Chapter Thirty-Three: An Intruder

EVELYN’S POV:

As we sat down, Leonard revealed to me why my presentation had been initially rebuffed. He explained that there had been an intruding arm who had made sure to bring me down. But they were working towards fixing things. And he had also stepped in; that was why they were able to find out in the first place.

I was grateful, but my mind was reeling with shock as I processed everything Leonard had just said.

I listened intently, trying to make sense of it all. But as I looked at Leonard, I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to the story.

"What else is going on?" I asked, my eyes narrowing as I searched for any sign of deception.

Leonard hesitated, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. But then he smiled, and his expression returned to normal.

"Nothing, Evelyn," he said. "That's all I've got for now. We'll get it sorted out."

I nodded, believing in him.

Several thoughts were racing through my mind.

"Why would anyone intervene, and even pay to ensure that I wouldn't be accepted?" I asked rhetorically. Obviously, he couldn't say why.

His eyes blazed with determination. “Evelyn, whoever it is will pay for every stress and humiliation they've caused you. I'm working on that. Currently. I'll get to the root of everything, no matter what it takes."

Tears welled up in my eyes as the weight of his words crashed down on me. Who would have wanted me to fail so badly? The thought sent a shiver down my spine, and I felt a wave of fear wash over me.

“Seems I'm fighting a crowd,” I thought to myself as my mind drifted to Caleb and Dana.

Leonard's reassuring words were a balm to my frazzled nerves, but I could see the uneasiness etched on his face. His mind wasn't with me completely, and he looked worked up, his eyes flashing with anger.

“I have requested a meeting with the team board, and that should do for a start,” he said, his voice firm but gentle.

I felt a surge of gratitude towards him, and I reached out, taking his hand in mine. "Thank you, Leonard," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for always being here for me."

“Evelyn, you deserve more. What kind of person would it make me if I didn't step in? You don't deserve to be sad, and I'll make sure of that.” His voice sent chills through my whole body.

It was then I decided to tell him my plans for Dana and Caleb and what was going on.

And then, in a rush of words, I told him everything, from the onset and about the strange occurrences that had been plaguing me.

Leonard listened, his expression growing more and more shocked as I spoke.

When I finished, he looked at me, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. "I'm so sorry, Evelyn," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "I'm so sorry you've had to go through this. But I'm here for you, and I'll do everything to support you.”

He took my hands, placed a kiss on them, and rubbed them gently in a comforting manner.

As the night wore on, we discussed more and more meager issues. Leonard would chip in jokes in between to help relax my anxiety, which worked.

At the moment, I felt good, like I had no worries or trouble. For certain, Leonard's company has always been therapeutic.

It was now 11 p.m. as I glanced at the time. I stretched my hand to him and motioned for him to check the time. He did but looked me straight in the eyes. “I don't mind how many hours we stay as long as you're here.”

I smiled and stood up. “Yeah, but how will you function tomorrow if you don't rest now?”

Saying that, he held my hands and stood up from his seat.

In a few steps, we were in his car.

He opened the front door for me and entered from the other side afterward, then drove me home.

When we arrived, he came down from the car and opened the door for me.

He walked me inside to my room. No one said anything to each other; the silence between us was thick with tension.

So he bid his goodbye and turned to leave. I held him back and pleaded with him to stay.

He accepted without hesitation. I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

But as we stepped inside, I couldn't shake off the feeling that we were being watched. I glanced around the room, but there was no one there. Still, the feeling persisted.

Leonard seemed to sense my unease, and he put a reassuring arm around my shoulders. "I'm here, Evelyn," he said. "You're safe.”

That was my subconscious mind. I had to snap out of it. Nobody would have gotten to my house at this time, not with the security I had.

I brushed off the thought, and we walked into the bedroom.

I slumped onto the bed. “I'm tired, mehn.” Leonard tripped to the bed and fell on me. He didn't get up immediately; he just stayed still and kept staring deep into my eyes.

I tried to push him off, even though it was gently, and out of what I expected least, he started to tickle me. I laughed so hard that tears dropped from my eyes.

“Leonard, sto…o..p,” I screamed amidst laughter and tears.

He eventually did, and we were now on the bed, both curled into each other's bodies, panting heavily.

We started a conversation, and soon it became a serious one as we tried to piece together the puzzle of what was happening to me. But the more we talked, the more questions I had.

“Do you think Caleb or Dana had a hand in this?” I blurted out one of my several thoughts.