Chapter 129 It Seems You Are Quite Convenient
The weekend rolled in, and Caroline decided to visit Elysia, a bag of fresh fruit in hand. The moment she stepped through the door, a rich, savory aroma drifted from the kitchen, pulling her in.
"Mom, what smells so amazing?" Caroline asked, heading straight for the source.
"Beef stew," Elysia said, gripping a spatula, her gaze flicking past Caroline to the empty doorway behind her. "Where's Leopold?"
Caroline lifted the pot lid, inhaling deeply. "Perfect, I haven't eaten yet. Smells incredible. He's at the hotel. Things have been a little crazy for him lately."
Hearing that, Elysia figured he hadn't been home for a few days. She knew Solstice Mountain wasn't a world away; being out of touch for this long just wouldn't do.
She plated a generous portion of the stew. "After you eat, you should drive over to Solstice Mountain to see him. Take this with you. I'll pack another portion in a thermal bag."
Caroline saw right through her mother's intentions. A playful smile touched her lips as she ate. "You know, if a dog's determined to run off, a leash won't stop it. But if it's a homebody, you don't need a leash to make it stay."
Elysia shot her a look, her brow furrowed. "That's a terrible way to talk about your husband."
Caroline just laughed. "Crude, but true."
"Just go see him. Solstice Mountain isn't that far," Elysia insisted, placing the neatly packed thermal bag on the table.
Just as she was about to leave, Elysia prompted her to call Leopold. Caroline teased, "And ruin the element of surprise? How am I supposed to conduct a raid if he knows I'm coming?"
Elysia gave her a light swat on the back. "You're a married woman now, acting less proper than before you tied the knot."
The car ate up the miles on the highway. Caroline sent Leopold a quick message on Messenger: [Be at Solstice Mountain in an hour.]
At that moment, Leopold was deep in discussion with Allegra about the company's overseas hotel expansion.
Allegra's firm, Ketbon International Financial Group, was a major player, a capital platform focused on incubating ventures in the digital economy, digital assets, Web3, and AI. The partnership was a powerhouse move. Ketbon would provide comprehensive support for Celestial Waters Hotel's international properties, integrating tourism and culture, consolidating industry resources, and digitizing services through their expertise in tech development, marketing, and user operations. It was a true alliance of titans.
By the time the meeting wrapped up, it was nearly noon. Leopold had missed Caroline's message by two hours. He immediately dialed her number.
"You're here? I'm so sorry, I was in a meeting and just saw your text."
"I just got here a little while ago. I found a nice spot in the little gazebo downstairs. Are you done with work?"
"I am now. Stay right there. I'm coming down."
It was June, the sunlight bright and warm. He followed the winding path through the garden. In the gazebo, a figure sat on the wooden bench, her back to him. As if feeling the heat of his gaze, Caroline turned, her face breaking into a smile as she watched him approach.
Leopold's eyes were filled with warmth as he raised a hand in greeting.
Caroline propped her chin on her hand, her arm resting on the back of the bench. She leaned back, her smile as gentle as a spring breeze, her slender body exuding the graceful elegance of a mature woman.
He took the steps up into the gazebo and sat beside her, his hand naturally finding hers and lacing their fingers together. "What's this? A surprise visit?"
Caroline gestured with her chin toward the stone table. "This wasn't my idea. My mom was worried you weren't eating well out here, so she made her specialty—Slow-Braised Beef with Root Vegetables—and sent me as the delivery girl."
"Is that so? Mom's the best." Leopold eagerly grabbed the thermal bag. The moment he opened it, the rich, meaty fragrance filled the air. He reached in, plucked out a tender chunk of beef, and popped it into his mouth.
"You're on your home turf. Shouldn't you maintain your image a little?" Caroline teased.
His cheeks puffed out as he chewed. "You said it yourself—this is my turf. Who's going to say anything?"
Caroline pulled a napkin from her purse and wiped his fingers. "You're not worried about your staff laughing at you?"
Leopold put on an exaggeratedly fierce expression. "If they dare laugh, they're fired."
She knew he was just bluffing. In reality, he wasn't the ruthless tyrant the rumors made him out to be, especially not with his own team. The whispers were just the byproduct of boardroom battles and tough negotiations. The people who failed to maximize their own profits at his expense called him cunning and treacherous. As more people faced him across the table, Leopold's formidable "reputation" had spread.
"Come on, let's go up to my office," Leopold said, taking her hand again while carrying the bag with his other hand.
As they were about to leave the garden, Caroline gently pulled her hand free. He looked back, a question in his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Everyone in this hotel knows you. It might not be the best look for us to be holding hands in public," Caroline said, thinking of his professional image. This was his workplace, after all.
"I don't care. Why do you?"
He reached for her hand again, but she playfully pushed his arm away. "Let's just go," she said, her tone softening into a sweet plea.
They walked side by side. "How are Mom and Dad doing?" Leopold asked.
"They're both doing great," Caroline replied, then remembered the previous night. "Your mom called me last night. She said she doesn't want to stay at my place the night before the wedding; she wants to book a hotel room. I told her absolutely not. It's not like we don't have space. I can't have her staying in a hotel."
Leopold's face clouded over. "She didn't mention any of this to me. Hasn't even called."
"I know she seems tough on the outside," Caroline said soothingly, "but she doesn't have a hard heart. She just doesn't know how to express herself with you. And you two don't really communicate. If you were willing, maybe you could try calling her more often."
Leopold winced, remembering the icy reception he always got from Quinlan over the phone.
As they crossed the grand hotel lobby, their presence drew glances from every direction. It wasn't until they were safely inside the elevator that Caroline spoke. "See? All eyes on us. Good thing we weren't holding hands."
"Are you heading back tonight?" Leopold asked.
Caroline kept her eyes fixed on the closing doors. "Yep."
He hadn't seen her in almost a week. "But that's another hour of driving. You'll be exhausted."
"I won't be. It's only an hour. It'll fly by," Caroline said, trying to suppress a smile.
Seeing she was genuinely prepared to leave, Leopold glanced up at the security camera. He hooked his index finger around her pinky, giving it a gentle shake, and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Don't go."
"Why not?" Caroline asked, playing dumb.
He bit his lower lip, his eyes darting toward her. "You don't know?"
The elevator dinged, stopping on the sixth floor. Caroline stepped out first. "Nope. No idea."
Leopold caught up to her in the empty hallway, his arm wrapping around her waist. "You don't miss me? We haven't seen each other in a week. You don't miss me at all?"
Caroline could barely hold back her laughter. "Of course I do. That's why I came to see you."
He gave her waist a playful squeeze. "Oh, you're playing games with me now, are you?"
That was her ticklish spot. The squeeze sent a jolt through her, and she went pliant in his arms. "I didn't bring, you know the stuff from your nightstand."
Leopold enunciated each word with perfect clarity. "This is a hotel. Do you really think we're short on condoms?"
Caroline gave him a knowing, suggestive look. "Oh? And how would you know? Sounds like you've had plenty of opportunities to find out."
He nipped gently at her neck. "You're just trying to drive me crazy, aren't you?"
Caroline adopted a mock-suspicious tone. "See? This is why I need to drop in more often. Who knows if you'd actually cheat on me otherwise."
They were lost in their own little world of playful banter and affection when they rounded a corner and saw Allegra standing in front of Leopold's office.
Her gaze was calm as it landed on them, taking in their intimate posture. Then, just as quickly, she averted her eyes.