The text message was from an unknown number, like the last time. The shock of receiving such a message after so long was evident on Ellen’s face.“Ellen? What’s wrong?” Leo asked, concerned at the look on her face.Ellen continued to stare at her phone, speechless and at a loss for what to say.“Ellen? What is it?” Alex asked again, moving towards her desk where Leo was standing.Ellen raised her eyes to look at Leo and Alex, forcing a smile. “Hmm, I’m fine; it's really nothing," she said as she hurriedly put the phone in her bag and stood up.The text on Ellen’s phone was short and precise, a direct message that was meant for her eyes alone. Her heart sank as she thought about what the text had said. -You didn’t seem to take the first warning seriously. Leave Leo alone-For crying out loud, I don’t have Leo to begin with, Ellen thought as she stood from her seat.“You had this weird look on your face; are you sure it’s nothing?” Alex asked.Ellen tried to force a
“What is this?” Ellen asked Alex in shock as she stared at her screen.“I told you not to be too shocked,” Alex said, turning his seat in her direction.“You should have told me it was about me and not Leo,” Ellen replied. The picture did look intimate and was capable of conveying the wrong message.“Well, Leo is in the picture too, and it is only gaining attention because of Leo’s reputation,” Alex explained. It was a common fact that since Sandra left Leo, he had become the most wanted bachelor among the elite. The only issue was that Leo had no time for women.“What should I do?” Ellen muttered as she scrolled down the page on her desktop.“Absolutely nothing; Mr. Warner seems not to be bothered about it,” Alex stated in a resigned voice.“What do you mean by that?” Ellen asked him; his words were making no sense.“Mr. Warner is usually very furious and angry when things like this come up, but now he is absolutely calm and unbothered,” Alex explained, staring at Ellen in wonder. Al
“Pardon? Tonight?” Ellen asked, looking at Leo like he was confused. She had no idea why she was going on a trip with him all of a sudden.“I need to go to Los Angeles tonight if I don’t want that building to slip out of my hands this time around also.” Leo replied and brushed a hand through his hair.“Los Angeles?” Ellen asked, surprised that he had made such a sudden decision.“Yes, Ellen, we’re going in the next three hours,” Leo replied. He raised his wrist to check the watch clasped on it. He stood from his chair, picked up his suit that was draped on the back of his seat, and turned to see Ellen still standing there.“Ellen? Why are you still standing there?” Leo asked her, surprised that she was still there.“Are you serious? Are we really going out of town tonight? Where to?” Ellen blurted in a hurry, pouring out all her confusion in a single sentence.Leo was amused at her confusion. “Ellen, it’s called a business trip; go home, and I’ll pick you up in the next two hours," he
Ellen had not expected to see them, and she surely did not think she would ever run into them again. “What do you want?” Ellen asked the two who were staring at her.“Oh, it’s you indeed,” Emily said in response with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Luke stood rigidly beside Emily, an indifferent look on his face as he looked at Ellen.“Yes, it’s me. Did you guys follow me or something?” Ellen asked, squinting her eyes at them in suspicion.“Don’t flatter yourself, Ellen,” Emily replied with a mocking smile as she added, “Actually, we’re on our honeymoon.”“Hello Ellen,” Luke said. Gone was the mocking voice with which he had spoken to her two days ago.“Hello, Luke, What do you want?” Ellen asked, her voice hard as she glared at him.“Why the hate? The least you could do is say congratulations to us and forget the past,” Emily replied. Luke was silent. Ellen looked at him and realized Emily probably didn’t know about her slapping Luke. If she had, she wouldn’t be this nice.“If yo
Leo was startled by the sudden panic on Ellen’s face, but before he could voice out any concern, Ellen had him pulled into the room and shut the door behind him.“What is going on?" Leo tried to ask but was silenced by Ellen, who placed a finger on his lips. Leo froze, and the feelings he thought he had succeeded in burying came rushing back to the surface."Shhhh, just a minute,” Ellen whispered, her other hand on Leo’s chest, as if the very sound of his beating heart could be heard by the two who were passing by outside.From outside the door, Ellen heard Emily say, “Did you see that?”“See what?” Luke asked Emily as they got to Ellen’s door on their way to their suite.“I think Ellen just shut her door as she heard us coming,” Emily replied, stopping right in front of Ellen’s door as she added, “should we say hi to Ellen again?”“I didn’t see that; it’s late, Emily. Let's just go,” Luke replied.“There’s nothing she can do about us now; I don’t see why she should avoid us, except i
Ellen was startled by Leo’s hand on her waist; she turned to him in surprise.“What are you…” she tried to say, but Leo interrupted her.“Get in, baby girl. Let’s not run late,” he said, winking at her. Ellen was surprised for a minute, but when she looked behind Leo, she saw the surprise on Emily’s face and the hardened look from Luke.“Okay, baby,” Ellen replied, giving Leo a sweet smile as she stepped into the car. Leo walked to his side of the car and got in. In a matter of seconds, they were out of the hotel.Ellen and Leo locked eyes in the mirror, and both of them started laughing. In that moment, the tension between them evaporated as they laughed.“What was that about? I didn’t know you could act,” Ellen said as she laughed.“Well, it came to me on the spur of the moment,” Leo replied sarcastically with a grin.“Oh, really, I was surprised for a bit, but then I realized what you did,” Ellen replied as she finally stopped laughing.“By the way, how did you know?” Ellen asked c
"Chris,” Leo admonished, “stop your teasing." Leo added"Sorry,” Chris whispered. He had a mischievous look on his face. He turned to Ellen and extended his hand to say, "Apologies, ma'am, I’m Chris."Ellen had calmed down a bit. She shook his hand and replied “I’m Ellen; it’s nice to meet you”. Chris looked at her in a weird way; he had this unusual smile on his face.“Introductions are out of the way; I believe you have a business to run, Chris,” Leo said, his hands crossed on his chest as he waited for Chris to face him.“Yes, of course I do. I just needed to come see your... well, your friend for myself,” Chris said with a grin, adding, “I’ll leave you two to have dinner.”Leo sat down as Chris, who was still glancing over his shoulders at them, finally left. Leo looked at Ellen and asked, “Sorry about that; are you alright?“Yes, I am; how do you know him?” Ellen asked curiously, wondering how Leo had found such a restaurant far away from the main town.Leo had a smile on his fac
Ellen woke up the next morning tangled between sheets, and the morning sun seeped in through the window. She could feel the silent breathing of Leo on her face; his hands held her in place, close to him.Ellen could not believe what had happened between them. In the morning light, he looked so calm and almost like a child.“I love you, Leo,” Ellen whispered as she raised a hand to touch his face. She caressed his checks and closed her eyes to sleep again.By the time Ellen woke up again, she was alone. She sat up and saw a paper on the pillow next to hers.-Hey, I’ll be right down at the restaurant; when you’re ready, you can come down-The note was personal; Ellen felt butterflies in her belly. Never did she think that she would be intimate with Leo; they have come a long way since their first encounter.“Hello, Jane, good morning,” Ellen said to Jane as she entered the restaurant.She had spent less than an hour getting herself ready.“Hey there, you look good this morning. I hope y
Leo looked back to see Felix walk into the office with a smug look on his face. "Felix! Where have you been?" Leo asked before looking to see Ellen pointing at Felix with a look of panic on her face again. "Why are you pointing at Felix? Ellen, what is going on? Are you sure this isn't just an act?" Leo asked, stepping away from her. "It's him; he is behind it, Leo," Ellen said, speaking up. Leo shook his head in amazement and replied, "If this is some sort of joke, would you please stop it?" "I am telling you the damn truth; would you for once believe me?" Ellen shouted at him. Leo paused for a minute, then turned to look at Felix as he asked, "What the hell is she saying?" Felix shrugged and said, "I don't know Leo; I think she needs to go to the hospital; it's probably a panic due to the pregnancy." Leo turned to Ellen, concern etched on his face this time around as he said, "Ellen, I think we should get you to the hospital." Ellen screamed, beating Leo on the chest as she
Downstairs, Felix navigated through the crowd as he tried to avoid mingling. Everyone was having a light conversation while they all waited for the host."Felix? Over here," Mr. Phillips called from the crowd.Felix waved and smiled, hoping he would be able to slip away without having to go over, but Mr. Phillips had other plans."Felix, what a lovely event you have here. I must say that these past few days have made the Haven hotel the talk of the town," Mr. Phillips commented."I'm glad the event turned out better than we imagined," Felix replied, trying to keep his smile in place."I'm sure Leo is glad to have you on this; truly, two good heads are better than one," Mr. Phillips added."Felix, have you really been around? It's almost like you don't stay in New York," Viva said as she joined them with a glass of wine."I am Viva, but you only have eyes for one person; I guess that's why you haven't noticed me," Felix replied with a charming grin.Every other person in the group chuc
Ellen could feel her inside running faster than her physical legs could carry her."I should go home; yes, that's what I should do." Ellen murmured and walked out of the restaurant.She couldn't look back, for fear of seeing Felix come out of the restroom already.Ellen hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of her house."Alright, ma'am," the cab driver said, and he drove back onto the road.It was then that Ellen had the courage to look back, and she saw Felix walking out of the restaurant."This could just be a misunderstanding, right? I mean, what if I'm just mistaken? What if it's pregnancy hormones?" Ellen murmured.“I think I should have stayed to ask him,” Ellen muttered, adding, “It felt so real.”"I should tell Leo right; he has every right to know; he needs to know," Ellen whispered to herself with determination.She looked at her phone and realized it was too late to head to the hotel. She picked up her phone and dialed Leo's number. It rang for eternity, and nobody
Suddenly, fear gripped Ellen, her heart skipping as she looked back at the person behind her."Did I really scare you?" Felix asked, a broad grin on his face as he enjoyed the look on Ellen's face."What the hell was that about?" Ellen exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest as she calmed herself."I didn't mean to scare you; I just wanted to pull a prank on you," Felix explained as he laughed at her."That was not funny, Felix," Ellen told him, feigning anger."I know, but the look on your face was cute," Felix replied.Ellen turned and continued walking. "I thought you were too busy to come here," she said.Felix hurried after her and said, "Yeah, I had some things to take care of, but now I'm here and I'm taking you for dinner.Ellen paused, stopping in her tracks. "Dinner? All of a sudden?""Yes, you're done for the day, right? Let's go. I'll treat you to a nice meal," Felix said, grabbing Ellen's arm as he started walking towards his car.*******In Leo's office, he was going over
"What do you want, Sandra?" Ellen said, looking at Sandra, who showed up from nowhere to stand in front of her."You've grown some guts, Ellen; I thought you were banned from coming to this hotel." Sandra glared, stepping closer to her."Sandra, is there something specific you need or want to tell me?" Ellen asked calmly."You think I would have something important to talk to you about?" Sandra mocked."Whatever this is, I really don't have the time for it," Ellen informed her, stepping backward to create space between them.Sandra laughed mockingly, "What do you have if not time? I mean, with that pregnancy and all, I doubt if anyone is going to look your way.""Do you feel better from being mean?" Ellen asked.Sandra's eyes narrowed as she asked, "What did you just say?"Ellen struggled to remain calm. She looked at Sandra and smiled. "It's fine; we can't all have it perfect."Sandra's face went rigid. "Leo will never come back to you; I'll make sure of it," she hissed.Ellen looked
Leo brushed a hand through his hair and said, "Grandma, Ellen is...""Ellen!" Mrs. Grater exclaimed before Leo could finish his statement.Ellen? Where? Leo wondered as he looked towards the door, but there she was, in flesh."Uhm, hi, Mrs. Warner," Ellen said, stuttering as she tried to put on a smile for Mrs. Warner."How are you doing? Leo has been busy with school, you know; he has not come home. Why didn't you bring him home?" Mrs. Warner asked Ellen.Ellen didn't know how to explain it, so instead, she replied, "I'll make sure he comes from now on."That put a smile on Mrs. Warner's face as she pulled Ellen back to the lounge with her."Leo, see, it is Ellen." Mrs. Warner announced as if Leo was blind and hadn't seen her."Yes, grandma, it's Ellen," Leo replied, gesturing with his hand towards her.As Mrs. Warner pulled Ellen down beside her, they heard a commotion at the door."No, you can't do that now; it's supposed to be later today," Alex said as he walked through the door
Felix turned towards the wall nearest to him and slammed his hands against the wall, his face filled with anger as he cursed under his breath."F**k you!"Ellen didn't know what to do—if she was supposed to call him or just wait there till he saw her.Felix turned and headed out towards the entrance. Ellen hurried out and waited till he got to the entrance before she called out to him."Hey Felix, I didn't know you were still around," Ellen said, faking a surprised smile.Upon hearing Ellen call out to him, Felix relaxed his expression and turned up his lips in a smile."Hey, what's up? Yes, I am. I assumed you had gone already," Felix replied as he turned to face her."Uhm, we finished not too long ago; how are you?" Ellen asked, adding, "Are you heading to the hotel?""Uhm, yes, I am. Do you need a ride home?" Felix asked."No, don't worry, I'll find my way," Ellen replied. She wished she could ask him what was wrong, but she couldn't."Okay, call me when you get home," Felix told h
"Love stems from the most surprising places," Leo said, his voice deep and hoarse.Ellen placed her hand on the wall, her heart beating fast as she processed what she had just heard Leo say.The anchor for the broadcast asked again, "Would you say you have experienced this, Mr. Warner?"Leo smiled as he replied, "Yes, I have."Ellen hurried away into the restroom; she didn't stay to hear more of what Leo had to say."Our legacy was formed from love, and that is why the theme for this event is love and light," Leo concluded.In the restroom, Ellen stared at herself in the mirror. "I thought I was over this; he has found love. What do I care?"Her words didn't make her feel any better, but they gave her the strength to head out to meet the rest of the team after she relieved herself."Are you okay? That took you so long," Janet said to Ellen when she joined them."Yes, I'm fine," Ellen assured her."Okay, everyone, we are to meet here tomorrow; all that we have done will either be chang
Felix was jerked out of his thoughts. He glanced towards Ellen, embarrassed that he had been so lost in thought."Uhm, nothing; I was just thinking out loud about, you know, not knowing what goes on in Leo's mind," he explained.Ellen chuckled. "Did you really just give serious thought to understanding what goes on in Leo's mind?" she asked.Felix grinned in reply. "I guess I just did."Ellen laughed. "You have a better chance of winning the lottery than cracking the code in Leo's mind."They laughed at the thought until Felix pulled his car onto the sidewalk of Ellen's apartment."Thank you for bringing me home and for making me laugh too," Ellen stated, a soft smile on her face as she turned towards Felix."You're welcome, dear. I think I should make more jokes about Leo since it seems to crack you up so much," Felix joked.Ellen chuckled. "I don't think that would be necessary. All your jokes make me laugh anyway.""I'm glad to hear that." Felix replied, adding, "Do you mind if I p