Leo's P.O.V.
I gently handed the keys to Daisy. She's genuinely kind, with that shy demeanor so different from my savage wife. But then she hugged me. It caught me completely off guard. That short moment… I don't know why, but it felt special. For the first time in a long while, I felt butterflies in my stomach. Me Leon getting butterflies? Ridiculous.
Then came the kiss on the cheek. It melted something in me. But what truly shook me was when she said, "I love you." My chest tightened not in pain, but in something… softer. It felt right. Real. Like those words were meant to be spoken between us. From her… to me. But what is this feeling? This is strange. Weird. Confusing.
What kind of emotion is this?
Leon stood silently in front of the massive mirror in his room, lost in thought. He didn't even notice when his mother entered. Lisa stood behind him, arms crossed, observing her son carefully. "For the first time in your life, you smiled… and to another woman," she said coolly. "Even now, you're smiling at your own thoughts without even knowing it."
Leo turned swiftly, startled. "Mom, if you're here to complain, please I sincerely don't need another one of your long lectures. I'm exhausted," he muttered, pressing a hand to his forehead. "You better listen to me," she snapped. "It's either that girl leaves this house, or I do." His eyes widened. "Are you seriously telling me this?" His voice dropped dangerously low. "Nobody is going anywhere. That's my final decision."
"Leon—"
Both heads turned as Alicia walked into the room, dragging her suitcase behind her.
"Sorry to interrupt your conversation with Mother," she began, but never got to finish. Lisa gave her a sharp glare and stormed out without a word. "Whew! What a temper," Alicia muttered under her breath. "It'll probably be the cause of her death someday."
Leo's hard glare made her freeze. "Sorry," she murmured quickly. Alicia glanced around the room and frowned. "I'm curious why is everything in this room black?" she asked, stepping further inside. "I mean, how do you even sleep comfortably in this kind of darkness? This place radiates bad energy. Are you the devil or something? It explains why you always walk around frowning like someone died. No normal person would live in a cave like—"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!!! JUST SHUT UP!" His roar thundered across the room. Alicia flinched, her eyes wide with fear. She went stiff, as if someone had poured ice-cold water over her. For once, she didn't say a word. Leo immediately regretted it. His heart twisted seeing that expression on her face.
"Listen to me… I—"
But she didn't wait for his apology. Alicia turned around and ran into his walk-in closet, slamming the door behind her. She dropped to the floor, hugging her knees tightly, burying her face between her legs.
Leo's P.O.V.
I rushed into the closet.
And there she was curled on the cold floor like a fragile porcelain doll. My heart clenched. Was she… crying? I walked toward her slowly and crouched beside her. "Alicia," I called softly. She raised her head abruptly, startled, then quickly jerked away from me. She wiped her eyes in a hurry.
"Are you crying?" I asked, surprised. No, I'm not. Something just got into my eye," she lied.
Liar," I said with a small smirk. "You're terrible at lying, you know." What is your problem?" she snapped. "I told you I'm fine. So please, just let me be." I can't let you be. You're my wife, remember?"
"Fake wife," she rolled her eyes dramatically. "And for the record, I don't like the theme of your room. I prefer colour. Life. Warmth."
"I'm sorry, but you're not the one to decide," I said firmly. She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "But I thought I was the wife?" she teased, standing up and brushing herself off.
She turned to walk away, but I grabbed her wrist gently and pulled her back.
"What did they do to you… at the orphanage?" The moment the words left my lips, her body started trembling.