16. Attention Leonardo

“Wh-what?” Leonardo looked nervous as Caterina thrust the food into his mouth. His cheeks were flushed red, his heart beating very fast.

“Don't you dare? Your behavior makes me suspicious.” Caterina stared with a probing look. She did not dare to taste the food that had been placed before her. She was afraid that the food had been contaminated with poison. She put her spoon and fork back on the plate of lasagna.

Leonardo was silent for a moment; he was trying to normalize his heartbeat. He was trying to regulate his breathing. Once he had calmed down, he grabbed a spoonful of lasagna and devoured it with relish. The man looked deeply at Caterina, not taking his eyes off her at all. He tried to convince her that there was nothing in the food.

Caterina looked at Leonardo intently; she was thinking hard. If Leonardo dared to eat the food, it meant that the food served to him was indeed not poisonous. However, why was Leonardo's reaction so suspicious when she thrust her spoon at him? If not because he was afraid of eating poison, then what? Caterina wondered to herself.

“You can order something else if you really don't like this.” Leonardo said flatly; he grabbed the plate and pulled it towards him. He was also hungry, so he was lucky if he could eat now. Even though he really didn't like lasagna.

“I'll finish it.” Caterina pulled the plate back. She began to savor her meal with great relish.

Unknowingly, a faint smile appeared on Leonardo's lips. He felt happy when he saw Caterina eating with gusto. The more he looked at Caterina, the more he realized that she was very beautiful and attractive.

“You're not eating?” Caterina looked up, staring at Leonardo with her chewing mouth.

“I've had my fill of watching you eat.”

Caterina smiled sarcastically at Leonardo's answer. “No need to be so sweet.”

“It's past dinner time, so I only ordered mineral water.” The man indicated the bottle of mineral water on the table. He was very careful about his diet; he also cared a lot about his health. No wonder his body grew so beautifully.

“You won't be able to enjoy life if you're bound by too many rules.” Caterina commented. She knew Leonardo's rules by heart. He was very strict with them, even more so with himself. He was too much of a perfectionist.

Leonardo did not respond; he just stayed silent with his gaze focused on Caterina.

“Stop looking at me with that gaze. You're scary.”

“What look did I give you?”

“A look full of hatred. You still intend to kill me, right? Give me one chance to live; I'll do whatever you want. If you want me to disappear, I'll disappear.” Caterina tried to persuade.

Leonardo sighed after he heard that sentence. He was very disgusted when Caterina carelessly accused without evidence. What was her reason for killing Caterina?

Alex approached Leonardo, the man whispering in his boss's ear. Caterina didn't know what they were talking about, but she could read the expression on Leonardo's face, which immediately changed. The man rose to his feet, walked with authority away from the table, and out of the restaurant.

A gunshot rang out after Leonardo had left the restaurant. The shot came from the direction of the parking lot. Not long after, Leonardo returned to his seat. There was still annoyance on his face when he sat back in his chair.

“What happened?” Caterina asked curiously. Because the gunshot was only heard once. She had finished eating and was looking forward to continuing her journey.

“None of your business.” Leonardo replied coldly.

Caterina was silent; she felt this atmosphere was very familiar. This was the interaction that was supposed to happen between them. Full of tension and Leonardo's dominating coldness.

Leonardo took out a few bills from his pocket. He gave them to Caterina. “Go back to the headquarters. I'll ask Alex to take you home safely. I have things to do; if you come with me, you'll be a burden.”

Caterina frowned. 'Did he just act concerned about me? Did he actually care about me, just in a different way? He wanted to say that it would be dangerous if I came with him, right? Or was it me who was overconfident? Why is his attitude so confusing?' The woman wondered to herself.

Leonardo rose to his feet. He strode to the cashier's desk to pay the bill, then called for his men to leave immediately. Only Caterina and Alex were left there. Alex was the man Leonardo recognized for his strength and fighting ability. So, if Caterina was with him, she would be safe.

“Are we leaving now?” Alex asked as he looked at Caterina.

“What exactly happened? Where did Leo and his men go?” Caterina asked curiously.

“Mr. Bianchi forbade me to tell you, so I won't.” Alex chose to remain silent.

Caterina felt uneasy. She was afraid that something bad would happen to Leonardo. She was so worried that she forgot who Leonardo was. Even Marco and his men didn't manage to touch him after he set many traps in his mansion.

“You don't need to worry; he'll be fine. Mr. Bianchi is actually worried about you, which is why he asked me to take you home.” Alex gave an explanation.

“He's worried about me? Doesn't he want to kill me?” Caterina asked in confusion.

“I'm not sure about that. I don't know. I myself don't know what exactly Mr. Bianchi wants. However, I believe he cares about you very much. If he didn't care about you, he wouldn't have searched for your whereabouts. The battle at Marco's mansion cost quite a bit of money. Mr. Bianchi even used his stored weapons that he only uses when in danger, as the bullets are quite expensive.”

“Why would he do that for me?” Caterina wondered. There were many pieces of the puzzle that plagued her mind.