Chapter 122 Ex-Girlfriend
The deafening roar of heavy machinery on the construction site swallowed the notification ping from Caroline's phone. She completed her tour of the grounds, the air thick with dust and the smell of raw earth, before retreating to the makeshift office housed in a temporary trailer. One by one, engineers, technicians, and construction supervisors cycled through, reporting progress and flagging issues that needed her immediate attention.
By the time the meeting wrapped up, it was nearly two o'clock. The lunch delivered from the cafeteria had long gone cold. Someone suggested heading to a restaurant, but Caroline knew the project couldn't afford any delays. They had inspected the civil engineering work this morning; the afternoon was reserved for the mechanical and electrical systems. There was simply no time to waste. She joined the crew, eating the cold meal without complaint.
It was already half-past four when she finally started the drive back from Thornfield Town. Exhaustion claimed her, and she fell asleep in the back of the car.
Yves Peterson, her driver, pulled the car into a spot in the power company's parking lot and gently called out to her.
"Ms. Tudor? Ms. Tudor, we're here."
Caroline's eyes fluttered open, taking in the familiar surroundings. "How did I fall asleep?"
Yves chuckled. "You spent the whole day on a construction site. It's only natural. You're not made of steel."
She glanced at the time. "Thank you for today, Yves. You worked hard."
"Isn't that my job as a driver?" He replied with a smile. "By the way, your phone was ringing while you were asleep."
Only then did Caroline remember Leopold's unread message. She pulled her phone from her pocket and started typing a reply as she walked toward her own parked car.
Meanwhile, Leopold was bored out of his mind at Maddox's place, enduring his friend's relentless teasing about his new wife already ghosting him.
The moment Caroline's call came through, Leopold answered on the first ring.
She slid into the driver's seat of her car, the scent of leather and stale air conditioning greeting her. "I was at the site today, and it was so loud I didn't hear a thing. I saw your message later, but then I got sidetracked. I'm sorry, hubby."
Leopold barely registered the long explanation. The only word that landed, the only word that mattered, was the last one. It resonated deep in his chest, a warm, spreading glow.
"You don't have to apologize," he said, his voice so velvety smooth that Maddox would have described it as practically dripping honey. "I know you're busy."
"How did your meeting go?" Caroline asked.
"It went well. I'll be managing Ms. Adams's three overseas hotels."
"So you'll have to travel abroad?"
"Yes." A pang of guilt hit him. They had just gotten married, and now they were facing a long-distance separation so soon.
"I've already prepared a detailed restructuring plan, so it won't be as long a trip as before. And I'll come back in between to see you."
But Caroline never believed that marriage should be a roadblock to a career. You had your ambitions, I had my work. We resonated on an intellectual level, supported each other professionally, and strived for excellence to meet at the summit.
To put it more bluntly, Caroline wasn't wired for a head-over-heels, all-consuming romance. She was rational, clear-headed, and fiercely ambitious. Marriage and love were the beautiful, decorative icing on the cake of her life, not the cake itself.
This very drive in her was what had always captivated Leopold. She was like a clock that never stopped ticking, always moving forward. He was drawn to the strength of her mind, and she, in turn, needed a partner whose spirit could match her own.
"I know you're busy, you don't have to worry about me. Focus on your work," she said, her tone softening with a rare note of tenderness. She knew the precariousness of his position at the company and wanted to be his staunchest supporter. "Taking over these hotels, you'll have a line of people waiting for you to mess up. Don't get distracted. Just deliver the results and shut them all up."
Then, her tone shifted, a playful smirk audible in her voice. "Leopold, you're not worried I'm going to cheat on you while you're gone, are you?"
"No," Leopold denied repeatedly, "there's absolutely no such thing. I trust you very much. My wife has a very high level of consciousness, vision, ideological realm, and perspective. Back then, you didn't even like me, so how could you like someone else? As far as I know, no one around you is better-looking than me."
Across from him, Maddox choked on his coffee, sputtering and grabbing for a napkin. "Leopold," he muttered to himself, wiping his chin, "I've seen shameless, but you're a whole new breed. Did you really just say, 'no one is better-looking than me' out loud?"
Leopold's narrow eyes curved into a handsome, self-satisfied arc. He shot Maddox a look that clearly said, I am that handsome. What are you going to do about it?
"You've thought this through, haven't you, Mr. Wipere?" Caroline said, the amusement clear in her voice.
As the sky outside darkened to a deep indigo, Leopold said, "I just called Dad. He'll be home in about half an hour. When are you getting off work?"
"I'm about to leave now."
Leopold stood, waving a dismissive hand at Maddox to signal his departure. "Do we need to pick anything up?"
"No, Mom's probably already got everything."
"She called me at noon," he said, a fond smile in his voice. "Told me she's already prepped all the ingredients and that I'm absolutely forbidden from setting foot in the kitchen."
"You don't know? Whenever Dad's home, Mom insists on cooking. He's been eating her food his whole life. He even complains my cooking doesn't taste right to him," Caroline said, starting her car. "Alright, I'm about to drive."
Leopold ended the call and started his own car, heading toward the Tudor family home.
Just as he neared the entrance to their residential complex, his phone rang again. The screen displayed an unknown number. He thought nothing of it and answered on speakerphone.
"Hello?"
A soft, feminine voice answered. "It's been a long time, Leopold."
He paused for a beat. "Why are you calling me?"
"I'm back in the country. Where are you?" The joy in her voice was unmistakable.
Leopold glanced at the familiar apartment building just ahead, nearly at the Tudors' doorstep.
"On my way to my wife's family's place for dinner," he stated flatly.
The other end of the line went silent for a long moment before the woman's voice returned, strained. "When did you get married?"
"We just registered a few days ago. Haven't had the wedding yet."
"Why the sudden decision to get married?"
Leopold pulled into a parking spot, his expression perfectly calm. "I met someone I love. Isn't getting married the natural next step? Was there something else you needed? I'm driving."
"Oh, you're driving? Then you should focus on that. We can catch up later." Her voice was brittle, clearly struggling to process the news.
"If it's not important, we probably shouldn't be in contact," Leopold said bluntly.
"Leopold, we may have dated, but what's wrong with staying in touch as friends?" She challenged.
He watched as Caroline's car approached, its headlights cutting through the dusk. "Friends who used to be in a relationship? Do you really think we can just be 'friends'?" He countered. "Let's not kid ourselves. We can't. Besides, I'm a married man now. It's not appropriate for me to meet privately with other women. I'm hanging up."
Without waiting for a reply, Leopold decisively ended the call.
He locked his car and walked toward Caroline just as she was getting out of hers.
"Looks like we arrived at the same time," she said, locking her car. They fell into step, walking side-by-side into the building.
While they waited for the elevator, a silent war raged within Leopold. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease, the prickle of guilt. Finally, unable to bear the weight of the secret, he spoke.
"Caroline," he began, his voice low and serious. "My ex-girlfriend just called me."