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!

<p>I've finally succeeded in coaxing Aurora to talk about Lila. She started off with details I already knew—dull, predictable things that anyone with half an ear to the ground had heard before. But I listened with rapt attention, nodding at the right moments, feigning fascination even when boredom threatened to creep in.</p>

<p>It was only when she got to the part about Lila being lost in the forest that I started paying closer attention. Apparently, when they found her, she was in a sorry state—frail, trembling, and desperate for help. She kept crying to go home until Leo found her, though Aurora didn't elaborate on how exactly that happened.</p>

Her Private Life. Ophelia pov