, there was a full chaos in the pits of her stomach.

-fin-

Sveta turned to face Leyla fully, arms crossed as her head tilted to the side in primal observation. There'd never been blowback for Sveta's little incident, and while she bred children for the good of her family, it'd merely been out of obligations she felt. By that, she'd been surprised, impressed even but her face held no reverence

She watched, calculating and taunting as her features curved upwards, menacingly.

Unfolding her arms, she raised her hand in a short wave, eyes blazing before turning to place her hand on Pavel's arm, as they excused themself from Vitaly, and they walked towards the selection of rooms of the Berkeley Estate.

#;; STOP STRESSING HER OUT SHE MIGHT HAVE A HEART ATTACK AHAHHA #;; but also continue #;; svetlana vorshevsky #;; event ; berkeley afters

[leylayilmazx]

It was as if Varden was sent by Jai himself. Stepping to the side so she could make space, Leyla nodded in agreement to Varden's words.

"I don't see how it's any of his problem." She leaned in closer to Varden. "Make him go away."

@johnnparsons

"No?" Brows pinch lightly. "Trouble in paradise?"

#;; youre so wrong leyla smh #;; johnathan parsons #;; varden lefebvre #;; event ; berkeley afters

[leylayilmazx]

Her eyes immediately lit up when Giorgio appeared, what seemed, out of nowhere. Even if they didn't know each other for so long, the days in Italy really solidified her like for the man. Leyla simply adored him.

"Just having you in my peripheral can bring a smile to my face, you know." She meant it.

There was guilt in her for the fact that Laurent was staying by her side almost the whole time since they came in. It wasn't fair, she wanted him to have fun, too. Babysitting should just involve their kid, not her, too.

"Do you think if he sees us having fun and getting drunk, he will take a breather and have fun himself?" She took the glasses from him and placed them on the table so the wine could be poured in. "I can have fun, too. I swear." Though it felt as if maybe she had to convince herself too.

"All night but... How about I sell my best friend to you instead?" She was choosing to ignore the marital status and his whole situation. "Have you met Jess?"

@leylayilmazx Time: After Party.

The night was still young. In fact, the after party wasn't even close to reaching full swing, but Laurent had been glued to Leyla's side since the pair had arrived. Given that he'd expected her to be grinning from ear to ear since the news of their engagement had broke, something was clearly bothering her. Enough that her fiancé had asked the Italian rather kindly if he would keep her company whilst he took ten minutes to go and deal with some French business.

How could he say no?

"I'm fairly sure it's against the rules for someone so beautiful to look so sad. So, if I say I come bearing gifts," he started, bringing a bottle of wine and two glasses into view, "perhaps we can agree to work on that. I've got all night."

#;; giorgio pecatti #;; event ; berkeley afters

[leylayilmazx]

"I know, and I'm sure he knows." It's funny how all the things people used to tell her now she was telling to Emine. She was around Emine's age when she lost Ceren and Jain and now that everything seemed to be repeating... "I don't think he doubted you. Berat loved, and he loved so strong." She didn't want to talk about it here, didn't feel right when he always felt so out of place in events like these. "I know hun, I miss him, too." And she did, she always would.

Emine takes a deep breath. "I wish I would have told him more that I love him. That I was proud of him. And, that if Nevra made him truly happy, then I was happy for him." A hand reaches up to wipe under her eyes. "I miss him."

#;; emine yalaz #;; event ; berkeley afters

[leylayilmazx]

"Leap year or something." She smiled, her eyes drifting down to the ring. It felt silly to be happy and sat all at the same time. She felt guilty for Laurent, that in the time where they were supposed to be celebrating, she was crying. "He still has time to change his mind." She half joked, as in that moment, she believed he needed someone a lot stronger than her. Someone to be his rock, not a w]fragile thing needing to get herself together each time something like that happened. There were risks, there were still risks that it would happen again and they had nothing to do if he was in her life or not. Her cousin was very much in that whole thing, Cassie took a prominent position in politics, Yvonne was within her own family drama, which was tied to her last name.

Yvonne's lips twisted up into a wide smile. "Congratulations! I'm really happy for you. I swear, there must be something in the water lately." It was a lame joke, but maybe it would bring a smile to Leyla's lips. This was supposed to be happy news and Yvonne wanted her to be able to celebrate it, even if everything felt too heavy and too much in the moment.

#;; yvonne rutherford #;; event ; berkerley afters