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!

"Report every movement, every act of Lila to me," I ordered Shin-ah over the phone, my tone firm, leaving no room for hesitation.

"Yes, ma'am," she answered without question.

That was the first step in my fight against Lila. She thought she could blindside me, but I wasn't about to sit back and wait for her next move.

I ended the call and leaned back against the velvet headrest of my chair, pressing a cold pack against my throbbing forehead. The sting of the bruise was nothing compared to the anger simmering beneath my skin. My mind kept replaying the moment she attacked me at the hospital—her hands gripping me with surprising strength, the cold malice in her eyes, the way I barely managed to escape with just this injury.

The Heiress. Ophelia pov