Chapter 133 The High-End Hunter Always Appears as Prey
Xavier poured Preston a fresh cup of coffee, his tone deceptively casual as he brought up company business.
"Leopold is becoming more and more impressive," he began, his voice smooth as silk.
"He's got the brains, the management skills... Just look at the overseas hotel project. The way he efficiently coordinated and managed all those resources in such a complex environment in such a short time? That alone tells you he's destined for greatness. What's that old saying? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. His leadership and organizational skills are every bit as sharp as yours were back in the day. In fact, if I'm being honest, he might even be a step ahead."
Xavier leaned in slightly, a conspiratorial glint in his eye. "And the team he's built? Each one is a top performer, and they're fiercely loyal to him."
He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "Handing him the overseas hotels, I don't know what others think, but I'm completely convinced. You've got a good eye, Preston. If Leopold keeps developing like this, you could hand him the entire group without a second thought. You could finally enjoy a well-deserved retirement."
He finished with a seemingly innocent flourish. "Xiomara's due soon, isn't she? It's about time you and your wife got to enjoy being grandparents."
Preston would have to be a fool to believe Xavier's words were just harmless flattery. He knew, with a chilling certainty, that Leopold's growing influence within the company had not gone unnoticed.
The hunter's own hawk was threatening to turn and peck out his eyes. It was time he paid attention.
Preston's dark eyes turned glacial, fixing on the man across from him. The expression on his face was so cold it made Xavier's blood run cold. A nervous twitch pulled at the corner of Xavier's mouth. "Preston, I didn't mean anything by it. We've been friends for so many years. I'm just happy for you that your son is so capable."
With a look of pure contempt, Preston flicked his wrist. The coffee arced through the air, splashing across Xavier's outstretched hand. Xavier flinched but didn't dare make a sound, knowing he had overstepped.
Preston set the cup down with a soft, deliberate click. "The coffee's cold," he stated, his voice flat.
"The coffee in the pot is still hot," Xavier said quickly.
He reached for the pot, but Preston intercepted it, his grip firm. Preston just stared at him, and Xavier immediately understood. He bent forward slightly, cupping his hands together to form a makeshift bowl.
A steady stream of hot coffee began to flow. It filled his cupped hands, spilled over the edges, and ran down his wrists, but Preston didn't stop. The liquid was scalding, but he didn't stop.
Xavier's face contorted in a mask of pain, his hands trembling violently, but he held his position, forced to endure it as Preston spoke in a slow, measured tone.
"On a great ship sailing the ocean, the captain always stands at the highest point. No matter how hard the sailors below deck work, they must always follow the captain's command."
Xavier clenched his jaw, deep furrows forming between his brows. He nodded jerkily.
"And another thing," Preston said, finally setting down the now-empty pot. "Stay out of my family's business."
"Preston, you're wronging me," Xavier choked out, shaking his head as if he were the most misunderstood man in the world. "I wasn't prying. To say that it truly hurts my feelings."
Preston was unmoved. "Is that so? Well, if your feelings are hurt, you'll just have to live with it."
A wave of impotent rage washed over Xavier.
Preston took the half-empty cup from the table and took a small sip. "If there's nothing else, you can go."
Xavier struggled to his feet, his burned hand hanging uselessly at his side. He tried to flex his fingers but winced in pain.
"Mr. Preston Wipere, I won't take up any more of your time. I'll see myself out."
The moment the office door clicked shut, Preston's expression hardened into something impenetrable. His gaze was as deep and unknowable as a black hole. Xavier's words couldn't be trusted, but they served as a stark reminder: it was time to shorten the leash on the hawk he'd let fly so far.
He returned to his desk and picked up another report, forcing his attention back to work.
With the wedding just around the corner, the list of last-minute preparations seemed endless. It wasn't just Caroline who was swamped; Elysia was constantly on the move, too. After work, Caroline had been hand-delivering invitations to friends and family, and after three solid days of coordinating via group chats and making drop-offs, the task was finally complete.
Exhausted, the last thing Caroline wanted to do was go home and cook. She shot a text to Erica, suggesting they meet for dinner.
They decided on a small, unassuming place near her apartment, The Rustic Tavern. The decor was nothing special, but the prices were cheap, the portions were huge, and the food was incredible.
Caroline was nearby, so she arrived at the restaurant first, found a table, and asked Erica via WhatsApp what she wanted to eat.
Erica still ordered her usual spaghetti and vegetable salad, leaving one dish for Caroline to decide. There were so many delicious dishes that there was plenty of room for her to choose. In the end, Caroline ordered a specialty pizza from the restaurant.
Just as she took a sip of water, her phone rang. It was Leopold.
"Are you off work?" He asked, his voice a low hum in her ear.
"Just finished. I'm out to dinner with Erica. You done for the day?"
"All wrapped up," Leopold said. "Where are you guys?"
Caroline gave him the name. "The Rustic Tavern."
"Is that the place with the amazing house special pizza you told me about?"
"You remembered! It's so good, right?" A stupid grin tugged at her lips.
"The flavor was memorable," he admitted.
It was so memorable, in fact, that Leopold had bought a whole pizza to-go last time and brought it to the hotel's head chef to deconstruct. They'd tried to replicate it, but something was always missing.
After all, The Rustic Tavern had been in business for over twenty years; their secret recipe was legendary.
"Was there a reason you called?" Caroline asked, teasing.
Leopold's laugh was a soft, rumbling sound. "So now I need a reason to call my fiancée?"
Caroline saw right through him. "If you miss me, just say you miss me. Don't be all awkward about it. A man's gotta be bold."
Leopold's shoulders shook with silent laughter. "Alright, you caught me. I miss you. When are you coming home?"
"I just got to the restaurant," Caroline said. "Erica isn't even here yet, and I just ordered."
"Fine. You and Erica can have your girls' night. Just leave your poor husband all alone," he said, his tone dripping with mock-pity. He was stretched out on his sofa, the back of his hand resting on his forehead, the exhaustion of the day evident on his face.
Just then, Erica burst through the door, spotted Caroline, and made a beeline for the table, plopping down in the chair opposite her. "On the phone with the hubby again?"
Caroline just smiled, not denying it. Erica leaned toward the phone. "Mr. Wipere, I'm borrowing Caroline for a bit. I'll return her as soon as we're done eating, promise!"
Leopold chuckled. "Alright, I won't keep you two. Enjoy your dinner."
"I'll call you when I get home," Caroline said.
"Okay."
The moment she hung up, a server arrived with their food.
As they ate and chatted, Caroline noticed the ridiculously sweet smile on Erica's face every time she glanced at her phone. Something was definitely up.
"Did you get a boyfriend?"
Erica's eyes lifted from her screen. "We're... sort of seeing each other, yeah."
The house special pizza tasted as amazing as ever. Caroline chewed thoughtfully. "Sort of? Are you dating or not?"
Erica finished typing a reply and set her phone down. "Okay, yes. We're dating. And you know him."
Caroline's mind raced, scrolling through every possible candidate she could think of, but came up blank.
"Who?"
"Maddox," Erica said simply.
"Who?" Caroline's eyes went wide, her fork and knife clattering against her plate.
Erica calmly placed a slice of pizza on her own plate and took a bite. "We've been keeping it private. Of course, you wouldn't know."
A memory clicked into place. Caroline's jaw dropped. "No way. Have you two been a thing since that trip to Pinecrest?"
Erica nodded, still chewing. "Yep."
"Who made the first move?" Caroline demanded.
"Last month, there was a national competition at the Bird Lake Paragliding Base," Erica explained. "He made a bet with me. If he placed in the top three, I had to grant him one wish."
"And where did he place?" Caroline asked, leaning forward.
Erica held up two fingers.
"Second? That's amazing! So his wish was for you to be his girlfriend?"
Erica nodded. "It was."
Caroline knew her friend well. If Erica hadn't already been interested, she wouldn't have agreed, even if Maddox had come in first.
"You've had a thing for him for a while, haven't you?"
Erica's eyes crinkled into a sly smile. "Haven't you heard? The most skilled hunter always appears as the prey."
Caroline raised her glass in a toast. "I'm impressed. Truly impressed."