46. The Date. Leo pov

Tadley was too small a town for what I had planned for Lila. More than that, she was hiding—from Ophelia, from the past, from everything that had once tied her down. And now, with her ex-boyfriend out of the picture, she had the chance to breathe again.

As I stood outside my office building, waiting for her, my mind wandered to Sebastian and his family's arrival at the Gilmore mansion. That was the first move in this game—if I was going to help Lila win, I had to play it smart. Mario had told me that Ophelia's father was Wo Yong, the head of Sakuratech, a powerhouse in Korea. Not just another tech company, but a major exporter with influence stretching far beyond its borders. Recently, they had expressed interest in investing with us. Dennis had filled me in on the business details, but I had been hesitant. Then my most trusted tech expert dug deeper and found something personal—something that made this more than just business.