Brother’s Warning

The atmosphere in Leonard's spacious office was calm. He sat behind his sleek desk, lost in arranging the scattered papers on the desk. The rhythmic tap of his pen against the polished wood echoed through the room as he delved into his work.

Suddenly, the calm atmosphere shattered as the office door burst open with a force that seemed to defy its solid structure. Leonard's gaze snapped up, irritation flashing in his eyes, only to meet the intense gaze of his older brother, Claudio.

"What the hell, Leonard?" Claudio's voice thundered, his brows furrowed in anger. "Have you lost your mind?"

Leonard regarded his big brother with an annoyed expression, his pen hovered over the disarrayed papers. "You could've knocked," he deadpanned, unimpressed by the abrupt intrusion.

Paying no mind to Leonard's comeback, Claudio stormed further into the office. "How could you divorce Katherine?" His tone carried a mixture of disbelief and anger.

Leonard leaned back in his chair, casually crossing his arms. "Oh, that," he replied, a casually dismissive tone, treating the issue as unimportant. Inwardly, Leonard noted that the divorce had been finalized a few days ago, a detail that Claudio seemed to miss.

Claudio's eyes widened in frustration. "That's all you have to say? 'Oh, that'?" He threw his hands up in frustration. "Leonard, do you realize what you've done? Why would you do something so stupid?"

Leonard's gaze remained steady, unaffected by his brother's emotional outburst. "Katherine and I are not meant to be together. It's as simple as that," he stated it like he was closing the book on the topic.

Claudio shook his head in disbelief. "You're throwing away something good, something most people can only dream of. Have you even thought about how this will affect the family?"

Leonard's eyes narrowed, a hint of annoyance surfacing. "My decisions are my own. They don't need to align with some family agenda," he snapped back, dismissing Claudio's concern.

As Claudio seemed ready to continue the argument, Leonard's mind wandered to the circumstances that led to his marriage with Katherine—a foolish arrangement dictated by family expectations. He had grown tired of playing the obedient son, following traditions that meant nothing to him.

Before Claudio could utter another word, the office door burst open for the second time that day. Leonard inwardly groaned, questioning why so many visitors sought him out today. To his surprise, Miranda and Becca, Leonard's secretary, stood at the door. 

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ford. She insisted and..." Becca started, her voice trailing off as she sought the right words.

Leonard, with a raised hand, interrupted gently, "It's alright, Becca. You did your best." He offered a reassuring smile.

Becca nodded appreciatively, "I'll be outside if you need anything, Mr. Ford." She promptly excused herself, leaving Leonard to deal with the unexpected intrusion.

Leonard stood up, a subtle tension in the air as he walked over to Miranda, who was still standing near the entrance. As he approached, Miranda instinctively reached out, her fingers intertwining with his.

Miranda, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room, began her apology. "I'm sorry, Leonard. Your secretary told me you had a guest, but I thought she might be lying." 

Leonard sighed, attempting to diffuse the awkward situation. "It's okay, Miranda. There's no need to apologize," he reassured her.

Miranda, a blend of feeling sorry and being curious, continued, "I just wanted to see you. I didn't mean to interrupt anything important."

Leonard, maintaining a composed demeanor, reassured Miranda with a gentle smile, "It's okay, Miranda. Don't worry about it." He shifted his gaze briefly from Miranda to Claudio, who stood nearby with furrowed brows, observing the unfolding scene.

Claudio, unable to contain his confusion and concern, finally spoke up, directing his question at Leonard, "Who is this woman?" His actions showed he was puzzled by how close Leonard and Miranda seemed.

Before Leonard could respond, Miranda stepped forward proudly, determined to make her presence known. "Hi, I'm Miranda," she said, extending her hand toward Claudio with a friendly smile, as if eager to shake hands. "I'm Leonard's girlfriend."

However, Claudio's reaction was far from what Miranda anticipated. His expression shifted from confusion to a sudden burst of anger upon hearing Miranda 's introduction. He pulled his hand back, rejecting the handshake, and directed a stern gaze at Leonard.

In a tone that betrayed his fury, Claudio demanded answers. "Leonard, are you crazy? Is this some kind of joke?" The disbelief in his voice conveyed the magnitude of his confusion, hoping against hope that his brother was playing a prank.

Leonard, maintaining his silence, offered no immediate clarification, leaving Miranda 's announcement hanging in the air as an undeniable truth. The room filled with a heavy silence, tension building between the brothers. Claudio, looking from Miranda to Leonard, insisted, "You have to tell me this is a joke, Leonard."

Leonard, breaking his silence, finally spoke, his voice calm but resolute. "It's not a joke, Claudio. Miranda is my girlfriend."

Claudio's expression darkened, a storm of anger brewing in his eyes as the weight of Leonard's words settled. The shock transformed into a scowl as Claudio demanded, "Don't tell me you divorced Katherine for this woman."

Miranda, not one to shy away from confrontation, interjected confidently, "Well, I am better than Katherine in every way."

Claudio, his patience wearing thin, raised his hand in a dismissive gesture, signaling that he didn't want to entertain Miranda 's comments. "This is between me and my brother. Your opinions don't matter here," he declared, his voice sharp and authoritative.

Miranda, unfazed, attempted to make her point further, but Claudio's stern gaze silenced her. "This is a family matter. Keep your opinions to yourself, or you'll regret meddling in affairs that don't concern you," he warned, his words leaving no room for negotiation.

The tension in the room escalated, the air thick with unspoken animosity. Claudio, still grappling with the shocking revelation, directed his frustration toward Leonard. "I can't believe you'd throw away your marriage for this. What's gotten into you?" His voice held a mixture of disappointment and anger.

Leonard, maintaining his calm demeanor, replied with a touch of stubbornness, "It's my life, Claudio. I make my own decisions."

Claudio, realizing the futility of arguing further in the presence of Miranda, shot her a disapproving look before turning back to Leonard and leaving the office. "This is a mistake, Leonard. A big one. I hope you realize it before it's too late."

Leonard watched him go without showing any emotion. He couldn't bring himself to feel any doubt. In his mind, divorcing Katherine had been the best decision, and he wasn't about to let Claudio's warnings change that.