Anastasia stood by her window, watching as Leonica and Ashley got into their car, the former stopping to wave her goodbye, to which she waved back even though she couldn’t be seen, before they drove off.Watching the vehicle drive away, she heard the sound of her phone ringing from her study. She moved towards it, mumbling underneath her breath how much she hated answering clients late in the night while having extra work to do, you know, stuffs that only lawyers could understand.By the time she had arrived at her study and located her phone from underneath a pile of growing client cases, the phone was on its second ring. Taking a moment, she studied the unknown number calling, brows furrowing as she tried to recall which of her clients had this number.After much trying and pondering, Anastasia answered the phone by the third call.“Attorney Johansson speaking.” She said once the phone had been pressed again her ear.However, the voice that greeted her was one she was not expecting
Between the constant glances that were being thrown their way as other hospital patients walked by and the sound of Ashley chattering away with Gabriel, informing him of all the things that had happened both in Denver and here, Oslo, Leonica found it hard to focus on the meal which they had actually come here to have.“… and then, mommy got me Betty,” Ashley said, showing his father the doll he always carried around. Gabriel bummed in an understanding tone, nodding his head as he took a bite from his burger.Strange, Leonica thought as she had glanced at him in the middle of taking said bite from his beef burger. The Gabriel she knew was far too stuck up to even have a bite from a veggie burger, talk less a beef burger.Then again, she shook her head, briefly reminding herself that the Gabriel seating in front of her wasn’t the stuck up stoic man he had been a few weeks ago.“Everything okay?” Gabriel asked after noticing her somewhat weird behavior.She sucked a breath in rather hars
It was fifteen minutes past their meeting time, and Anastasia, who was had been the first to arrive, sat in one of the restaurant chairs, grumbling underneath her breath."Where the heck is he?" Anastasia mumbled underneath her breath and reached for her phone, unlocking it when a text message entered.Opening the text message, she had expected to see a message from Lloyd, but it wasn’t.[Anastasia?]The first message read.[This is your number, right? I know this is your number.] The second one read and at this point, after reading those two messages alone, Anastasia doubted this number belonged to Lloyd.[Who's this?] She typed, hesitating for a few seconds before sending it.Not more than a few seconds had gone by before both bars turned blue, indicating that the sender has read her message.A minute p*ssed and she was growing impatient, and as though they sensed her impatience, her phone beeped, another text message entering.[You responded. I didn’t think you’d even read my messa
Stepping into the four walls of the Bryce mansion for the first time in five years, felt foreign to Leonica. Her eyes wandered the familiar interior while she looked around like a child who had been lost in a wave of busy Monday adults.Everything was the same even after five years, she noted, walking further into the house as Ashley pulled her by the hand.“Mr. Bryce, welcome home.” The butler, who she quickly recognized as Will, the very same butler whom Lila had transferred from underneath her to look after she and Gabriel during their first year of marriage, greeted with a polite bow. His eyes was quick to widen the moment they landed on her. “Madam,” he uttered with a breathy tone of disbelief.Leonica could only force a smile under his disbelieving gaze, however, it soon turned genuine as memories, find ones at that, flashed in the back of her mind.“Glad to see you’re doing well, Will.” She said, tipping her head in a small bow to acknowledge his presence.“You too, Madam.” The
It had taken Gabriel's cry of pain only a few seconds to reach Leonica’s ears. She snapped her head around, a little too fast than she would like, and instantly rushed to his side when she found him clutching the side of his head.“Gabriel, hey, are you okay?” She questioned, placing her hand on his shoulder to steady his body that looked like it was ready to turn rigid at any given moment from the wave of pain he was experiencing.“Hey, talk to me.” She nearly barked at his silence, not liking it for one second longer when he remained silent, groaning in the obvious pain that he was experiencing.what the h*ll was going on? Leonica thought, frantically searching his body, his face to be exact, for some sort of answer to her question.The answer of question soon surfaced itself. But instead of coming in the form of words, a signal of him being okay or something opposite, it showcased itself in the form of a folded, line marked Polaroid camera photo of Angelina, laying peacefully on th
“Mr. Bryce,” Will called out to Gabriel as he stood in place even after Leonica and Ashley had driven away.The smile that had once played on his lips when she spoke to Leonica had completely vanished, leaving him with a look that screamed focus as he tried to filter his thought, dig deeper than the rosy scent of Leonica that seemed to fill his head and Ashley’s tiny loveable voice, all in a bid to pin point the face that had flashes through his mind the moment the pain had hit.Even though he had seen the picture, the girl in it looked familiar yet distance and he got that one feeling that would always wash over him when he found himself in the highest length of the Eiffel tower, seating down and holding a video call with Lila where she made a show of the foods she had prepared while he was all the way in Paris.That distant homesick feeling that settled in his gut, but would soon be consumed by anger the moment he realizes he can’t get his hand on his grandmother’s precious cooking,
“Pricey sl*t?” Standing in front of Leonica’s gate with his hand on his hips, Leonardo read out loud the words that had been spray painted into the iron gate.what the h*ll was that meant to mean? He allowed himself to think even though he was aware that the person, or people that could answer said question had fled several miles away, seeking shelter from their apparent crime.He had been in the office, handling, well, officially matters, when he had first gotten the call from her, close to an hour back. Leonica had sounded calm and composed, so when she told him something had happened, he didn't chug it up to this much trouble.Tucking his hand into his pocket, Leonardo sighed, deep frown marring his features as he turned around to watch his sister saunter through the entrance of her house and towards him, having freshly dropped Ashley with Grace who had coincidentally came back from her visit to the main estate, not that she could be a suspect."That's some reputation you've built
"sh*t!" Leonica hissed and staggered back, swinging her hand in a bid to get rid of the burning sensation that the coffee had caused when it poured on her blouse, as well as her hand."Leonica, are you okay?" Anastasia was quick to rush to her side, checking on her even before the culprit could utter a word.And when he finally did, both head snapped his way. "Ms. Romero, are you alright?"Leonica squinted her eyes at the familiar male. Stuart Reeds, forced a smile, the gesture coming off as a twitch rather than the actual action."I'm sorry, I wasn’t minding where I was going, hope you aren't hurt?" He asked, the tone of his voice carrying a hint of nervousness."I'm fine, it was an accident." Leonica answered, ignoring the look of confusion she was getting from Anastasia who was beside her.Stuart watched as she tried, but failed, grumbling underneath her breath about how she now needed to go home to get a change of cloth."Perhaps, I could offer some *ssistance." He offered, gestur