Chapter Twenty: Unpredictable

Evelyn's POV 

The scent of freshly baked pizza filled the air, mixing with the faint murmur of chatter around us. I sat across from Leonard, a half-eaten large pizza between us, surrounded by crumpled napkins and two glasses of soda. Warm evening light filtered through the café’s windows, casting a golden glow over everything.

Leonard leaned back in his chair, his jacket hanging over the backrest. His relaxed posture and easy smile made it hard to believe this was the same man who had been so intense just hours earlier. “You know,” he started, a playful glint in his eye, “for a city that’s supposed to be all business, the weather here is as unpredictable as it gets.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Tell me about it. One minute it’s sunny and perfect, and the next, it feels like we’re in the middle of a hurricane.”

He chuckled, his deep voice warm and inviting. “Reminds me of someone,” he added, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

I pretended to scowl, reaching for another slice of pizza. “Are you calling me inconsistent, Leonard?”

“Not inconsistent,” he corrected with a smirk. “Unpredictable. There’s a difference.”

I rolled my eyes, unable to suppress a smile. It was easy to get caught up in his lighthearted banter, but curiosity tugged at me, and I decided to address the question that had been gnawing at the back of my mind. I placed the slice back on my plate and leaned forward slightly. “Speaking of unpredictable... How did we end up at the company today? The last thing I remember was being in your room and shivering under the covers.”

Leonard’s smirk softened into something more serious. He set his drink down and mirrored my posture, leaning forward slightly. “You were starting to feel better after the doctor left,” he explained, his tone calm. “I didn’t want you to miss your first official presentation. I knew how important it was to you.”

I blinked, caught off guard by his thoughtfulness. “So, you just decided to... what? Drive me there while I was half-conscious?”

“Not exactly,” he said, his lips twitching with amusement. “I took my private jet. It was the quickest way to get us there in time.”

I stared at him, my mouth slightly open in disbelief. “Wait—your private jet? You just casually threw me onto your private jet?”

He shrugged like it was the most normal thing in the world. “Time was of the essence.”

For a moment, I didn’t know whether to laugh, be impressed, or call him out for his dramatic flair. In the end, I opted for teasing. “So, Mr. Billionaire, is this how you treat all your friends? Whisk them away in your private jet whenever they have a big day?”

He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “Not all of them,” he replied. “Only the ones who leave a lasting impression.”

I felt a flush creep up my neck and quickly reached for my glass of soda to cover it. “Well,” I said after taking a sip, “thank you. It was... an unexpectedly kind gesture.”

He tilted his head slightly, studying me with an unreadable expression. “You don’t need to thank me. You deserved to be there, and I wasn’t about to let you miss it.”

The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to say. I toyed with the edge of my napkin, trying to process his words, but he didn’t give me long to dwell on them. His smirk returned, and his tone turned playful again. “You know,” he began, leaning back in his chair, “you’re sitting across from a billionaire. You could be more than just a billionaire’s friend if you wanted.”

I nearly choked on the soda I had just taken a sip of, quickly setting the glass down and wiping my mouth. “Excuse me?” I managed, my voice incredulous.

Leonard chuckled, clearly enjoying my reaction. “Cat got your tongue?” he teased.

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could form a coherent sentence, my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced at the screen and immediately silenced the call when I saw Caleb’s name flashing across it.

Leonard raised an eyebrow. “Who was that?”

“Just an alarm,” I lied, slipping my phone back into my bag.

He didn’t look entirely convinced but thankfully didn’t press the issue. Instead, he leaned forward, his gaze warm but curious. “Let’s talk about that presentation of yours.”

“What about it?” I asked, suddenly self-conscious. “I know I was a mess at the start—”

“You weren’t a mess,” he interrupted firmly. “You were nervous, which is normal. But once you found your rhythm, you nailed it. You had the entire room hanging on your every word.”

I felt a small smile tug at my lips. “You really think so? For someone who wasn't there till the end, how can you tell?”

“I know so,” he said confidently. “Your ideas were clear, your delivery was strong, and you handled those questions like a pro. Watching you up there was...” He paused, searching for the right word. “Impressive.”

I looked down at my plate, a little overwhelmed by the compliment. “I don’t think I could’ve done it without your support,” I admitted quietly. “When I saw you standing there, giving me that thumbs up... it reminded me that I wasn’t alone.”

He smiled, the sincerity in his expression making my heart flutter. “You’ve got it in you, Evelyn. You just needed a little push.”

We fell into an easy silence after that, each lost in our thoughts. The conversation shifted to lighter topics—funny anecdotes, the quirks of the city’s weather—until the evening light outside began to fade.

I glanced at my watch and sighed. “It’s getting late. My dad’s probably wondering where I am. We should head back.”

Leonard nodded and stood, grabbing his jacket. “Fair enough. Let’s go.”

As we approached the door, I glanced at the bill on the table. “Who’s paying for all this?” I asked, half-joking.

Leonard shot me an incredulous look. “Pay? Does a house owner knock on his own door?”

It took me a moment to process what he meant. My eyes widened. “Wait—you own this place?”

He smirked, holding the door open for me. “Let’s go,” he said simply, clearly enjoying my surprise.

We were halfway to the car when a familiar voice called my name, stopping me in my tracks. “Evelyn!”

I turned to see Caleb striding toward us, his gaze locked onto Leonard with an intensity that sent a chill down my spine.

Leonard, unfazed, crossed his arms and offered a faint smirk. “Nice of you to join us, Caleb,” he said, his tone cool and measured.