Chapters eighteen.

It was dark, and the night looked beautiful with the stars scattered around the sky, but it wasn't all that pretty for Leonardo, he took a glimpse at his wristwatch and waited some more, he was getting impatient. Using his time he scrolled through his phone and read his emails, he then heard the familiar footsteps of his assistant, Nathan. A blond guy with a timid personality.

Noticing Leonardo stare, he hurried up his steps. Leonardo stood up from the leather seat in the lounge and walked away from the office, Nathan following behind trying to catch up with him.

He strolled to the black car waiting just before the entrance and hurriedly entered avoiding the shots of the hungry press.

Nathan got into the seat next to the driver, Leonardo relaxed more into his seat, opening the pages of the files in his hands. He frowned further, his forehead throbbing with the promise of a headache. He hardly had any rest today, his father placed another surprise on him. Now he had to deal with it, his work kept on compiling, especially with the hotel management in his hands.

Something he had always avoided, he was forced to face. His father made him the acting CEO of the Adriano hotel, he was called by his father attorney and had a meeting with the board members, his workload tripled. He gently scanned his eyes at business meeting schedules he has to attend, most of them out of the country.

His father voice rang in his ears, 'Leonardo you know someday, you have to assume responsibility for the hotel.'

'My surgery, would soon commence and seriously son, I don't think I would be able to manage the hotel after that, so I spoke to the board the other day and I nominated you to be the acting CEO in my presence.' He paused weighing Leonardo expression.

"They agreed because, without the name Adriano, the investors' confidence would reduce drastically, so when I nominated you the board agreed, you were the perfect candidate for the job."

His father placed his hand on his shoulder, it reminded him of the burden he had carry now.

He had a growing restaurant, coupled with his father hotel, his father hands just made it heavier.

He tried not to express how he felt, he would work this out, finally, the car rolled into the tough-looking gates guarding the hotel, Leonardo drew his head from the file he buried it into, taking interest outside through the tinted glasses.

Noticing an SUV parked rather carelessly, he narrowed his eyes at such recklessness.

"Stop," he ordered the driver, who pressed hard on the brake.

Nathan and the driver looked at him, curious about his sudden order. Leonardo peered further and saw a familiar face at the driver seat.

He racked his head and realised it was his construction manager.

What is his name again? Johnson.

What is he doing here? Watching closer he noticed the other door opening, and a female got down a smile on her face.

He could recognize that smile anywhere, her long black hair.

Alison, what was she doing with him?

His blood boiled, she stood by the side waving at John and waited till his car was no longer seen.

Were they dating? No, that is not possible.

Jealousy was clouding his thoughts, only he should be allowed to give Alison a ride, watch her smile.

No one else. He just have to make Alison fall as hard as he fell for her. Opening the door of his car, he attempted to get down but was stopped by his assistant, "Sir, are we getting down here?" he asked.

His eyes trailed Alison's movement, " I am getting down here not you. Get to the office ready and prepare the files, start on some. I need to attend to something," he said adding finality in his tone.

Nathan just watched as his boss got down, he followed his stare and saw a woman.

Instead of thinking about what relationship they hold, he asked the driver to drop him at the hotel's main entrance.

Leonardo walked towards Alison with her unaware of his presence, he took in a huge chunk of air trying to calm his nerves down, he walked closer and caught her gently by the wrist, she jerked at his touch.

Alison felt a hold on her arm and was suddenly alerted. She turned quickly and saw the person she has been trying to avoid all day.

Removing the shock from her face, she tried to control her breathing, glancing to and fro at Leonardo and her arm.

"L-Leonardo," she stuttered his name, trying to release her wrist from his hold.

He released her arm to her surprise and stared at her in an indecipherable way.

Feeling utterly confused, she took a step back smiling at him in her most professional way, "Good evening Leonardo, I wasn't expecting to see you," She said trying not to show how nervous she is.

He maintained his gaze and this time around she raised her eyebrow at him questioning his intentions. He only came closer wiping the little space they had, her heart picked up its pace as his cologne overpowered her sense of smell.

"Who was that, that dropped you,?" Finally, he has a voice.

"Why should I answer that? "she asked.

"You should, you live here in this hotel owned by me, for now, you are my responsibility and instead of someone unknown person dropping you off, you have the right to take one of the driver's here with you."

Alison smirked at his statement, "You know, I never thought such a thing would come out from you. I never asked you to provide me with a 'suite' to live in, I never asked you to take care of me or provide me with a driver. I don't need such things from you, Leonardo. especially if you would make me feel like you are doing a huge favour in my life. Using that generosity to tell me how to live," her annoyance evident.

He stepped even closer and whispered to her, "Am I not allowed to worry about you? We shouldn't trust someone we don't know especially that construction manager," the last part ended with stress on its syllables.

Alison's eyes widened at his reveal, "You are strange Leonardo, you saw him, didn't you? and yet you behaved as a convict brought me into the hotel premises," Alison huffed annoyed walking away from him.

"Well you don't know him that much," he said trying to catch up with her. She was angry with him, "That equals you and everyone around here. I barely know anyone, it applies to you too," Her little talked pierced him hard.

"That is not true," he argued.

She paused in her steps and he stopped himself from bumping into her, facing him, "You know what, you are unbelievable," she proclaimed.

He relaxed more on his feet, " How do you mean?"

She started walking again, "How can you not trust the construction manager working for you. But you trusted him with your building, but not with me, and besides, he is my friend and a colleague. He offered me a lift what is wrong with that? You are... " Alison was made to shut her mouth by what Leonardo did next. Her heart thumping hard as his index finger landed on her lips.

He gazed at her, his grey orbs boring into hers, "Alison, you are not my ongoing construction or one of my projects, you are different, I don't need to entrust you into anyone except me," his soft way of letting those words out blanked her out for a second.

She blinked more trying to erase the heat rushing to every part of her body. She jerked away from his slender finger her lips losing contact with his finger, trying to control the shock waves reeling over her. Leonardo noticed her sudden action and folded his fingers.

'Remember you promised to end your friendship with him, and you also resolved to stay away from him.' She reminded herself.

But here she is, subconsciously bickering with him about who dropped her at the hotel?

She made a mistake, but not again, clearing her throat, "Er... Hmm, I am very sleepy and very fatigued. I need to rest and still have some work to complete back at the suite. I need to go, good night Mr Adraino," She said backing away slowly from him, he had a grin on his face, he looked so dashing with the sides of his eyes all creased up.

'Stop thinking of how good looking he is.' She chided her thoughts and walked away from him.

Hastily climbing the stairs she stopped, well, someone stopped her and she turned abruptly.

Leonardo's hands were intertwined with hers preventing her from moving any further, she looked around noticing how people clustered around the hotel premises.

Gulping at the trepidation of someone sighting them and getting it on camera. She moved back to his side to give an illusion of them talking.

"What on earth are you doing? Let my hands go," she said struggling but this time around he wasn't budging, her mind flashed back to the poolside.

What if he ends up doing something similar or worse. Instead of responding, he gently dragged her along with him, she followed along muttering her anger.

"Where are you taking me to?"

"To my office," he said.

"What? Why? I don't want to go to your office. Leonardo let me go?"

He stopped making her closer to him than before, "Alison please, just come with me. I just need a company to talk to. And you are my friend." he said trying to reason with her.

Alison closed her eyes gauging her words, "I am not your friend Leonardo. Let me put it this way, there was never a friendship, to begin with. If there was one, it no longer exists,"

She opened her eyes and funny enough Leonardo was close to her face, millimetres separating them, she swallowed her gasp allowing her horrified expression to display on her face.

"Just come with me, friends or no friends I might do something that we might all regret," she swallowed, his hot breath fanning her face.