Victoria_Xoxo

He chuckled. “What’s with the face?”

I blinked. “What?”

“You’re blushing.” His voice held a teasing lit, and I could practically hear the smirk behind it.

“Oh.” I raised a hand to my cheek, rubbing absently, only to feel the warmth spreading across my skin. My lips twisted into a small, guilty smile.

Leo’s eyes gleamed with amusement. There was something about the way he looked at me—steady, knowing—that made me uneasy. Not because I felt uncomfortable, but because I had spent so long misunderstanding him.

Why hadn’t I seen his loyalty from the start? Why had I assumed he wanted me for business, for something transactional? A pang of guilt settled in my chest.

“This place is…” I started, glancing around, searching for words.

He leaned back slightly, one arm draped over the chair. “Deserving of a heiress,” he finished smoothly. “I had a work break.”

A warm rush of gratitude filled me, but it was quickly dampened by a lingering thought. Cassie had mentioned something earlier—something about Ophelia storming into Leo’s office. My fingers curled slightly against the tablecloth.

Kill Lila!

"A few days ago, I would have done anything to drag this group back home with me. To pull them into my world, to make them understand that this—living in the wilderness, surviving on half-cooked meat and rabbit stew—wasn't life. It was suffering." Lila echoed, "but now… now I'm not so sure."

Lila's eyes twitched, her brow furrowed in confusion as we walked through the thick forest, the scent of damp earth and pine needles surrounding us. Moonlight barely filtered through the canopy above, casting eerie shadows on the path ahead. The night felt heavy, as if it carried secrets too great to be spoken.

Morrey, ever the measured one, kept our pace steady. "Just a mile more," he murmured, as if reminding himself rather than us.

39. Twisted Turn. President Leo pov