Hello dear readers, Happy new year! Thank you for sticking with Leo and Ellen's story. Kindly continue to read, comment and give a gem to this book.
"I have no idea, Mr. Warner," Alex replied hurriedly over the phone."What do you mean someone is trying to initiate a forced takeover?" Leo replied. He could feel a headache already coming on."I reached out to Mr. Phillips, and he hinted that someone was trying to buy out our shareholders intentionally," Alex replied."Let me get you straight. You got an anonymous message that someone is buying out all our major shareholders," Leo said in a hard voice as he tried to make sense of what Alex had told him."Yes, sir, and I tried to reach out to Mr. Phillips, who confirmed the message to me," Alex replied."Get me all the information you have on this right now and a list of the shareholders that were approached," Leo replied as he folded the hand of his shirt to the elbow."Alright, Mr. Warner, I'll send it over now," Alex replied."Schedule a meeting for tomorrow morning with the executives; everyone must be in attendance," Leo replied as the wheels of his brain began to strategize."O
"Oh no," Ellen muttered as she stood frozen at a spot."Ellen? That's you, right?" The voice said again, and this time around Ellen felt a hand reach out and touch her left shoulder.Ellen sighed and turned around, plastering a surprised smile on her face."Hey, Felix, what are you doing here?" Ellen asked, not noticing the man behind Felix."I had a meeting here at the hotel; it's been a busy day." Felix replied, "What are you doing here? I thought you said you had something to do when I called you just a few minutes ago."Ellen's smile broadened as she answered, "Yeah, I just left work and decided to take a walk; I did not want to sit in a car. It's a beautiful night, you know."Felix looked at her for a minute before saying, "Okay, that's fine."As Felix turned away, Ellen heaved a sigh of relief, as she thought that was close.Just then Felix said, "Leo, just a minute, please."That was when Ellen noticed Leo, who had stood silently observing them. Her smile faltered, and she turn
~Two hours earlier~Ellen got home tired; she had thought about what happened at the hotel all through the ride home."Ellen, how are you? How was work?" Mrs. Grater asked. She was busy making dinner when Ellen walked in."I'm okay, mom; work was good too." Ellen replied, adding, "Mom, I thought you were having your therapy today?""No, it's tomorrow," Mrs. Grater replied with a smile."Okay, I'll be right out. I need to go change," Ellen said, heading to her room."Okay, dear," Mrs. Grater replied.Ellen opened her door and rubbed her back. She had been feeling some pain all day but had not bothered about it.After changing into a comfortable chiffon gown, Ellen headed back to the living room. As she tried to take her seat, she shouted, "Arrrrrgggh!"She felt an excruciating pain in her tummy. She could not understand why she felt like that; it had been an hour since she got home."Ellen, what is it? Are you okay? Talk to me; what's wrong with you?" Mrs. Grater asked in panic."Mom,
"Leo," Ellen said softly, and then she closed her eyes again.Felix stiffened at the mention of Leo's name; she had looked at him and had not seen him but had mistaken him for Leo."Ellen? What did you say?" Mrs. Grater asked softly as she bent her ear toward Ellen.Ellen shook her head slightly and opened her eyes more slowly. She looked at the faces staring at her: her mom to her left and Felix to her right."Mom," Ellen croaked in a small voice."Yes, darling, I'm here. Do you want anything?" Mrs. Grater asked.Ellen's hands went to her belly, and she asked, "My baby?""The baby is okay, Ellen; you're both fine now," Mrs. Grater assured her.Ellen looked towards Felix again, her eyes seeing Leo's face instead, her eyes filled with tears as she closed it in sleep again."I think she has fallen back asleep," Felix muttered to Mrs. Grater."Yes, she has," Mrs. Grater replied.Quietly, they left Ellen and walked out to the hospital hall."Thank you for coming to check up on her," Mrs.
Leo stops in his steps to read the message again, trying to understand who the message was referring to as 'Her'. Leo had the feeling in the back of his mind that somebody wanted his hotel, but he had not taken it seriously.Alex looked back and realized that Leo had stopped, so he called out and said, "Mr. Warner?"Leo looked up and replied, "Yes, let's go."In the car, Leo had decided to drive to take his mind away from the text he had gotten. Beside him, Alex glanced at Leo, wondering what could have happened, so he asked, "Mr. Warner, are you alright?"Leo glanced at Alex and replied, "Yes, yes, I'm okay.""Okay, you just look a little lost in thought, that's all. It must be about Mrs. Warner," Alex stated, his voice ladened with concern."Uhm," Leo muttered, but before he could say more, Alex interrupted."I hope Mrs. Warner gets discharged soon, although I can't say the same about Ellen," Alex said.Leo raised his brow in question, curious about what Alex meant by his statement
Leo paused and looked at the two in front of him, as he thought nobody was going to go against him for his hotel without him putting up a fight.“My decision is that we are going to hold the event; what better way to show that the hotel is stronger than ever?” Leo told them.“Leo, you need to consider a lot of things before you take this decision,” Felix replied, his concern evident on his face.“That’s the final decision, Felix; we move along with the preparations. The event is still a few days away; I see no reason why it should be postponed,” Leo replied.“Okay, if you say so,” Felix replied, giving up his argument.“Alex, you can tell the rest of the department to continue with the preparation,” Leo said.“Okay, Mr. Warner.” Alex responded.“I think we should all return to our duties; this child’s play of a takeover will not happen,” Leo told them dismissively.“Yeah, I guess that is my cue to go back to the hotel,” Felix said, adding, “See you guys later” before leaving the hospi
Before Mrs. Grater could finish what she was saying, Mrs. Warner rushed over and said, “Leo! What are you doing here?” she asked.Mrs. Grater was stunned. She looked at Ellen and whispered, "Ellen, that’s the man who carried you into the hospital yesterday.”“I know, mom,” Ellen replied.“I thought you said you didn’t know,” Mrs. Grater insisted.“Ellen, Leo has come to take me home,” Mrs. Warner said from the door.Leo had been silent since he entered the room; now he looked towards Ellen and said, “How are you feeling?”“I’m fine, thank you. I heard you helped carry me into the hospital. Thank you,” Ellen replied.“You’re welcome,” Leo replied.“You two seem to know each other,” Mrs. Grater stated, looking from Leo to her daughter.“Yes, Ellen works at the hotel like Leo,” Mrs. Warner told Mrs. Grater with a grin.“Mom,” Ellen called out through gritted teeth, hoping to get her mother’s attention.“We should go, bye Ellen,” Mrs. Warner said as she stepped out of the room. Leo linger
Mrs. Grater took his hand, looked into his eyes, and asked, "Felix, are you going out with Ellen?"Felix's mind relaxed; he had been wondering what sort of question she wanted to ask him."Yes, ma'am, I am," Felix replied with a smile."Were you aware of her condition before now?" Mrs. Grater asked."Yes, I was; that does not change my feelings for her," Felix answered.Mrs. Grater paused a little, and then she said, "I don't want Ellen to be hurt again; she has gone through a lot, and she is being strong, especially after losing her job the way she did."Felix nodded in understanding as he gave Mrs. Grater's hand an encouraging squeeze."Can you promise me that you'll take care of her? That you'll always be there for her?" Mrs. Grater asked."Yes, I will, with all my heart, Mrs. Grater," Felix assured her."Thank you so much; that means so much to hear you say," Mrs. Grater replied."You're welcome, ma'am; I love your daughter, and I'll try my best to make her happy," Felix stated."
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