Chapter 132: Gaining Favor
“Laura?” Leo stared at her with wide eyes as he was not expecting to see her at the mansion. And most definitely not looking or comfy in the casuals she had on.
“Leo,” she breathed out as she tried to act as composed as ever, even though it proved difficult at that moment. She stared down at the White bag that was in his hand before moving it back to his face.
“What are you doing here?” He asked with no specific emotion lingering in his tone.
“Is my being here a problem for you?” Laura asked with a raised brow. “Or are you worried I've come here to stress yourself, your unborn child and its mother?”
Leo sighed. “Please, don't try to pick a fight right now.” He said as his voice lowered with exhaustion. “I'm already tired as it is so please, don't add any more.”
Laura scoffed. “You haven't seen me in like a week? And what you have to tell me is not to pick a fight?” She's asked in disbelief. “You're unbelievable, aren't you?”
“I'm unbelievable? You're the one who ghosted me and ignored all my calls, weren't you? And now you want to stand there and make me seem like the bad person?”
“You really expect me to pick up your calls just like that? After all you said to me?” Laura scoffed. “The decent thing you should have at least done was come apologize in person, rather than blowing my phone up.”
Leo was about to say something but Laura cut him off before he could even speak.
“Or what? Would Rachel not let you go out? Maybe running errands for her isn't the only thing she can make you do.” Her words were cold and bitter.
Leo on the other hand got pissed at her words as his grip around the White bag tightened. “Don't be twisted, Laura. I already have enough on my plate so I would rather not add you to that equation.”
As he was about to walk out on Laura, a high pitched voice stopped him in his steps and pulled both their attention back.
“Leo baby, is that you?” Rachel's voice sounded from the staircase which was followed by descending steps.
Laura chuckled bitterly at the display of things but decided not to say anything. Finally reaching the ground floor, Rachel waltzes into the hallway where Laura and Leo stood.
“Leo, my lo—” her gaze immediately locked on Laura who stared back at her calmly. “You?”
“Hello, Rachel.” Laura said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Then it lowered towards her stomach that was yet to produce a bump. “I hope you're doing…well.”
Rachel's face morphed into a deep frown as she matched towards where Leo stood. “What is this whore doing here, Leo? Don't tell me you invited her.” Her tone was bitter as she glared back at Laura. “You, can't you just get the big picture here? Or do you need someone to slap it into that skull of yours?”
“I dare you.” Laura suddenly said as her smile had been wiped away without a single trace.
“Excuse me?”
“I'd advise you to know that I'm not Leo, neither am I a relative of his. So I have no connection to that thing in your stomach.”
“Laura…” she cut Leo off.
“I wasn't done talking.” She said with a feigned smile before returning her attention back to Rachel. “So I dare you to even think you can lay a single finger on me, and I promise you, you're not going to be able to explain what would happen to you next.”
Rachel stared at Laura in shock before turning to Leo. “Did you just hear that? She's threatening our baby.” She said as her hand moved to land against her stomach. “I don't feel safe with her here, when is she leaving?”
Leo turned his attention back to Laura as his eyes picked up on her outfit. “Are you spending the night here?”
Before Laura could speak, a fourth party's voice spoke up on her behalf.
“Not just the night, but our dear Laura agreed to stay over for some time.” All their heads turned towards Leo's grandfather who walked slowly towards them.
“What do you mean staying over? Did she lose her way or what?” Rachel obviously didn't like the idea of it. “She can't be staying over.”
Laura didn't say anything as she watched both Rachel and Leonard silently.
“And who are you to make decisions here, girls?” Archibald said in a displeased tone. Then he turned his attention to Leo. “I'd advise you to remind your friend here who the owner of this house is.”
Although Archibald's composure seemed calm on the outside, it was as evident as dawn to both Leo and Laura that Rachel's words had probably struck a nerve in the old man.
“Apologies, grandfather.” Leo said as he passed Rachel a quick warning glare before looking away.
“Laura can choose to stay for as long as she wants. You're only here because you carry the other line of Carter in you, not because I like you as a human being.”
Before Rachel could get the chance to say anything else, Archibald turned his attention away from her and back to Laura. “The table is set now. Come have dinner, child.”
Laura nodded. Then she passed Rachel one last hard glare before walking away from there.
The moment Laura and Archibald are out of the room, Rachel didn't waste time in turning towards Leo.
“What was that?” She asked with her brows furrowed together. “I know your grandfather never liked me, but is he seriously going to be so dumb to choose that wretch over me? The person expecting his great grandson?”
“Watch your words, Rachel.” Leo said as his tone had suddenly turned serious. “You better learn not to use such insulting words and terms when referring to my grandfather. I would talk about every other thing but not that.”
“Le—” He didn't even wait for a response from her. He turned on his heels and walked away from there as well, leaving only Rachel who was still baffled.
She detested the thought of Laura staying under the same roof as her. She wondered what Leo's grandfather even saw that blinded his judgment from not seeing the clear that she was seeing?
She is the one pregnant with Leo's child. Not Laura's
She's the one carrying the next generation of Carters. Not Laura.
She is the one who should be favored and dotted on. MOST DEFINITELY NOT LAURA!
She needed to get Laura out of the picture once and for all. She couldn't have her walking in and out of a future she has been trying to build for years now.
Whatever it took, she was going to do it. Even if it meant setting Leo against
The dinner was quiet for every other person but Laura and Archibald. They conversed throughout the whole time they ate, while Rachel passed deadly glances towards Laura that she knew she caught sight of but decided to brush off. Leo on the other hand didn't say anything as he struggled to gather appetite for the meal set before him. The only time who spoke was only when his grandfather had thrown a question at him that needed an urgent reply. But besides that, he had no interest to join the the batter between the two.
Eventually, the dinner was over and Archibald had headed up to his room first with Leo whom he insisted on having a word with. It was now just Laura and Rachel who remained. Laura didn't say anything and neither did Rachel. But the heaviness in the air could be be felt so evidently, even by the maids who appeared once in a while to clear up the table.
“I'm not stupid you know.” Rachel finally broke the silence. “I can see what you're trying to do.”
Laura scoffed. “ First of all, I would advise you to check your first statement clearly rather than believing in the lies you tell yourself.” Her words only angered Rachel all the more and she found satisfaction with that. “ And secondly, what are you even talking about?”
“Don't play naive with me, Laura. I know you're not just here because you wanted a simple stay over.” She said and Laura couldn't help herself but burst into a small fits of laugh. “You think you can laugh it off, don't you?”
“Have you suddenly lost your nuts?”
“Says the person who desperately cans over so she can get grandfather's favour. Or am I wrong?”
Laura raised her brow. “You have never been more wrong.” She folded her hand across her chest. “I don't need to get grandfather's favour, you know why?” she inclined her head forward. “Because I already have it. From the very beginning, and it's much more than you are ever going to get a feel off in your entire history of dating Leo.”