Stalker?!

"L- Leonardo?" Hayley gasped out, her eyes widened in shock, still staring at him in disbelief. She absentmindedly pulled Daisy close to herself like she had seen a ghost, trying to shield Daisy's eyes with her hand so she wouldn't see him. 

"Damien?" Hayley heard Clara call out, heading towards them with her focus solely on Leonardo. Hayley watched her as she approached them.

"Damien?" Hayley repeated in her mind, as if she didn't hear Clara right the first time.

"Damien... Oh my God, it's really you!" Clara exclaimed, her eyes alight with excitement as she recognized Leonardo, Hayley's ex-husband!

Damien?? Who the fuck is Damien? Hayley asked inwardly, staring at the two of them confused, as they exchanged pleasantries. They seemed to be familiar with one another and it fazed Hayley even more. 

"Oh my God, I can't believe this!" Clara exclaimed, addressing him cheerfully, "You were the stranger who found the kids?" 

Before her very eyes, Leonardo nodded his head in confirmation, a charming smile gracing his features as he conversed with Clara.

Hayley watched them, still in a daze of what was currently going on. On second thoughts, she started wondering if this man standing before them was truly her ex-husband or she was just hallucinating him to be the one, but she immediately recalled that he had called her 'mi reina', a sweet name only Leonardo used on her. What was going on?

"Nina," Clara turned to Hayley with a beaming smile, breaking Hayley out of her thoughts. She looked at Clara with a blank expression, uncertain of what to say.

Clara gestured friendly, "Meet Damien, the stalker I told you about that won't leave me alone. It's a good thing his stalking made us find the kids again." Clara innocently introduced. 

Stalker?? 

Is Clara joking or what?

Her ex-husband was the stalker she had told her about? If Hayley recalled correctly, Clara told her she had a secret admirer/a stalker who had been pestering her for the past three months. She mean to tell her that man was Leonardo??

Leonardo had been in Kleeton City for about three months?

 Was this a joke!?

"Damien, meet Nina. My best friend and the mom of the baby girl you found alongside my kid." 

Leonardo turned to face Hayley. Instead of shaking hands, their eyes were locked in an intense stare. Hayley could see a hint of smirk on his face, it might have been invisible to Clara, but not to her.

Staring at him, flood of memories from the past came rushing back, taking her back to five years ago when Leonardo had rejected and left her. Hayley felt a surge of anger building up inside her, the dead part of her that wanted revenge coming back to life. Hayley was drowning in a whirlpool of emotions as she continued staring at him.

"Uhmmm... Hello? Are you two going to shake hands or say hi or something?" She heard Clara's voice, abruptly snapping her out of her trance.

Hayley wanted to refuse, but Leonardo stretched out his hand towards her.

"I'm Damien. Nice to meet you, Nina..." 

There was something about the way he called her name that made her heart thud a bit.

Trying to compose herself and not let her anger get the best of her, Hayley looked at his hand stretched out in the air towards her, then she looked at Clara, whose expression was a look of curiosity and a tingle of disappointment, and Hayley knew she was wondering why she was behaving the way she was. But Hayley couldn't bring herself to say anything.

"Please forgive my friend, Damien. I don't know what's gotten into her, but trust me, she's not normally like this," Clara said in a conciliatory tone. Leonardo pulled his hand back, nodding in understanding.

Assessing him with a skeptical eye, Hayley couldn't still tell if he was truly the one. She couldn't seem to feel the cold demeanor she was once used to, to see the dark, grey, aloof stare that once emanated resentment five years ago. In their place stood a handsome gentleman who bore a striking resemblance to her ex-husband.

Rrrgg...

Her phone vibrated in her hand, interrupting her thoughts. She glanced down to see the caller's name flashing on the screen: Adrian.

"Hello," Hayley said, her gaze locked with Leonardo's in an unyielding stare.

"Hey, love," Adrian's voice came through the phone, "Please forgive me for missing your calls, baby. I left my phone at the office before heading to the board room for the meeting."

"It's alright."

"How are you? Is everything okay? Did you miss me or was something wrong?"

"The latter, but it's been resolved, you don't have to worry about it."

"Are you sure? Where are you right now?" He asked, his tone held a hint of concern.

"Still at the park, about to leave soon."

"Please give me a few minutes, I'll be there. And what about our little angel?"

"She's fine. She's with me." Hayley turned her gaze to Daisy, who was staring up at her. Hayley smiled at her, running my fingers through her lush blond hair fondly.

"Okay, baby. I'll be there soon."

"Alright, I'll be waiting." Hayley lifted her head, deliberately feigning ignorance to the faint jealous and inquisitive looks flickering across Leonardo's countenance.

She ended the call, letting out a sigh.

"Was that Adrian?" Clara asked.

"Yeah,"

Hayley nodded, feeling a sudden cool breeze brush across her face, carrying the scent of Leonardo's cologne. Her spine tingled and goosebumps formed on her skin. What was this feeling?

She couldn't still be in love with the man who shattered her, left her broken and on the brink of self-destruction five years ago, could she?

Hayley's gaze shifted back to his, she found him staring back at her with an inscrutable expression etched on his face.

Gradually, it dawned upon Hayley that this man was truly Leonardo. His grey eyes, intertwined with his sleek, all-black wavy hair, exuded a fierce yet irresistible charm that had once and still captivated her. Despite five years having passed, he still appeared remarkably younger and more handsome than ever. Hayley's eyes roamed over his figure, eventually settling on the pendant adorning his neck. It was a lion-head pendant.  Those were the exact same pendant she had gifted him a few months after their wedding, as a token of her love and appreciation for him.

She was taken aback at the sight of it. Leonardo had stopped wearing the pendant merely two years into their marriage, dismissing it as a cheap accessory unworthy of his neck. So why was he wearing it now?

And why was he even here? Out of all the years that had gone by, why did he choose to appear before her now, just when she was finally beginning to move on from him and her past? After she had abandoned her plans of revenge and made the choice to let go.

Hayley met his gaze, then looked back at the necklace. Leonardo must have noticed her surprise, as he touched it gently, caressing the pendant as he spoke.

"It's a gift," he said, his smile widening, "From my darling wife."

Hayley scoffed quietly, glaring at him.

"That's a gorgeous necklace," Clara chimed in, her tone friendly.

"Thank you."

"..but you never mentioned having a wife...Are you married?" Clara asked, her curiosity piqued.

Leonardo's throat bobbed as he held Hayley's gaze, struggling to form a response for Clara.

Hayley watched his lips intently, anticipation bubbling within her for what he was about to say.

"I..." He started.

"Hey, baby." Adrian's arrival cut him off, effectively halting Leonardo's response.

"Fuck!"