Chapter 4: Whispers of Secrets

I couldn’t shake the encounter with the mysterious woman. Who was she? What did she want with Leo? And why did her appearance feel like a stone dropped into the fragile calm of my life?

The questions plagued me for the rest of the day, making it nearly impossible to focus. By the time I finished my shift, I was desperate for answers, though I wasn’t sure where to start.

Jasmine’s words from brunch echoed in my mind: “Go for the guy who makes your heart race.” But was that what I was doing, or was I just letting myself get swept up in something I didn’t understand?

---

The next evening, Jasmine dragged me out to a local bar. “You’ve been cooped up long enough,” she declared, her tone brooking no argument.

Ivy joined us, sipping a glass of wine while Jasmine ordered cocktails for the table. The bar was buzzing with energy, and for a while, I let myself relax, laughing at Jasmine’s stories and letting Ivy’s calm demeanor ground me.

But just as I was starting to feel like myself again, the atmosphere shifted. My laughter faded as I spotted Leo across the room. He wasn’t alone. The woman from the café was with him, her hand resting casually on his arm as they spoke in low voices.

“Lila?” Jasmine’s voice pulled me back. She followed my gaze, her eyebrows shooting up. “Is that… him?”

I nodded, my throat tightening.

“And who’s that?” Ivy asked, her sharp eyes narrowing as she studied the woman.

“I don’t know,” I said, my voice barely audible.

“Well, there’s one way to find out,” Jasmine said, already standing up.

“Jas, no—” I started, but it was too late. She was weaving through the crowd, her head held high like a woman on a mission.

Ivy sighed, setting her glass down. “She’s going to cause a scene.”

“Of course she is,” I muttered, my stomach churning as I watched Jasmine approach Leo.

He looked up, his expression flickering with surprise before settling into a familiar smirk. The woman beside him turned as well, her gaze cool and assessing.

I couldn’t hear what Jasmine was saying, but her body language was all fire and defiance. Leo responded with a calmness that only seemed to irritate her further. And then, to my horror, Jasmine pointed in my direction.

Leo’s eyes found me instantly, and even from across the room, the intensity of his gaze made my breath catch. The woman followed his line of sight, her lips curving into a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

---

Before I knew it, Leo was walking toward me, his movements smooth and unhurried. The woman stayed behind, watching from the bar.

“Lila,” he said when he reached me, his voice low and warm. “Fancy seeing you here.”

I tried to ignore the way my heart sped up at the sound of his voice. “I could say the same to you.”

He glanced back at the bar, where the woman was now speaking to a bartender. “I see you’ve met Vivian—well, sort of.”

“Who is she?” I asked, unable to keep the edge out of my voice.

“She’s… a colleague,” he said, though the hesitation in his voice didn’t escape me.

“A colleague?” Jasmine, who had returned to the table, scoffed. “She looks like a little more than that.”

“Jas,” I hissed, glaring at her.

Leo chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “Vivian and I go way back. She’s in town for business, that’s all.”

Ivy, ever the sharp observer, tilted her head. “And what business would that be?”

Leo’s smile faltered slightly, and for the first time, I saw a crack in his carefully composed façade. “That’s… complicated.”

“Everything about you seems complicated,” I said, surprising even myself.

His eyes met mine, and for a moment, it felt like the rest of the bar faded away. “Maybe. But some things are worth the complications.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. Before I could gather my thoughts, Vivian appeared at his side, her presence like a shadow that refused to be ignored.

“Leo,” she said smoothly, her eyes flicking to me. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

“Vivian, this is Lila,” he said, his voice careful. “Lila, this is Vivian.”

Vivian extended a perfectly manicured hand, her smile sharp. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lila. Leo’s told me… so much about you.”

I shook her hand, my stomach twisting at the subtle emphasis in her words.

“Funny,” I said, forcing a smile. “He hasn’t told me anything about you.”

Her smile widened, but her eyes remained cold. “Well, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted.”

Leo cleared his throat, his tension palpable. “Vivian, maybe we should—”

“No need,” she interrupted, her tone light but with an unmistakable undercurrent. “I can see you’re busy. We’ll talk later.”

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving an uneasy silence in her wake.

---

As the night wore on, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Vivian’s arrival was the beginning of something I wasn’t prepared for. And the look in Leo’s eyes as he watched her leave only confirmed it.

When I got home that night, I sat on my bed, my mind racing. Who was Vivian really? And what was her connection to Leo?

But more importantly, why did it feel like my life was spiraling out of control, and I had no idea how to stop it?

After Vivian left, the energy in the bar shifted. Leo stayed for a moment longer, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, as if debating whether to explain himself. But then, without another word, he turned and walked back toward the bar, leaving me rooted in place.

Jasmine leaned in, her voice low but intense. “What the hell was that? Did you see how she looked at you? Like she was staking her claim or something.”

“She doesn’t scare me,” I muttered, though my voice lacked conviction. In truth, Vivian had shaken me. Her confidence, her connection to Leo—everything about her screamed power, the kind I couldn’t compete with.

Ivy studied me carefully, her eyes narrowing. “Lila, you need to be careful. I don’t know who this Leo guy really is, but something about him feels… complicated.”

Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. Complicated is sexy. Look at the way he looks at her! Sparks are flying, and you’re trying to douse them with a bucket of caution.”

“I don’t think you understand the kind of fire she’s playing with,” Ivy replied, her voice calm but firm.

I didn’t say anything. My thoughts were too tangled, my emotions too raw. All I wanted was to go home, crawl under my blankets, and pretend this night hadn’t happened.

---

The next morning, I found myself pacing the small kitchen of my apartment, my coffee untouched. My phone sat on the counter, taunting me with its silence. I had half a mind to text Leo, demand answers, but what would I even say?

Instead, I called Jasmine. She answered on the second ring, her voice groggy. “It’s barely eight, Lila. What could possibly be so important?”

“I need to talk to you,” I said, ignoring her groan. “About Vivian. About Leo. About everything.”

There was a pause, followed by a sigh. “Fine. Meet me at the park in an hour.”

---

The park was quiet, the morning chill still lingering in the air. Jasmine arrived wearing oversized sunglasses and a hoodie, her usual glamorous flair swapped for casual comfort.

“Okay,” she said, plopping onto the bench beside me. “Spill.”

I told her everything—the lingering looks, the cryptic comments, the way Vivian seemed to hold some invisible power over Leo. By the time I finished, Jasmine was fully awake, her lips pursed in thought.

“Here’s the thing,” she said finally. “You need to stop letting these people control your narrative. You’re Lila. You’re smart, talented, and let’s be real—you’ve got more heart than half the people in this town. Stop letting them make you feel small.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected. Jasmine had always been my biggest cheerleader, but hearing her say it out loud made me realize how much I’d been doubting myself.

“But what about Ethan?” I asked. “And Leo? It feels like I’m caught in the middle of something I don’t even understand.”

Jasmine shrugged. “Then make them understand. If Leo wants to be a part of your life, he needs to be honest with you. And Ethan… well, you’ve known him forever. He’ll come around.”

I nodded, her words giving me a sliver of clarity. Maybe it was time to take control of my story.

---

Later that day, I was back at the café, wiping down tables as the afternoon crowd trickled in. Ethan was unusually quiet, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was avoiding me.

I finally cornered him near the supply closet. “Okay, enough. What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing,” he said, his tone clipped.

“Ethan,” I said, crossing my arms. “I know you better than that. Talk to me.”

He sighed, leaning against the wall. “It’s just… hard, okay? Watching you get caught up with someone like Leo.”

“Someone like Leo?” I repeated, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means he’s not good for you, Lila,” Ethan said, his voice rising. “He’s got money, power, and charm, but do you really think he’s going to stick around? Guys like him don’t settle for girls like us.”

The words stung more than I cared to admit. “And what about you, Ethan? You think you’re the better option? That I should just ignore whatever I feel for Leo because you’ve decided you know what’s best for me?”

His jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists. “I’m trying to protect you.”

“Maybe I don’t need protecting,” I snapped, my voice trembling. “Maybe I need someone who believes in me, who trusts me to make my own decisions.”

Ethan stared at me for a long moment, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and hurt. Then he turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the hallway with tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

---

That evening, I was sketching by the window when a knock at the door startled me. I opened it to find Leo standing there, his expression unreadable.

“We need to talk,” he said, his voice low.

I stepped aside, letting him in. He glanced around the room before his eyes settled on me.

“About Vivian?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“About everything,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I know I haven’t been completely honest with you. Vivian… she’s not just a colleague. She’s my ex.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “Your ex?”

He nodded, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite place—regret? Guilt? “We were together for years. She was… everything I thought I wanted. But it ended, and now she’s back, stirring up old memories and complications I thought I’d left behind.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Because you deserve to know the truth,” he said, stepping closer. “And because, despite all of that, I can’t stay away from you, Lila. You’re the first person in a long time who makes me feel like I can be more than the man I used to be.”

His words left me breathless, my heart pounding in my chest. But before I could respond, there was another knock at the door.

I opened it to find Ethan standing there, his eyes blazing.

“Am I interrupting something?” he asked, his voice tight.

And just like that, the fragile balance I’d been clinging to shattered.

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