Chapter 49 Sincere Blessings
Now that the elementary school renovation issue was resolved, Griffin had no reason to stay any longer.
Looking at the couple sitting across from him, he couldn't help the twinge in his chest as he stood up.
"I should get going. I have some things to take care of."
Out of politeness, Caroline called after him, "Drive carefully. Visibility isn't great after dark."
Griffin gave her a gentle smile. "I will."
Beyond their professional connection, Leopold felt irritated every time Griffin so much as glanced at Caroline.
Before Caroline could walk their guest out, Leopold quickly slipped on his shoes and blocked her path. "It's freezing outside. You stay in where it's warm. I'm heading out anyway, so I'll walk him down."
Caroline's eyes crinkled at the corners. "Alright then. You be careful out there too."
Leopold loved when Caroline smiled like that—the way her eyes curved into crescents, like a gentle breeze sweeping into his heart, leaving nothing but warmth in its wake.
Once in the elevator, Griffin was refreshingly honest. "I've got to say, you two moved fast."
Though secretly smug, Leopold kept his expression carefully neutral. "I guess when it's meant to be, it's meant to be."
That comment was perfectly designed to irritate!
If anyone had a history with Caroline, it was Griffin. They'd known each other since high school—over a decade of friendship—yet here was Leopold claiming destiny.
Despite his jealousy, Griffin genuinely wished for Caroline to find someone decent and kind-hearted.
"Take good care of Caroline," Griffin said. "She's an exceptional woman."
Leopold's response was immediate. "I know."
The casual certainty in that "I know" nearly made Griffin's blood pressure spike.
The renovation proposal for Silverleaf Village Elementary had been approved by senior leadership with funding allocated from the city's budget. Under Griffin's supervision, construction progressed smoothly. The electricity supply issues were jointly addressed by Leopold, representing Celestial Waters Hotel, and the Seaside City Power Company. With Xander's support, Caroline had established a fast-track system for the school's electrical infrastructure—any work related to Silverleaf Village Elementary's power lines was given top priority.
Before they knew it, the New Year celebrations were approaching.
As was customary, duty managers were assigned for the holiday period. When the office group chat received the New Year's duty roster, Caroline saw she was scheduled for December 30th. She sent a quick acknowledgment before returning to her work with the technicians on selecting sites for wind power equipment.
After several rounds of discussion, the wind power generation project had officially been added to the development pipeline. Xander was the first to share the good news with Caroline. With this impressive achievement under her belt, her prospects for the General Manager position at Seaside City Power were looking increasingly promising.
Work had become increasingly demanding, leaving Caroline with precious little free time. Leopold had invited her to Solstice Mountain several times, but she'd always declined due to her hectic schedule.
With New Year's just two days away, Caroline sat in the project trailer at the Thornfield Town site, eating takeout while calling her mother Elysia.
"Mom, I'm on duty at work on December 30th, so I can't join you for New Year's Eve... Yes, I'm off on January 1st, I'll come for dinner then... You all should go to Grandma's first, don't wait for me. I'll change clothes at home after my shift and head straight over... Yes, I know... Yes, the company cafeteria serves holiday meals for staff on duty. I'll call Dad in a bit."
She had just ended the call and was about to dial Elijah when a technician burst into the trailer. "Ms. Tudor, we've got a situation with one of the designated locations. You should take a look."
Caroline abandoned her half-eaten meal and hurried out.
Meanwhile, Leopold had gone to the company headquarters to report on the new hotel branch when Preston suffered a sudden heart attack. After spending nearly two weeks at the hospital providing support, he finally returned to Seaside City.
His first priority upon returning was contacting Caroline. After several unanswered calls, she finally called back as evening approached.
"You called me? My phone was charging in the trailer—I didn't have it with me," Caroline explained.
When Leopold heard "trailer," he immediately asked, "Which site are you at?"
"Thornfield Town," Caroline replied.
"How long have you been there?"
"Almost a week now."
Leopold frowned. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Caroline paused, confused. "I did. On WhatsApp."
Leopold suddenly remembered—that day there had been an incident at the hospital with someone causing a scene. The situation had been so chaotic that he'd read her message but completely forgotten to respond.
"Is everything okay?" Caroline noticed his odd tone.
Leopold rubbed his face, sighing silently. "I'm just... exhausted lately."
He then asked, "Where will you spend the New Year's holiday?"
"At work—I'm on duty this year. What about you?"
Leopold was quiet for a moment. "I'll be at the hotel. All our holiday dinner reservations are completely booked, and since it's our first year, I should be there to handle any issues that might come up."
"Mr. Wipere, the workaholic," she teased.
Leopold's lips curved into a soft smile. "Still can't compete with Ms. Tudor. You're the true definition of dedication."
Leaning against her headboard, Caroline was fighting to stay awake. Leopold's voice was smooth and soothing, making her eyelids grow heavier by the second.
Snow drifted past the window, white flakes against the black night sky. Suddenly, Leopold found himself longing to see her.
"Let's switch to video chat," he suggested.
Caroline jerked awake, rubbing her eyes. "Sure."
He heard her final syllable dissolve into a yawn, remembering she was still at the Thornfield Town construction site. She must be exhausted.
"You should get some sleep. We can video chat tomorrow," he offered.
Caroline was truly worn out. "Okay. You get some rest too."
After hanging up, Caroline rolled over and immediately fell asleep, while on the other end, Leopold remained wide awake. Sitting against the couch, he opened Caroline's social media profile.
Leopold fell silent.
She had her settings configured to only display posts from the past three days.
On New Year's Eve, Xander arrived at Caroline's office carrying holiday gifts. Seeing the two bags in his hands, she smiled. "Here to distribute the holiday cheer?"
Xander set the packages on her desk. "Everyone gets these, but you get something extra."
With that, he pulled out another bag of assorted nuts—pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, and cashews.
Caroline accepted it with both hands, smiling. "Thank you."
Xander added, "I also spoke with the cafeteria staff. They've prepared chocolate cake for dessert."
Caroline appreciated Xander's thoughtfulness. "You remembered my chocolate cake obsession."
"Of course I remember," Xander laughed. "That winter break during your freshman year of college, your mom told me you ate two slices of chocolate cake after dinner and ended up pacing around the house all night because you were so uncomfortable."
Caroline covered her face in embarrassment. "I can't believe you remember that mortifying story."
Xander chuckled. "Your dad brings it up every time we have drinks together. Whenever we talk about our kids, he mentions you, and whenever he mentions you, he tells the chocolate cake story."
Caroline wanted to disappear into the floor. "I can't believe my dad tells everyone about that."
Xander reassured her, "Don't worry—he only tells me. No one else."