As soon as we stepped through the door, Leon's lips were on mine, hot and demanding. His hands roamed my body, and I could feel the fire between us building with every passing second. The entire world melted away; it was just me and him, caught in a bubble of desire and passion.
I had my arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him back just as fiercely, completely lost in the moment. His fingers skimmed down my back, making me shiver with anticipation, when suddenly—
POP!
I froze. Leon pulled away abruptly, his body tensing as the house filled with the sound of popping confetti and the echo of excited voices. My eyes flew open, and my heart stopped in my chest as the lights came on.
After the party had settled down and the house had quieted, I wandered into the kitchen, where Aunt Lou and Letty were busy with the dishes. Despite the tiredness from the long day, they were still chatting and laughing softly as they worked. I smiled, feeling a warm sense of contentment, but I couldn’t help offering to help.“Let me help,” I insisted, stepping toward the sink.Aunt Lou waved me off with her signature motherly look. “We’re almost done, child. There’s no need.”I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow. “You say that, but it looks like you’ve still got half the kitchen to clean up.”Letty giggled, handing me a towel. “Here, you can dry the plates if you insist.”I took the towel with a playful huff and started wiping down the dishes Letty handed me. The familiar rhythm of household chores, along with their presence, felt comforting after such an emotionally charged day.“So, Marga,” Letty started with a mischievous glint in her eye. “How are things going with you and Leon
After that emotional moment with Leon, I felt a sense of calm wash over me, like the storm of doubt had passed, at least for now. He kissed my temple softly, and I leaned in against his chest, feeling his warmth. I was just thankful for his presence, his strength and most of all and the important thing, was his patience. We stayed like that for a moment longer, just the two of us with aunt Lou and letty in our little bubble.Then Aunt Lou cleared her throat, breaking the silence. “Well, I think that’s my cue to head to bed,” she said with a knowing smile. “Come on, Letty, let’s give these two lovebirds some privacy.”Letty grinned, winking at me before grabbing the towel from the table. “Don’t stay up too late,” she teased. “You two have a lot of catching up to do.” I shot her a playful glare, but the warmth in her voice made me smile. It felt good to be surrounded by family, especially with everything going on.Once they were out of the kitchen, Leon took my hand and led me towards
Leon had left early that morning to meet with Jack, and I couldn't shake the feeling of restlessness that lingered after our conversation. He’d insisted that I stay behind, reassuring me that he’d feel more at ease if he knew I was safe inside the house. I understood his concern—after all, Justin was still out there, and we had uncovered more than enough to make him dangerous—but I couldn’t help feeling a little stifled. I wandered through the quiet house, feeling like I was a guest in my own life. Eventually, I found Aunt Lou in the kitchen, bustling about as she prepared breakfast with Letty.“Good morning,” I said, stepping into the kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee and pancakes filled the air, but I didn’t feel hungry. Aunt Lou looked up and smiled warmly. “Morning, Marga. How are you feeling?”I forced a smile, not wanting to worry her. “I’m fine. Just… a little restless, I guess.”Letty glanced over from the stove, where she was flipping pancakes. “Can’t blame you for that.
After Leon and I shared that quiet moment, the tension in my chest began to ease. What he told me had taken concrete steps to protect me and keep Justin at bay filled me with a sense of hope. I felt like perhaps we could start reclaiming our freedom once again. But as much as I wanted to relax, I knew that the battle wasn’t over yet. There was still the ongoing lawsuit, the looming divorce, and the constant fear that Justin wasn’t going to just disappear. The restraining order was a good start, but I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about how desperate Justin might become.Later that evening, after dinner, Leon and I sat together on the couch in the living room. The soft glow of the fireplace filled the room with warmth, but I could still sense the unspoken tension between us. I leaned against him, my head resting on his shoulder as we watched the flames flicker."Leon," I said softly, breaking the silence.He glanced down at me, brushing a stray lock of hair from my face. "What is i
As I sat on the edge of the bed, my thoughts spiraled back to the call I’d received from Justin earlier that morning. His voice had been neutral and bothered me. Justin had to bother calling me so that he could say that he wanted to meet. Part of me knew it was a terrible idea—a trap, maybe—but another part of me couldn’t shake the feeling that meeting with him might somehow lead to a resolution. It made me wonder if this nightmare could really end with just one conversation.I knew Leon would be furious if he found out. He’d gone to such lengths to protect me, keeping me under watch and making sure I was never alone. His elite security was always one step behind, keeping a close eye on my every move. Escaping their notice wasn’t going to be easy. But the idea of finally confronting Justin gnawed at me. What if I could end this? What if all it took was talking things out?The complexity of getting caught before I even had the chance to meet Justin weighed heavily on me. One wrong m
As Justin disappeared from view, I sat there for a moment, my heart still pounding. The conversation had left me with more questions than answers, and the way he spoke about Leon made me uneasy. Could there really be something Leon was hiding from me? No. Justin was just trying to manipulate me, to plant seeds of doubt.I needed to get out of here.Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my phone and quickly dialed a number. Not Leon—not yet. I needed some time to process everything before I involved him. Instead, I called Aunt Lou, hoping to regroup without any suspicion."Aunt Lou?" I said when she picked up. "I’m... I’m just going to catch a ride back. You go on without me.""Are you okay, Marga?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern. "You sound off.""I’m fine," I lied. "Just needed some air."She paused for a second but finally responded, "All right, dear. Just be careful."I hung up and slipped out of the café, making sure to keep a low profile. I wasn’t far from the grocery stor
The tension between Leon and me hung in the air long after our conversation ended. He had left the room, and I sat alone, staring at the spot where he’d knelt in front of me, asking for my trust. I wanted to give it to him, but Justin’s words kept circling in my mind, taunting me.Was Leon protecting me, or was he protecting himself?Hours passed, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bigger was at play. The shadows of the house felt heavier than usual, like they were holding secrets I wasn’t meant to uncover. I needed to get some fresh air, clear my head, and think without Leon hovering nearby.I grabbed my jacket and quietly slipped out the back door. The night was cool, the breeze soft against my skin as I stepped into the garden. The moon hung low in the sky, casting long, eerie shadows over the grass. I walked aimlessly for a few minutes, trying to piece together what Leon had said."He’ll only try to manipulate you, Margarette, you can’t trust anything he says."I wra
It had been days since I secretly met up with Justin, and even though it was supposed to be a closed chapter in my mind, I couldn’t shake the nagging thought that perhaps there was another way to end this nightmare—and that could possibly happen if Justin would really take down the lawsuit and give me back my parent’s property.However, every single time I thought about it, guilt gnawed at me. Leon was doing everything he could, and I had gone behind his back. He deserved better.The following day, Prosecutor Iva, had come over earlier to go over the evidence we had submitted to court. As we all sat in the living room, the discussion felt tense yet hopeful. Iva was determined, confident even, as she spoke about the next step—a trap for Justin. “We’ll need to catch him in the act,” Iva said, her sharp eyes moving between Leon and me. “We’ve got enough to build a case, but an entrapment operation would seal the plan.”Leon nodded, his expression grim but trusting. “I’m counting on you