Sia glanced at Leon, who was grinning innocently and nodded with a laugh. “I completely understand. He is far too charming to say no to.”Maria chuckled, a nostalgic gleam in her eye. “Even back then, he was such a little charmer. It was impossible to refuse him.”Sia smiled, feeling a warmth that made her feel part of something special.Maria gestured to the table. She said, “Now, enjoy the special dinner. I will take my leave, but call if you need anything!”As Maria walked away, Leon leaned closer, noticing the curiosity in Sia’s eyes. “You are probably wondering why you never met Maria before, especially since you spent so much time in the café garden,” he said.Sia nodded, intrigued about the identity of the woman who treated leon so intimately. “Maria was my mom’s first employee,” Leon explained. “She started working at our café back in Italy and she helped my mom build the business from the ground up. She used to babysit Coco and me, too. Then, about ten years ago, her son st
Leon leaned back with a smirk, letting his gaze linger on her face. “There is an annual conference in a few days. Would you like to be my plus one for the gala?” he asked, his tone casual but his eyes gleaming with excitement.He so badly wanted her to be his plus one for the night. Sia raised an eyebrow, matching his energy. “I have a company to represent there, Mr. Hart. Why don’t you be my plus one?”He chuckled as he was entertained by her playfulness. He said, “Competitive, huh? I like it.” He leaned in closer his voice dropping with a hint of mischief. “But, jokes aside, would you be my date for the evening?”She tilted her head while crossing her arms with a smirk. “Who says I am joking? Why don’t you just be my plus one?”Leon’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he pretended to consider it. “Alright, how about this, we send our assistants to represent us and we use the gala as just another excuse to date?”His real intention slipped through his planning as he wanted to walk int
Just as Leon had thought, he felt too empty heading back to his apartment alone, so he drove to his parents' house instead. When he stepped into the living room, he was greeted by the sight of his parents still awake and sitting on the couch with a movie playing. His mother, Anne, was casually munching on popcorn while watching the movie, while his father, Nicholas, had his arm around her, and both of them looked too cozy with each other. Nicholas raised an eyebrow at him, feigning surprise and said mockingly. “Dear, doesn’t our eldest son have his own place? Didn’t he move out a long time ago?”Anne, barely looking up from her popcorn, nodded. Oh, she liked the drama on the screen and did not care about the one her husband was causing, “Yes, honey, he did.”Nicholas continued, “Then why is he here?”Without missing a beat, Anne replied, “Maybe he is too sad to sleep alone now that he has a girlfriend.”Nicholas let out a dramatic sigh. “So, he is planning to crash here until she let
Nicholas was too elated to care as he was already daydreaming. He turned to Anne with a gleam in his eye. “Sweetheart, where should we hang Callum’s doctorate degree when he gets it? I want it in a big frame, right in the living room.”Coco leaned over to Leon, whispering in feigned sadness, “Dad is so biased.”Leon just shrugged with a resigned smile. He said, “What can we do? We had our chance. You became an artist and I chose business. Now we can only sit back and watch Callum soak up the spotlight.”Rhys suddenly stood tall and announced, “I will do a Ph.D. too!”He could not bear Callum taking all the attention. Well, it was a kind of big deal that his twinwas pursuing a Ph.D at twenty one. But so what? He would follow his twin on the path of greatness too. Everyone burst out laughing as they unable to contain their amusement.Rhys looked around as he was hurt. He responded, “What? Why are you laughing?”Coco smirked, crossing her arms. “Do you even know what a Ph.D. stands for?”
The siblings congratulated Abella and retreated to their respective rooms. It was close to midnight, but Leon sat down at his study desk and dialed a familiar number. As the call connected, he couldn’t help but smile as he saw her face appear on the screen. He was a little surprised to find Sia, like him, still awake at her own study desk.“Hey,” she greeted him with a soft smile. “You are still up?”He returned the smile, a hint of happiness evident in his eyes. “How could I sleep without wishing you goodnight?”She chuckled. “You know, it is not really that important.”But his tone turned serious. “How is it not? I want you to know when I’m sleeping and when I’m awake. What if you are waiting for me at night, and I’m asleep? Isn’t that wrong?”Sia looked at him, a bit confused. “Is it?”She did not know that it was wrong. She was planning to go to bed if he has not called in the next five minutes. She was just checking some last minute reports. She had never been in a relationship an
Sia then asked, “Were you working?”He shook his head. “I was with my family.”“Do you live with your family?” she inquired. Actually, she did not know much about his current life. Yes, she did not know where he boyfriend lives and how he even take his coffee. She had to know a lot about him. As for him living at Hart mansion, she would not be surprised. The mansion was so big that he would stay there without ever needing privacy. Leon answered him, “Not exactly. Right now, all my siblings are home, and even my grandparents are visiting. So, I didn’t feel like going back to an empty apartment when everyone is here. It feels like a festive season at home.”She smiled at the thought. “That is good. Why be alone when you have family? Trust me, living alone isn’t that fun.”He laughed and nodded. He also knew what she was thinking so he said, “Yeah, you are right. But family can be exhausting too. My dad overwhelmed all of us earlier. He made me realize a lot of things that could have be
In the shadows of a dimly lit basement, a group of masked men sat around a heavy wooden table filled with weapons and blueprints. The air was thick with tension and the faint scent of oil and sweat. On one wall, a massive map of New York City was hung. A particular location was marked with a bright red circle and there was a date scribbled beside it ominously. It was the focal point of their sinister plan.“Commander, we are all ready for our goal,” one of the masked men announced, his voice low and cool that was betraying none of the anxiety they all were facing. Another man leaned forward and said, “We will blast the city so the government can hear us. We have been suppressed, our voices muted for far too long. This explosion will not just destroy one building but it will send shockwaves through the entire world. The whole world will have to listen to our cries for justice!”The commander, a tall figure draped in dark clothing, surveyed his soldiers with a fierce intensity. “We w
When Sia arrived at the gala venue, the atmosphere buzzed with excitement and the clinking of glasses. Scanning the room, she spotted Leon immediately. He was engaged in conversation with a client. Her gaze lingered on him as he was looking quite dashing in his black suit and Charlotte did not fail as Leon had added a pocket square that was red in colour and matched her dress. But as she entered, a subtle shift occurred as his gaze locked onto her with an intensity that sent a thrill through her. It was as if he could sense her presence even from across the room, his attention unwavering as she navigated the crowd the entire night.With a playful twinkle in her eyes, Sia decided to tease him a bit as she deliberately avoiding his gaze while engaging with the guests who approached her. For an entire hour, they did polite conversations with clients and associates, yet all they could truly feel was the magnetic pull between them. Even on opposite sides of the room, it felt as if they we